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Biggest things American Sniper film got wrong about Chris Kyle

Home> Entertainment> Film

Updated 21:25 21 Sep 2023 GMT+1Published 21:22 21 Sep 2023 GMT+1

Biggest things American Sniper film got wrong about Chris Kyle

While American Sniper won a host of awards upon its release in 2014, the film wasn't a totally accurate representation of Chris Kyle

Niamh Shackleton

Niamh Shackleton

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American Sniper went down as one of the best movies of the 2010s, but it turns out it wasn't 100 percent accurate.

The 2014 movie stars Bradley Cooper as Chris Kyle who, upon returning from Iraq, struggles the live with the difficulties he saw and experienced while on tour.

American Sniper went on to win a handful of awards, including an Academy Award for Best Sound Editing and the MTV Movie Award for Best Male Performance - to name a few.

The film also got good reviews across the board, but that doesn't mean it didn't have its critics.

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With that in mind, here's come of the things the highly acclaimed movie apparently got wrong...

Sniper training

Brandon Webb, Kyle's former Navy SEAL sniper instructor, admitted that he was particularly 'critical' of the training parts as an actual professional military sniper.

"The basic stuff: a cover over your scope. Because we're really concerned, especially in an urban environment, about eliminating that [reflection]," he told ABC News.

"You don't want to have a piece of glass that's a signal mirror on the battlefield... Here's one of the most deadly snipers in military history and he doesn't have a cover over his scope?"

Kyle 'wasn't modest' in real life

Arguably Cooper's portrayal of Kyle is a modest one, but it turns out the military vet wasn't actually that modest.

According to the Daily Telegraph, after leaving the military in 2009, Kyle became something of a celebrity in the US and went from being a solider to someone doing magazine and TV interviews.

The publication said that 'the biggest feeder of the legend was himself' - contrary to Cooper's more humble representation.

Bradley Cooper played Chris Kyle in American Sniper.
Warner Bros. Pictures

He didn't refuse to re-enlist because he was too depressed

Cooper's portrayal of Kyle sees the solider decide not to re-enlist for another tour after labelling himself as too depressed to carry on, however there was a different reason he decided to stay home.

Kyle's memoir states that his marriage to wife Taya (played by Sienna Miller) was on the rocks. It wasn't necessarily anything to do with his mental health.

Ryan Job didn't die when the film shows

Ryan Job, portrayed by Limitless star Jake McDorman, was a close pal of Kyle's and dies in the movie after being shot in the head.

But Job, also nicknamed Biggles, didn't die from his gunshot wounds soon after proposing to his girlfriend like the movie shows.

In fact, as per Kyle's memoir, he was discharged from the service and went on to go to college, start a career and get married.

It wasn't until 2009 when he underwent facial construction surgery while his wife was pregnant that he tragically died by a lethal combination of narcotic painkillers and respiratory-depressive medicines following his surgery.

Jake McDorman starred as 'Biggles'.
Warner Bros. Pictures

Kyle didn't shoot an Iraqi child

American Sniper shows Kyle shoot a woman and her child after the mum pulled out a grenade from under her dress and passes it to the boy.

He goes on to shoot the child and then the woman - but apparently there weren't any kids involved.

While he still had to shoot a woman, Kyle wrote in his memoir: "It was my duty to shoot, and I don’t regret it.”

American Sniper is currently streaming in the UK on Amazon Prime.

Featured Image Credit: TSHA/Wikimedia Commons/Warner Bros.

Topics: Bradley Cooper, TV and Film

Niamh Shackleton
Niamh Shackleton

Niamh Shackleton is an experienced journalist for UNILAD, specialising in topics including mental health and showbiz, as well as anything Henry Cavill and cat related. She has previously worked for OK! Magazine, Caters and Kennedy.

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@NiamhShackleton

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