The true story of Vietnam War hero William H. Pitsenbarger, a USAF Pararescue medic who saved over sixty men in the U.S. Army’s 1st Infantry Division before making the ultimate sacrifice in one of the bloodiest battles of the war. The Last Full Measure is a 2019 war drama film written and directed by Todd Robinson. It stars Sebastian Stan, Christopher Plummer, William Hurt, Ed Harris, Samuel L. Jackson, Jeremy Irvine and Peter Fonda in his last film. The film premiered in a special screening for Veterans at Westhampton Beach It is scheduled to be released theatrically on January 24, 2020, by Roadside Attractions.
The Last Full Measure Tells the true story of Vietnam War hero William H. Pitsenbarger (Jeremy Irvine), a U.S. Air Force Pararescuemen (also known as a PJ) who flew on almost 300 rescue missions during the Vietnam War to aide downed soldiers and pilots. During a rescue mission on April 11, 1966, he was offered the chance to escape on the last helicopter out of a combat zone heavily under fire, but he stayed behind to save and defend the lives of soldiers of the U.S. Army’s 1st Infantry Division, before making the ultimate sacrifice in one of the bloodiest battles of the war. He was initially posthumously awarded the Air Force Cross, which was later upgraded to the Medal of Honor.
Thirty-two years later, Pentagon staffer Scott Huffman (Sebastian Stan) on a career fast-track is tasked with investigating a Medal of Honor request for Pitsenbarger made by his best friend and PJ partner on the mission (William Hurt) and his parents (Christopher Plummer & Diane Ladd). Huffman seeks out the testimony of Army veterans who witnessed Pitsenbarger’s extraordinary valor, including Takoda (Samuel L. Jackson), Burr (Peter Fonda) and Mott (Ed Harris). But as Huffman learns more about Pitsenbarger’s courageous acts, he uncovers a high-level conspiracy behind the decades-long denial of the medal, prompting him to put his own career on the line to seek justice for the fallen airman.
It was announced in May 2016 that Scott Eastwood and Ed Harris had been cast in the film, with Laurence Fishburne and Morgan Freeman in negotiations. By March 2017, Eastwood was no longer involved, and the film added Samuel L. Jackson, Sebastian Stan, Christopher Plummer, William Hurt, Bradley Whitford, Michael Imperioli, Linus Roache, John Savage and Diane Ladd to its cast. Filming was set to begin between Atlanta and Costa Rica later that month. Grant Gustin and LisaGay Hamilton were cast as production commenced, with Amy Madigan and Peter Fonda joining in April. Roadside Attractions acquired the distribution rights to the film in September 2018, with an early 2019 release date eyed. It is scheduled to be released on January 24, 2020.
