Fort Bliss 2014

Justin Chang, Variety: Even when the plotting feels strained or inauthentic, the Asche & Spencer score a mite too insistent, Monaghan's performance rings true. Read more

Jesse Hassenger, AV Club: The non-Monaghan parts of Fort Bliss tend to go watery. Read more

Peter Rainer, Christian Science Monitor: [Myers] is good at capturing the revealing, offhand moments in this story, but Maggie's conflicts about motherhood and the military needed a greater psychological scope than this film provides. Read more

Jordan Mintzer, Hollywood Reporter: [A] well-observed and endearing account of one woman grappling with allegiances to her fellow soldiers and her estranged 5-year-old son. Read more

Martin Tsai, Los Angeles Times: An unflinching and complex character study of an imperfect woman juggling motherhood and her determination to succeed among men. Read more

Manohla Dargis, New York Times: Ms. Myers too often tells rather than shows, and she doesn't have the cinematic skill set to transform her idea into a fully satisfying movie, especially at this low-budget level. Read more

Philadelphia Inquirer: Fort Bliss is a small film, but it addresses big issues, in ways that are never simplistic or dogmatic. Read more

Dana Stevens, Slate: Maggie's agonizing zero-sum struggle to balance a life of military service and a steady relationship with her son feels fresh, raw, and real. Read more

Michael Nordine, Village Voice: A returning-soldier drama that answers the annoyingly ubiquitous "Can women have it all?" question with an exasperated "no." Read more

Ann Hornaday, Washington Post: "Fort Bliss" joins "Coming Home" and "The Best Years of Our Lives" as a movie deeply in sync, not just with the military characters it depicts, but also with the civilian world that awaits them with such confoundingly mixed messages. Read more