AMERICANWAY

ANGELINA JOLIE UNBROKEN IS ONE OF those rare Holly wood adaptations where the film is a s good a s, i f not bet ter t ha n, t he book . That 's due in no small part to the dedica- tion and compassion Angelina Jolie brings to the project. It 's the ultimate tribute to her friend Louie, who sur v ived the open ocea n, the abhorrent conditions of Japa- nese POW camps and the infamous Naoetsu camp, where he almost made the 1945 Louis S. Za mperini Memoria l Mile at Madison Square Garden a posthumous reality. But Louie sur v ived and went on to live an in- dustrious life until he died this past July at the age of 97. When I interview Angie a week later, she is still noticeably rattled. "I needed him," she says. "I needed to retrace his life to believe and know that a human being like him existed. It helped to renew my faith in the human spirit, and it 's why I wanted to make the film. The whole crew felt it." I tell her, through blushed cheeks and while looking down, searching my own mind for the right words, that she is one of those rare people who affects lives for the better all around the world; t h at one d ay, hu m a n it y w i l l come out in force to celebrate her li fe for a ll the good she's done. A real-world example is the profound impact she's had on my wife's life. My wife will live to meet her grandchildren because of it, something that, regretfully, her mother couldn't do because of ovarian cancer. Angie blushes at this statement. "I'm truly, truly happy when I'm able to feel that I'm of use to other people," she says, head now raised and making direct, sincere eye contact. "I'm so hon- ored that I get to spend time with these extraordinary sur vivors and people around the world who are fighting for a better life and are taking care of their kids under difficult circumstances. They 've changed me and made me a better person. So I'm just grateful that I get the opportunity. Because what else is there?" Much like young Louie, young Angelina Jolie had that fire. Just like Louie, she redi- rected it. And it became a great thing. the bombardier on a B-24 Liberator called the "Green Hornet." It went down over the Pacific, and Louie, along with pilot First Lieutenant Russell A llen "Phil" Phillips, endured 47 days in a life raft on the open sea, only to be captured by the Japanese Navy off the coast of the Marshall Islands. (Tail g unner Sgt. Francis "Mac" McNamara also survived the crash and was in the raft with Louie and Phil for 33 days before he died from exposure.) The two Americans battled starvation, de- hydration and shark attacks as their tattered raft drifted some 2,000 nautical miles. But it wasn't until they became Japanese POWs that the real hell began. ANGIE, AS THE CAST calls her, has a reput ation in Hol ly wood a s being t he consummate professional with a tenacious work ethic. So it came as no surprise that when we met on the Universal lot for a noon lunch, she'd been in the editing room for seven hours prior. It takes a certain type of actor to be able to work with a director who is as focused as she is, which speaks volumes about the patience a nd tolera nce of Jack O'Connell, who plays Louie in the film. Similarly, it says something a b out t he ac t i ng pr owe s s of O'Connell for A ngie to choose h i m f r om a s e a of ac t or s t o portray her friend/mentor/hero. "Portraying Louie is perhaps the biggest honor of my life, and I feel Angie approached the shoot with a level of compassion, which made me feel totally supported t h roug hout ," O 'C on nel l say s. "A ngie knew Louie, and so her intentions were very genuinely heartfelt. This was a personal project, which sometimes isn't always the case." Domhnall Gleeson, who plays pilot Phil Phillips, shares that sentiment. "Her taste, pa ssion a nd suppor t were v it a l to ever y- one i n t he c a st a nd crew," he say s. " She wa s ou r leader a nd g uided us br i llia ntly through a long and intense shoot." Gleeson had to lose weig ht for the sta r v ing-at-sea scenes. How did A ng ie show her apprecia- tion? "She opened a pi zza place ea rly to m a ke s u r e my f i r s t p o s t- d iet me a l w a s one to remember," he says. " I'l l love her forever for that." "Someone who was as troubled and as full of fire as he was can CHOOSE TO REDIRECT THAT FIRE, and it can become a great thing." ADAM PITLUK received the 2014 Apex Grand Award for writing for his profile of Michael J. Fox in the Dec. 1, 2013, issue of American Way. He is the author of Standing Eight and Damned To Eternity. 62 D EC E M B E R 2 01 4 A A .CO M/A M E R I C A NWAY DOCTORATE MASTERS BACHELORS ASSOCIATE DEGREES 1.888.780.0070 Ext. 1111 www.caribbean.edu Licensed by the Puerto Rico Council of Education, and accredited by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education. Approved for veterans training. Benefits of studying in Puerto Rico /RZHUFRVWSHU credit )HGHUDOILQDQFLDODLGDYDLODEOH for qualified applicants $FFredited by USA &RXUVHVDre offered in Spanish Bayamon, Puerto Rico

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