Chris Pratt-produced film on heroic military chaplains hits theaters

When Army chaplain Justin Roberts sought to make sense of his experiences at war in Afghanistan, it was the life and legacy of another chaplain — Medal of Honor recipient Emil Kapaun, who died in Korean captivity — that pulled him back from the brink and gave him a new purpose.

That’s the central conceit behind “Fighting Spirit: A Combat Chaplain’s Journey,” which opened in 150 theaters nationwide on Nov. 8.

Produced by the Catholic media company Paulist Productions, the 72-minute documentary grabbed the attention of A-list actor Chris Pratt, who signed on as an executive producer and promoted the project from his social media accounts.

The film, though, ventures well beyond the experiences of a single chaplain. In a series of poignant vignettes, it pays tribute to a spectrum of faith leaders in uniform, from the “Four Chaplains” who went down with the SS Dorchester, sacrificing their lives while comforting and helping rescue other passengers; to Charlie Liteky, who carried 20 soldiers to safety in Vietnam, but later renounced his Medal of Honor in protest.