Army of One

Producer Sarah Goodman somehow talked the US Army into letting her follow three new recruits through their first two years in the service, from bootcamp on. I have no idea how she managed this but it makes for an amazing documentary. The three come from very different backgrounds: Sara is a would-be modern dancer who gets talked into enlisting by her father when her career fails to materialize, Thad quit a lucrative career as a stockbroker to sign up out of patriotism the week after 9/11, and Nelson comes from a ghetto in the South Bronx and wants a ticket out. Without moralizing or drawing our conclusions for us, Army of One is a fascinating portrait of just what your life might be like if you join the most powerful army in the world.