On January 16th, the highly-anticipated film American Sniper premiered in theaters across the world. As of February 1st, this must-see movie became the highest grossing film ever with a whopping $31.85 million at the box office and is predicted to ultimately reach over $325 million in profit due to ticket and DVD sales along with other promotional affairs.

Clint Eastwood’s American Sniper, is based off of the autobiography of the most lethal sniper in U.S. military history, Chris Kyle. Kyle, who is played by Bradley Cooper, was just an ordinary Texan who was a very skilled shooter and rodeo cowboy. After the 1998 U.S. Embassy Bombings, Kyle decides to enlist in the Navy and eventually becomes a U.S. Navy Seal. After the Twin Tower Bombings in 2001, Kyle must leave his wife, Taya Renae, for the brutal war zones in Iraq. As a member of Seal Team 3, Kyle and his team are assigned to hunt down al-Qaeda leader Abu Musab al-Zarqawi. Although Kyle does not successfully complete his assigned missions on his first through third tours, he is still widely feared by al-Qaeda for his lethal accuracy when using snipers. During Kyle’s career, al-Qaeda offered a reward of $80,000 to take out Kyle. While he was extremely successful in battle overseas, the divide between Kyle and his family became more pronounced. Taya Renae begs Chris to stay behind to be with his two children and does not understand his unwavering devotion to his country. On his fourth and final tour, Chris was involved in the hunt for al-Qaeda’s most lethal sniper, Mustafa. From his station on top of an evacuated Iraqi building, Kyle killed Mustafa from over 2,100 yards away, which is more than 21 football fields and is now labeled as the eighth longest sniper kill recorded. When asked by an astounded Conan O’Brien about this particular kill in a recent interview, Kyle humbly replied, “I don’t [understand] either.”

Chris Kyle’s inspiring story tells of not only his strength as a Navy Seal, but highlights the the hardships all military families encounter, the courage of his fellow combatants, and the reverence all U.S. veterans hold for their country.

If you have not already seen American Sniper, I highly recommend it.

Here is a link to the trailer:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U9RFwgOBcAM