Movies

The Fake Baby in American Sniper Was a Disaster

BBG News

In the 2014 war drama American Sniper, Hollywood legend Clint Eastwood collaborated with Bradley Cooper to honor the life of decorated war veteran Chris Kyle. This film explores the remarkable military career of U.S. Navy SEAL sniper Kyle, as well as his personal life following four tours during the Iraq War. Sadly, Kyle’s life was taken by a former Marine in 2013, only a year after his compelling autobiography was published and spent 37 weeks on The New York Times Best Seller list.

Regardless of the fact that the movie adaptation of American Sniper received critical acclaim and grossed more than $547 million globally, it stirred controversy due to an inappropriate choice: replacing a real baby with a fake one during a supposedly emotional scene. Instead of eliciting tears from viewers as intended, this scene caused laughter, leading to a heated debate about the creative blunder. Let’s delve deeper into this issue.

Clint Eastwood’s Harrowing War Drama

As a supporter, I delve into the gripping narrative of “American Sniper,” a war drama that sheds light on the life and legacy of Chris Kyle, a highly respected U.S. Navy SEAL sniper who served four tours during the Iraq War. With an astonishing 255 confirmed kills, he earned the title of the deadliest marksman in the country’s military history. However, this film isn’t just about the accolades; it poignantly portrays the heavy emotional toll the combat experienced by Kyle and his loved ones had on him, a stark reminder of the human cost of war. Directed by the legendary Clint Eastwood, who has etched his name in Hollywood history, and written by Jason Hall, known for “Thank You for Your Service” and “Gran Turismo,” this film is a captivating adaptation from Kyle’s autobiography, which has sold over 1.2 million copies.

Exactly one year following the publication of a highly successful book, Kyle met a tragic end on February 2, 2013, at the hands of a former Marine. At that time, he was struggling to manage his PTSD and passed away at the young age of 38. Before Kyle’s demise, Bradley Cooper had agreed to produce and star in an adaptation of his autobiography, with Steven Spielberg also on board as director. However, due to creative disagreements, Spielberg eventually stepped away from the project, and Eastwood took over instead.

The film titled “American Sniper” was released on Christmas Day in 2014, marking the first R-rated movie to surpass $500 million globally, with a box office total of $547.4 million. It was not only financially successful but also received extensive critical praise. The National Board of Review even ranked it among the Top Ten Movies of the year. Moreover, it earned six Academy Award nominations, including Best Picture, although it won only one for Best Sound Editing. Surprisingly, many felt that it deserved more awards, a sentiment often linked to an incident involving a fake baby during a crucial scene, which became quite notorious.

An Infamous Fake Baby Causes an Uproar

In the intense emotional scene of “American Sniper”, Chris (Bradley Cooper) shares a heartfelt conversation with his wife Taya (Sienna Miller), expressing her wish for him to be more involved in their family life and his longing to return to active duty. As Taya hands the baby to Chris, it’s evident that this is not a real infant but rather an awkward-looking plastic doll, disrupting both the audience and critics from fully immersing themselves in the moving scene and causing quite a commotion.

In a scene that left audiences cringing, even a skilled actor like Cooper struggled to convince viewers that the doll he was holding was real. His uncertain handling of the stiff, lifeless prop only served to reinforce the impression that it was not genuine. The discordant crying sounds added to the discomfort, making the blunder all the more glaringly obvious. Critics were merciless in their assessments of the poorly designed prop, with Film School Rejects labeling it “ridiculously fake” and The Sunday Times commenting, “I have never seen so many plastic babies in one movie.

Journalist Mark Harris joked about the prop baby used in the movie “American Sniper” saying, “People who are big fans of Clint Eastwood will come up with reasons for that plastic baby until the end of time.” This comment sparked a response from screenwriter Jason Hall, who explained that the real babies used during filming were unavailable due to illness. He quoted Eastwood by saying, “Give me the doll, kid.” Despite its success, it’s clear that using a plastic baby in the emotional scene significantly reduced its impact and intensity.

Critic Dave Karger from Fandango stated about the film “American Sniper” and its Oscar chances: “The reason why it probably won’t win is due to the artificial baby.” His prediction held true as the war drama received awards for Best Sound Editing but missed out on more prominent categories such as Best Picture and Best Adapted Screenplay. Even Cooper himself joked about the unusual choice of using a fake baby, saying on Ellen DeGeneres’ talk show in 2015: “I couldn’t believe it! Working with a plastic baby was insane, I thought, ‘this is crazy!’

In simpler terms, the speaker recalled thinking that he had made a joke, saying something like, “As Chris Kyle, I can’t even do it anymore, but I joked, ‘I’ll save you all a hundred thousand dollars by doing this [with the arm]’ since you know the hand movements need to be digitally created. I added, ‘Watch this, beat that, Muppets!’

Stream American Sniper on Netflix.

Read More

2025-04-28 06:32

Previous post DARK PREDICTION. DARK cryptocurrency
Next post Kelly Ripa’s Daughter’s Luxurious Romance