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Review
It feels good to be a brat
Brian Dukes
I once wrote a poem about being a military brat.
Compared to documentary director Donna Musil’s opus, “Brats: Our Journey Home,” my words were rubbish.
Musil debuted her film Tuesday at the Airborne & Special Operations Museum with a free public viewing.
I don’t think I’ve ever had my existence so articulately encapsulated within 90 minutes.
Musil’s film was a captivating and poignant look at the lives of military brats — the good, the bad and the ugly.
Her film really resonated with me, and judging by the crowd’s reaction, they felt the same.
Then again, the material was familiar
I lived it, after all.
As I sat between two spouses of brats, the images rekindled memories long dormant within the attic of my mind.
The film was accurate in its depiction of the lives of military brats — a must for documentaries.
There were some differences, of course
I, for example, didn’t have half of the dysfunction in my family as some of the brats that were interviewed
And I didn’t end up with crippling issues of fatherly abandonment.
Maybe it was because my dad was as excellent a father as he was a soldier.
That’s not to say he was without quirks
We’re talking about a guy who did headstands while listening to The Beatles.
Sorry, Pops, but you were an odd duck, which explains more about me than I’m ready to admit.
But I thank you, anyway.
Thank you for 28 years of service to this country
Thank you for moving me around the world
Thank you for teaching me to be self-reliant and to make (and re-make) friends quickly.
I wouldn’t trade my brat existence for any other
Though, in all fairness, mom shouldered the greatest burden
(Thanks, Mom.)
I enjoyed Musil’s film and would recommend it to brats and non-brats
It’s on sale in the museum’s gift shop.
There was a Q & A after the film with Musil, but true to form, I didn’t attend.
I had already been in one place for too long.
Staff writer Brian Dukes can be reached at dukesb@fayobserver.com or 323-4848 ext. 411.
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