“Breaking” is a new movie that tells the story of Marine veteran Brian Brown-Easley, who served in Kuwait and Iraq. After his discharge, he got by on a disability check from the Department of Veterans Affairs, but his life fell apart after that check was garnished to pay off a debt to a for-profit college.
He took matters into his own hands and held up a Wells Fargo bank in Marietta, Georgia, on July 7, 2017. He wasn’t actually trying to rob the bank, but hoped the situation could generate enough attention so that the VA would give him the $892 in disability pay he felt he was owed for the month.
“Breaking” is now playing in theaters.
Filmmaker Abi Damaris Corbin based much of the movie on the facts of the case, and the movie doesn’t amp up the conflict and violence to make a more exciting show. The movie lets the real situation unfold much as it did on that day, and we meet a confused, frustrated and despondent veteran who can’t figure out how his life turned out the way it did.
John Boyega, best known for playing Finn in the recent “Star Wars” trilogy, plays Brown-Easley in a powerfully understated way. He’s joined by an impressive cast that includes Connie Britton (“Friday Night Lights,” “Nashville”), Nicole Beharie (“Sleepy Hollow”), Jeffrey Donovan (“Burn Notice,” “Law & Order”), Selenis Leyva (“Orange Is the New Black”), Carmine Giovinazzo (“CSI: NY”), Kate Burton (“Scandal,” “Bosch: Legacy”) and the late Michael K. Williams (“The Wire,” “Boardwalk Empire”) in one of his final movie roles.
Boyega spoke to us just before the movie’s release about the surprising way he came to play the role of Brian Brown-Easley and what he learned about veterans issues while making the film.
We also had an in-depth conversation with director and screenwriter Abi Damaris Corbin, who was drawn to the story after her own father, a Navy veteran, faced struggles in dealing with the VA. Our interview took place in April 2022 when the film screened at the Atlanta Film Festival.
Military.com: All of us who have family members who deal with Veterans Affairs have stories about how complicated and difficult that could be. Is there something like that from your background that drew you to this story?
Abi Damaris Corbin: “My dad’s a Navy guy, so I lived through a lot of the VA struggle with him. And it’s a story that a lot of friends know intimately. It’s the kind of story that I don’t want to have to hear again in 30 years in the next generation.”
Military.com: How did you learn about Brian’s story?
Damaris Corbin: “I read about him in an article on Task & Purpose. It’s an important story, it really is. I think it’s a 30- or 40-page article. My heart was broken open. It showed me the humanity of what he was. The story really was a guiding light for us in getting to know Brian.”
Military.com: Are you hoping this film can help affect some changes in how the VA deals with veterans in crisis?
Damaris Corbin: “Brian was going into that bank and asking for his fundamental rights and human dignity. What I’m hoping happens is that this film sparks a conversation about how we treat one another and how we can do better to support each other. Those conversations then lead people to look at their roles and say, ‘How can I go and do something?’ That’s where the action takes place, on an individual basis. When each person takes responsibility for where they are, it then puts pressure at points where change can occur.”
Military.com: Have you had a chance to show this movie to military veteran groups yet?
Damaris Corbin: “We screened in Annapolis, and there are a number of veterans organizations there. It’s been really moving for me to see other folks at the screenings and just hearing story…
Read More: A Powerful Movie Tells the Tragic, True Story of a Marine Veteran’s Struggles