And this is what the film says began Seal’s career in Central America. But the introduction of the CIA character allows Liman’s film to depict CIA man Schafer helping set up Seal in what can only be called an Agency shell company for missions into Central America. This is why he was fired by TWA he did not, as the film depicts, leave on his own accord. Those explosives were reportedly headed for Cuba to be used against the Castro regime. Seal used his vacation time to arrange the deal. He was involved in a conspiracy to ship explosives to Mexico using a TWA plane. Seal’s promising career with TWA ended in the summer of 1972 for something more serious than cigar contraband. With this opening, one can rightly say that Liman and Spinelli have already romanticized and aggrandized Seal’s character. He tells the pilot he already has a file on him, and this is how he entices Seal to join up with their nascent efforts to militarize the struggle in Central America.Īctor Tom Cruise and the real-life Barry Seal, the subject of the movie, “American Made.” A CIA officer named Schafer (Domhnall Gleeson) approaches him in the airport lounge since he knows about this illegal activity.

He picks up some extra cash by smuggling Cuban cigars into the country. When we first encounter Seal - played by Tom Cruise - he is a TWA airline pilot who is a bit bored with his job. It then picks up its story line when Ronald Reagan comes to the White House. The picture begins with a montage of the late 1970s, with Jimmy Carter as president. Bill Clinton was accented, and he was even depicted in a strip-club getting a lap dance.Īs the story evolved, the focus changed into a more panoramic view of the 1970s and 1980s through Seal’s exploits. Because of that focus, the role of then-Gov. Talk about having it both ways.Īmerican Made began as a script by Spinelli entitled Mena. Reportedly, in that version, the story was more heavily centered on the CIA operations from that infamous airport in Mena, Arkansas, during America’s war in the 1980s against the Nicaraguan Sandinistas. At its start, the film says that it is based on a true story but at the end it states that the characters are fictitious and any relation to real characters and events is coincidental. That way we will at least have some kind of basis to measure just how far Liman and screenwriter Gary Spinelli have tilted over into myth. Whatever the failings of director Doug Liman’s movie, it is hard to imagine someone being bored by it.īefore assessing the virtues and faults of American Made, let us try and set up some kind of base line for who Seal was, what he did, and how he died.

It then plays that myth for fast-action scenes, tongue-in-cheek comedy, and a plot line that moves as quickly as bowling pins falling during a ten-strike. In fact, it attempts to expand legend into myth.

The current film about Seal, American Made, does not even try. And because of the unusual circumstances of his murder - more properly called an assassination - his life now has become the fodder of legend.īecause of all the legerdemain that has sprouted up about Seal, it is not easy to separate fact from fiction. In fact, one can say that his murder gave him a higher profile in death than he had in life. His violent and bloody death created headlines and nightly news stories throughout America. Please enjoy the show.A graphic for the movie, “American Made,” starring Tom Cruise as Barry Seal. We're better than entertainment, we're the REAL thing. We discuss the ups and downs, wins and losses, successes and struggles, the good and bad in a respectful but candid way with our guest. We tell REAL stories about REAL people from all walks of life. Navy SEAL, CIA Contractor, and Founder of Vigilance Elite.

The 'Shawn Ryan Show' is hosted by Shawn Ryan, former U.S. 🚨↘️ Sign up for the SRS Newsletter ↙️🚨 SHAWN RYAN SHOW SPONSORS: (USE CODE SHAWN) (USE CODE SHAWN) #VIGILANCEELITE #SHAWNRYANSHOW Vigilance Elite/Shawn Ryan Links: Website - Patreon - TikTok - Instagram - Learn more about your ad choices. Reaves and in total cost him roughly 30 years of his life locked away from his family. At the height of his career he had a net worth of $60 Million Dollars. He spanned the globe in his numerous aircraft smuggling tons of marijuana and cocaine for Pablo Escobar and the Medellín Cartel and at one point was shot down by Colombian Military Jets. The adventures of Roger Reaves has you sitting on edge as he tells you his vivid memories of Smuggling Drugs into the U.S.

Roger reaves smuggler