Take Two translates the day’s headlines for Southern California, making sense of the news and cultural events that affect our lives. Produced by Southern California Public Radio and broadcast from October 2012 – June 2021. Hosted by A Martinez.
The new film "Fort Bliss" centers on female veteran who returns to civilian life after a grueling 15-month tour in Afghanistan.
Army medic Maggie Swan finds that life at home has changed — a lot.
Her ex-husband, Richard, tells her that he's engaged and his fiancé — who has been helping him care for Maggie's young son Paul while she's been away — is pregnant.
That's just the tip of the iceberg for Maggie.
She's been away for almost a third of her son's life and he's confused. He wants nothing to do with her. Maggie struggles to reconnect and be a mom again — all while coping with the trauma she experienced abroad.
"They're really struggling with this passion and this sense of duty and their commitment to their country and their wanting to be [overseas]; but also being a devoted mother and the challenges of having to parent long-distance," says Michelle Monaghan, who plays Maggie.
Often times, the deeper emotions don't even begin to bubble to the surface until soldiers return home. "Having emotionally suppressed a lot of feelings for that long, which is your job when you're focused on a task... then to be able to flip a switch as soon as you get home, the reconnecting is very much a challenge for these women," Monaghan says.
"Fort Bliss" is in theaters in New York, Los Angeles and Fort Bliss, Texas on Sept. 19. Click here for more information.