Last night
Teya Kyle hosted a red carpet premiere of the film American Sniper with proceeds benefiting the newly formed
Chris Kyle Frog Foundation. American Sniper is the story of U.S. Navy SEAL
Chris Kyle (played by
Bradley Cooper) who takes his sole mission -- protect his comrades -- to heart and becomes one of the most lethal snipers in American history. Known as "The Legend", his pinpoint accuracy not only saves countless lives but also makes him a prime target of insurgents. Despite grave danger and his struggle to be a good husband and father to his family back in the States, Kyle serves four tours of duty in Iraq. Not only does this film show us the struggles of his daily life during war time, but it shows how difficult it can be when soldiers return home and have to completely readjust to a new "normal" life.
Rich Emberlin was Chris Kyle's best friend and happens to also be a dear friend of mine. I
published a post last month talking about Rich's experience at the New York world premiere of the film. He majorly hooked me up with special access to the VIP event prior to the film where I was honored to meet Teya Kyle and military veteran
Jacob Schick who appears in the movie. I can't say I was surprised to look over and see
Roger and
Marianne Staubach in the room seeing how Roger is a Navy veteran and served in Vietnam. The film's star, Bradley Cooper, flew in for the event and I was able to charm my way onto the red carpet for these photographs:
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| Cynthia Smoot with Taya Kyle |
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| Cynthia Smoot with former Navy veteran (and NFL Hall of Fame Football player), Roger Staubach |
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| Military veteran Jacob Schick appears in the film |
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| Lisa Pineiro of KTXD's The Broadcast grabs Bradley Cooper for a few questions |
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| Meghan Jones of KTXD's The Broadcast gets Bradley next |
This is one of the most moving and profound films I have seen in a long time and I can't recommend it enough. I feel like it should be required viewing for every American citizen. This morning, Bradley Cooper earned his third consecutive Academy Award nomination for Best Actor in a Leading Role for American Sniper.
TRIVIA FACT: He was previously nominated for Best Supporting Actor for American Hustle (2014) and Best Actor for Silver Linings Playbook (2013). He’s now one nomination away from tying Marlon Brando for the most consecutive acting nominations.
Cooper actually received TWO nominations. He’s one of the producers of American Sniper, which was nominated for Best Picture. I hope you'll take a moment to click on the logo below and learn a bit more about the Chris Kyle Frog Foundation. Their mission is to "serve those who serve us" and this movie reminds us that the freedoms we take for granted every day are because of the immense sacrifices of the men and women of the US Armed Forces and their families. Hooyah!
