Devotion

The script is where Devotion shines. The story itself is amazing, and the best way to honor these real-life heroes is with a light touch to add themes and symbolism, never to grossly distort reality. Crane and Stewart deserve credit for faithfully adapting the biography by Adam Makos. There’s a fascinating sequence where Jesse somewhat randomly encounters Elizabeth Taylor (a convincing Serinda Swan). She invites Jesse and the crew to join her at a Cannes casino.

That’s the kind of detail that seems too wild to be made up (it is real but changed in the particulars), yet it is interesting and illuminating enough to be worth a story detour. Elizabeth Taylor stands in for the way we want America to be — rich, powerful, generous, and accepting. A Marine at the same table shows the other side of the coin. He’s jealous, unaccepting, and mired in wars in foreign lands. Ultimately, Jesse Brown would come to that man’s rescue, surely a touch of embellishment, but worth it for the symbolism. Sometimes a racist nation requires heroes who have been tempered in the forge of racism to save us from ourselves.

“….well-shot aerial action sequences…”

Majors’ career is really taking off, being cast as a huge Marvel villain, Kang, in Loki, soon appearing in Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania, and future Avengers movies. He does a great job as Jesse here, portraying a man who is accomplished, cautious, brave, highly motivated, and of course, devoted. I also have to call out Powell as Tom. The real Hudner was a remarkable man, and the actor honors him with a dignified, convincing performance. While the marketing will likely focus on Majors as Jesse, as it should, this is really the story of both men and their incredible friendship.

Since Top Gun: Maverick is such a success, many will want to compare Devotion to it. They’re both movies about the U.S. Navy with well-shot aerial action sequences (with a few of the same people responsible), and both star Glen Powell. But the similarity ends there. The decades-later sequel is a fantasy with an unnamed villain. This drama is about a real war, actual people, and things that matter. While it probably won’t make a billion dollars at the box office, for my money, a true story well told in a heartfelt way is invaluable and important.

Devotion screened at the 2022 Toronto International Film Festival.