‘American Sniper’ draws C.O. lines, reaction

“American Sniper” shattered January box office records in its opening weekend, and by the looks of the line outside Bend’s Regal Old Mill Cinemas Monday night, it’s still doing very well amid some debate and controversy.

Clint Eastwood’s latest Oscar-nominated film collected $105 million over the weekend. The biography stars Bradley Cooper and Sienna Miller, and it’s now the top-grossing film to premiere in January.

The film is based on the autobiography by Chris Kyle, a U.S. Navy Seal who is credited with 160 kills during his time in battle.

The movie tops previous record-holders “Avatar” and “Passion of the Christ” as the top January movie opening.

But “American Sniper” is stirring up controversy around Hollywood. Director Michael Moore and actor Seth Rogen tweeted comments about the film that drew in major discussions.

“My uncle killed by sniper in WW2,” Moore tweeted. “We were taught snipers were cowards. Will shoot u in the back. Snipers aren’t heroes. And invaders r worse.”

Rogen equated the war drama to a Nazi propaganda film shown in Quentin Tarantino’s “Inglourious Basterds.”

In Bend, moviegoers were lined down the block to get tickets to see the film on Martin Luther King Jr. Day.

“I’ve been waiting to see this since they announced they were going to make it,” Sisters resident Joseph Moynihan said.

Other fans waiting in line for tickets were veterans themselves, having been out of the military since May of last year.

“I like the fact that it’s probably going to have a lot about what his home life was like,” veteran Jeremiah Golden said while waiting in line to buy his ticket.

The story is one he and his fellow veteran were familiar with: “The transition process that a lot of guys go through when they get back to normal life.”

“Yeah, a lot of the struggles that we go through,” J.R. Jones echoed.

“American Sniper” has scored six Oscar nominations, including Best Picture. Bradley Cooper also received a nomination for Best Actor.