NEW YORK – In 1948, President Harry Truman issued an executive order ending segregation in the armed forces. It was, obviously, a salutary advance. Yet, by the time the conflict in Korea broke out two years later, racial animus had hardly disappeared from the American military.
That was the difficult milieu within which Jesse L. Brown grappled his way to a singular achievement, becoming the U.S. Navy’s first African American fighter pilot. Jonathan Majors portrays Brown in the war epic “Devotion” (Sony), a film that chronicles both the travails the flyer faced and his partnership with fellow aviator Tom Hudner (Glen Powell).
As depicted in director J. D. Dillard’s adaptation of Adam Makos’ 2015 book – written for the screen by Jake Crane and Jonathan A. H. Stewart – Brown is a complex figure. Having developed a thick skin, he’s wary of laidback Hudner’s ostensible friendliness. But at home with his fun-loving wife Daisy (Christina Jackson) and their young daughter, Brown is a dedicated husband and contented family man.
The script devotes too much time to low-key exposition, though this is paced by scenes in the sky that are, by turns, lyrical and dizzying. As Brown comes to grips with the many challenges he faces, moreover, Majors’ performance has moments of great intensity. And the heroic payoff, when it comes, is stirring.
The movie’s educational value in recounting an important epoch in the long struggle to overcome racism offsets the salty sailor’s talk that sometimes crops up in the dialogue. So, parents of older teens interested in Brown’s story may feel comfortable giving them the nod.
Look for: Prejudice-vanquishing friendship and altruism.
Look out for: Stylized but harsh combat violence, a few instances each of profanity and milder swearing, occasional crude and crass language and an obscene gesture.
The Catholic Moviegoer’s guidance is M – suitable for mature viewers. The Motion Picture Association rating is PG-13 – parents strongly cautioned. Some material may be inappropriate for children under 13.
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