# Jarhead--book and movie (Open Spoilers) **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [October 23, 2005, 5:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jarhead-book-and-movie-open-spoilers/327542 "2005-10-23T17:24:46Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![vivalostwages](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/d07c76/32.png) [@vivalostwages](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/vivalostwages)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2005, 5:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jarhead-book-and-movie-open-spoilers/327542/1 "2005-10-23T17:24:46Z")
Just wondering if anyone else has read Anthony Swofford’s book [**Jarhead** :](http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/B0000CAR5Y/qid=1130087754/sr=2-1/ref=pd_bbs_b_2_1/104-7586733-6951137?v=glance&s=books) I just finished it and was impressed most by the author’s raw, honest details in regard to his love/hate relationship with the Marine Corps and his fellow Marines; his willingness to share his moments of fear; and his closing comments on the despair he is entitled to along with his loneliness in the wake of his actions and experiences. His next to last passage is especially revealing: “Some wars are unavoidable and need well be fought, but this doesn’t erase warfare’s waste. Sorry, we must say to the mothers whose sons will die horribly. This will never end…” Now I’m very curious to see the movie. The trailers contain dialogue which does not appear in the book and that’s okay; I do realize that trailers are only a few seconds long, things need to be added or changed when going from book to film, and I’m hopeful that the film will retain much of the book’s truth. Here are some links for trailers if you want to take a look: Apple trailers: [http://www.apple.com/trailers/universal/jarhead/](http://www.apple.com/trailers/universal/jarhead/) Yahoo–may have links for non-Apple: [http://movies.yahoo.com/shop?d=hv&cf=trailer&id=1808640992&intl=us](http://movies.yahoo.com/shop?d=hv&cf=trailer&id=1808640992&intl=us) And the official site: [www.jarheadmovie.com](http://www.jarheadmovie.com) ---
**Author:** ![Push\_You\_Down](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/push_you_down/32/9095_2.png) [@Push\_You\_Down](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Push_You_Down)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2005, 5:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jarhead-book-and-movie-open-spoilers/327542/2 "2005-10-23T17:29:54Z")
I read Jarhead close to two years ago. It is one of my favorite books. I am excited to see the movie but It looks like made some big changes to it. I heard that Jamie Foxx was originally a small almost cameo part but with his oscar win they expanded it… I don’t know how I feel about that. As long as the .50 cal training session is in the movie I’ll be happy. ---
**Author:** ![Squee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ba9def/32.png) [@Squee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Squee)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2005, 5:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jarhead-book-and-movie-open-spoilers/327542/3 "2005-10-23T17:33:44Z")
I’d love to see this movie due to the trailers, if nothing else to see Jake Gyllenhaal get out of the Donnie Darko role. Hijack: I thought the term “jarhead” was an offensive term to Marines… or is this what they call themselves too? ---
**Author:** ![Push\_You\_Down](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/push_you_down/32/9095_2.png) [@Push\_You\_Down](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Push_You_Down)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2005, 7:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jarhead-book-and-movie-open-spoilers/327542/4 "2005-10-23T19:06:02Z")
> [@Squee](#): > > I’d love to see this movie due to the trailers, if nothing else to see Jake Gyllenhaal get out of the Donnie Darko role. > > Hijack: I thought the term “jarhead” was an offensive term to Marines… or is this what they call themselves too? There being a lot of Marines, there are a lot of opinions on the matter. Some say it is derogatory. Some say it is derogatory for someone else to use it who isn’t a Marine. Some say it is just slang. ---
**Author:** ![DiosaBellissima](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a8b319/32.png) [@DiosaBellissima](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DiosaBellissima)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2005, 7:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jarhead-book-and-movie-open-spoilers/327542/5 "2005-10-23T19:19:13Z")
> [@Squee](#): > > I’d love to see this movie due to the trailers, if nothing else to see Jake Gyllenhaal get out of the Donnie Darko role. > > Hijack: I thought the term “jarhead” was an offensive term to Marines… or is this what they call themselves too? My ex is a Marine and he and his friends always call themselves Jarheads. : shrug : Anywho, I haven’t read the book, but I have seen the trailers. Allow me to reinact what happened when I first saw the preview. . . (Cut to Diosa, deep within her study of political science. TV is on in the background, but being ignored) TV: Ooorah! Diosa throws book down and stares at TV with all of her attention. Topless Marines shooting things “Oh man!” I say, “There is no way this movie could possibly be bad!” 😃😃😃 Man, I\* love\* Marines. ---
**Author:** ![vivalostwages](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/d07c76/32.png) [@vivalostwages](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/vivalostwages)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2005, 7:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jarhead-book-and-movie-open-spoilers/327542/6 "2005-10-23T19:25:29Z")
Perhaps the term “jarhead” gets mixed reactions because of what I mentioned earlier re: the very mixed feelings that Swofford (and, I would imagine, other Marines) have about themselves and each other. ---
**Author:** ![vivalostwages](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/d07c76/32.png) [@vivalostwages](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/vivalostwages)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2005, 7:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jarhead-book-and-movie-open-spoilers/327542/7 "2005-10-23T19:29:13Z")
:smack: Man…the subject-verb disagreement in my last post… Welcome to the suck, all right. ---
**Author:** ![Digital\_Stimulus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/aeb1de/32.png) [@Digital\_Stimulus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Digital_Stimulus)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2005, 7:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jarhead-book-and-movie-open-spoilers/327542/8 "2005-10-23T19:44:15Z")
Hijack part II: where does the term “jarhead” come from? ---
**Author:** ![DiosaBellissima](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a8b319/32.png) [@DiosaBellissima](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DiosaBellissima)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2005, 7:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jarhead-book-and-movie-open-spoilers/327542/9 "2005-10-23T19:53:07Z")
> [@Digital Stimulus](#): > > Hijack part II: where does the term “jarhead” come from? Their hair cut (the “[high and tight](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/2/27/High_and_tight_haircut.jpg)”). . . . So very hot. (( slinks off to find more pictres of Marines )) ---
**Author:** ![Campion](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/4491bb/32.png) [@Campion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Campion)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2005, 8:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jarhead-book-and-movie-open-spoilers/327542/10 "2005-10-23T20:04:33Z")
> [@DiosaBellissima](#): > > Diosa throws book down and stares at TV with all of her attention. Topless Marines shooting things “Oh man!” I say, “There is no way this movie could possibly be bad!” 😃😃😃 I haven’t read the book, and the trailer made the movie look like every other thoughtful-guy-torn-by-angst-in-bad-war movie ever made, complete with stock characters. Of course, there was no toplessness in the trailer I saw. Perhaps I need to do further study on this issue, and I thank you, **Diosa** , for pointing out that I may have been hasty in writing off this movie as not worth seeing. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![DiosaBellissima](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a8b319/32.png) [@DiosaBellissima](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DiosaBellissima)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2005, 8:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jarhead-book-and-movie-open-spoilers/327542/11 "2005-10-23T20:19:36Z")
**Campion** - please, allow me to add a few cites 😃 [Le Cite.](http://www.imgzhost.com/uploads/6a498fc03e.jpg) [Mas Cite](http://www.imgzhost.com/uploads/73d74f1bc6.jpg) [Citey Mc Cite Cite](http://www.imgzhost.com/uploads/d4e3d592b3.jpg) Oh and, not topless, but what the hey: [Cite](http://www.imgzhost.com/uploads/f35bf19317.jpg) Honestly, I don’t even think Jake is very cute. It’s the uniform. And the boots. And the guns. And the high and tight. And the :: sigh :: But yeah, I find it interesting that the Corps has an apparent "Manscaping’ policy (all those guys are rather. . . waxed). ---
**Author:** ![Campion](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/4491bb/32.png) [@Campion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Campion)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2005, 8:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jarhead-book-and-movie-open-spoilers/327542/12 "2005-10-23T20:30:05Z")
**Diosa** : my, my, my. I _have_ been hasty. Thanks for, um, fighting ignorance today. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Cat\_Fight](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/90ced4/32.png) [@Cat\_Fight](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cat_Fight)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2005, 9:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jarhead-book-and-movie-open-spoilers/327542/13 "2005-10-23T21:31:40Z")
I thought the book was incredible in showing the conflicting roles of soldiers. Swofford was suprisingly honest, even when painting himself as a total heartless asshole. From interviews I’ve heard with Gyllenhaal and Sarsgaard (he plays the friend who dies after returning home), it’s a loose adaptation that borrows themes and scenes from the book e.g. the gas mask football game. The movie looks incredible, and I’m sure it will clean up at the Oscars (along with **Capote** and **Brokeback Mountain** – maybe Jake will get to take the stage and pull an **In & Out** with his acceptance speech). ---
**Author:** ![Cat\_Fight](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/90ced4/32.png) [@Cat\_Fight](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cat_Fight)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2005, 9:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jarhead-book-and-movie-open-spoilers/327542/14 "2005-10-23T21:33:12Z")
That really should be a spoiler, not a quote- ---
**Author:** ![vivalostwages](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/d07c76/32.png) [@vivalostwages](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/vivalostwages)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2005, 11:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jarhead-book-and-movie-open-spoilers/327542/15 "2005-10-23T23:47:54Z")
> [@Cat Fight](#): > > I thought the book was incredible in showing the conflicting roles of soldiers. Swofford was suprisingly honest, even when painting himself as a total heartless asshole. From interviews I’ve heard with Gyllenhaal and Sarsgaard (he plays the friend who dies after returning home), it’s a loose adaptation that borrows themes and scenes from the book e.g. the gas mask football game. > The movie looks incredible, and I’m sure it will clean up at the Oscars (along with **Capote** and **Brokeback Mountain** – maybe Jake will get to take the stage and pull an **In & Out** with his acceptance speech). Well, since Jake is in several movies this fall (hey, did anyone see **Proof**? Anyone at all?), I have no problem with hijacking this thread myself… I tried bringing up **Brokeback Mountain** a while ago: > **[Brokeback Mountain:the short story--and the movie. \*spoilers](https://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=337339)** > > Have any of you read Annie Proulx’s short story “Brokeback Mountain,” which has been adapted for the big screen? I’d like to discuss some aspects of it that I’m still wondering about even after two readings. \*If you’re looking for the story, it’s... so jump on in if you like. ---
**Author:** ![Squee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ba9def/32.png) [@Squee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Squee)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2005, 12:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jarhead-book-and-movie-open-spoilers/327542/16 "2005-10-24T00:09:04Z")
Funny, I was just watching City Slickers on tv (I’ve seen it 10 times at least), but today was the first time I realized that his son (little kid) was Jake… I’m so clueless sometimes. = ) ---
**Author:** ![CapnPitt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/edb3f5/32.png) [@CapnPitt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CapnPitt)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2005, 12:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jarhead-book-and-movie-open-spoilers/327542/17 "2005-10-24T00:15:46Z")
I finished reading Jarhead about two weeks ago. I thought it was an excellent book. I think it’s safe to say that the book is anti-war. The interesting thing to me in the movie coming out is that Swofford talks about war movies (even anti-war movies like Platoon and Apocalypse Now) as being pornography for warriors. Now his story is being turned into a movie. Really, I’m not making a judgment here, I just find it interesting. ---
**Author:** ![Beware\_of\_Doug](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/278dde/32.png) [@Beware\_of\_Doug](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beware_of_Doug)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2005, 12:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jarhead-book-and-movie-open-spoilers/327542/18 "2005-10-24T00:29:08Z")
> [@DiosaBellissima](#): > > TV: Ooorah! > > Diosa throws book down and stares at TV with all of her attention. Topless Marines shooting things “Oh man!” I say, “There is no way this movie could possibly be bad!” 😃😃😃 > > Man, I\* love\* Marines. Which half of _Full Metal Jacket_ got you hotter? Boot camp half, or senseless slaughter half? ---
**Author:** ![DiosaBellissima](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a8b319/32.png) [@DiosaBellissima](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DiosaBellissima)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2005, 1:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jarhead-book-and-movie-open-spoilers/327542/19 "2005-10-24T01:17:09Z")
> [@Beware of Doug](#): > > Which half of _Full Metal Jacket_ got you hotter? Boot camp half, or senseless slaughter half? Bootcamp half, totally. 😉 Word to the wise: don’t ever watch Full Metal Jacket with a Marine. “Oh man, their shirts SO aren’t bloused up right.” “Omigawd! Why are they wearing their ALPHAS, you’d NEVER wear your alphas there!” “Oh we did it just like that.” “Oh man, they totally edited the Oath of the Riflemen (or whatever it is called…they say it with their gun in bed). It is WAAAAAY more vulgar than that. Look it goes like this…” Sigh. 😛 ---
**Author:** ![Beware\_of\_Doug](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/278dde/32.png) [@Beware\_of\_Doug](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beware_of_Doug)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2005, 2:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jarhead-book-and-movie-open-spoilers/327542/20 "2005-10-24T02:05:55Z")
All right, forget I asked. :rolleyes: [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jarhead-book-and-movie-open-spoilers/327542.md?page=2)