“American Sniper” Almost Included Chris Kyle’s Death Scene

Harrison Lee10 years ago

“American Sniper” was hands down one of the best movies I’ve ever seen. It painted Chris Kyle as a true American hero, which is exactly what he deserves to be portrayed as, since Kyle sacrificed his life in order to protect the lives of his own brothers in combat. Kyle also, after seeking help for his own PTSD problems, sought to help other soldiers cope with their problems.

Unfortunately, on February 2, 2013, Kyle and a companion, Chad Littlefield, took Eddie Ray Routh out to a shooting range in Erath County, just southwest of Fort Worth. While at the range, Routh opened fire on Kyle and Littlefield, killing them both. It was a tragic ending to both Kyle’s and Littlefield’s lives. It was an ending that Taya Kyle did not want to be included in the movie.

From New York Daily News:

Screenwriter Jason Hall told the Daily News that Kyle’s wife, Taya, asked Bradley Cooper, who played her husband in the film, director Clint Eastwood and other executives not to include the moment in their take on the story.

“Five days after Chris was murdered, (Taya) called and said, ‘This is going to be how my children remember their father, so I want you to get right,’” Hall said.

Screenwriters did their best to get it right and still include a scene of his murder. Thankfully, for both Taya and the rest of the world, they decided that, ultimately, it would be best to cut that scene from the movie.

“In the end, I think we felt that this was a film about Chris’ life and not about his death,” Hall said. “We also wanted to be careful not to glorify the guy who did it.”

I couldn’t have said it better myself, Hall. You guys did one hell of a job depicting Chris’s life, and how the movie ended couldn’t have been any more appropriate. There aren’t many movies that I have ever seen with a crowd so silent at the end. Good on the crew for not glorifying Routh and cutting the scene..

[via New York Daily News]

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