2004, 84 min, Color
World Premiere: Patriot Act
Director: Jeffery Ross
Screenwriter: Jeffrey
Ross
Producer: Jeffrey Ross
Editor: Jeffrey
Ross, Seth Casriel
Producers: Seth Casriel, Jonathon
Brandstein
Cast: Jeffrey Ross, Drew Carey, Larry Gelbart,
Kathy Kinney, Blake Clark, Rocky Laporte, Andres Fernandez, Kyle
Dunnigan
What’s a nice Jewish comedian from New Jersey doing in Iraq?
Having done nothing more dangerous than a Friar’s Club roast,
stand-up comic Jeffrey Ross agreed to join a USO tour organized
by Drew Carey to entertain the troops in a region where suicide
bombings and sniper attacks are a daily fact of life. The same
day UN officials were being evacuated; Ross, Carey and their comedy
crew were going in to war-torn Iraq. Video camera in hand, Ross
documents their affecting experiences putting on shows in Baghdad,
Tikrit (ten weeks before the capture of Saddam Hussein) and bases
with names like Dogwood, Shadow and Muleskinner. Transported in
tanks and trucks and Blackhawk copters, Carey’s Iraq pack
gets an up-close look at the gritty reality for US service men
and women. Amidst wisecracks and one-liners, they hear stories
of fighting, bravery and compassion and even run into a group
of Jewish soldiers celebrating the New Year in Saddam’s
hometown. Ross’s worst incident turns out to be a case of
Saddam’s revenge that requires a few liters of IV fluids.
With a tip of the hat to USO legend Bob Hope, PATRIOT ACT reaffirms
how truly appreciative the troops are to anyone who brings them
a little touch of home. But the real morale boost is reserved
for the performers. |
