MovieChat Forums > Black Hawk Down (2002) Discussion > Hoot Question / thoughts

Hoot Question / thoughts

posted 7 years ago by Hillius
6 replies | jump to latest

I've seen this film I don't know how many times and I've finally begin to wonder why Hoot at the end of the film begins to re-arm saying "there's still men out there.." when General Garrison made it clear that no man was to be left behind. Did not everyone make it back to the Pakistani stadium? Or was this just supposed to be one final I'm Hoot and I'm bad ass moment?

On another point some time ago I read an article on how the military demanded changes to the storyline in order to paint themselves in a more favorable light. The Grimes character was complete fiction which is too bad considering Ewan McGregor is half the reason I loved the film so much in the first place. It really doesn't surprise me that this happens more often than not in "based on a true event" films. I'm not sure why the military is afraid to show it's ugly side once in awhile, but then I suppose it wouldn't make great recruiting propaganda.

Still a great film and I'm sure I'll be rewatching it yet again sometime in the future to come after I've forgotten how brutally sad it really is.

“The critic has to educate the public; the artist has to educate the critic.”

[–] CGSailor 7 years ago

The Grimes character is not a complete fiction, but based on a real person.

They wrote the real person OUT of the story deliberately and altered the name and such to remove the rwal person from the tory, as he was later convicted of being a pedophile and is a registered sex offender.

I joined the Navy to see the world, only to discover the world is 2/3 water!

[–] samhill08642 7 years ago

That's completely wrong. Grimes' character was complete fiction. It was written in to relate to the perspective of the audience that was being educated as the story progressed.

[–] dubyahsrobotminion 7 years ago

No you are completely wrong. No characters in the movie are complete fiction. All of the characters are based of either 1 real person or a composite character based off of multiple real people. In several cases as it applies to BHD there were several name changes:

(None of the Delta operators that survived were approved for information release even if they weren't on active duty so none of the Delta still living were named in the movie period.)

Delta SFC Hoot Gibson, is a take on Norm Hooten and Mace Macejunes. Hoot also does or says a few things that other people actually did including one of the SEALs that is left out of the movie.

Delta SFC Jeff Sanderson, again is a take on multiple people, mostly on Paul Howe but also on Delta Captain Scott Miller

Delta LTC Joe Cribs, is simply a name change, in this case for Colonel Lee Van Arsdale. COL Van Arsdale was an advisor for the movie and didnt want his name used.

(Rangers)

Specialist John Grimes, was mostly based on John Stebbins the real life Company Clerk for B/3/75. Thought Stebbins is not actually a Ranger, he was a 42A Clerk from HHC/3/75. Bits and pieces are based on others as well like the Motor Pool Soldiers and Cooks that joined the battle. IRL Stebbins did not replace anyone in Chalk 4, he joined the battle after it started with one of the follow on rescue convoys.

Educate yourself before telling someone else they are wrong.

You are taking a dump and they call GQ do you pinch it off or finish your business?

[–] samhill08642 7 years ago

That's rich telling someone to educate themselves when you're the one that needs educating. You're WRONG. There is no real life Grimes character. Now get off your high horse and go play with yourself.

[–] sadarm 7 years ago

Grimes was based on Stebbins. Read the book. Everything the previous poster said about which character was based on which real person was accurate.

[–] Polaris101 7 years ago

I've seen this film I don't know how many times and I've finally begin to wonder why Hoot at the end of the film begins to re-arm saying "there's still men out there.." when General Garrison made it clear that no man was to be left behind. Did not everyone make it back to the Pakistani stadium? Or was this just supposed to be one final I'm Hoot and I'm bad ass moment?

Mike Durant was being held captive and the bodies of Shughart, Gordon and the rest of Super 64's crew were still out there.