Here’s my moderately funny story for the day. Batman points at a help wanted sign in a store window and says to Robin, “Look! Someone in that store is in trouble!”

However, in real life there are no superheroes and it’s just as rare when a film depicting a true story gives real-life heroes the opportunity to portray themselves. But that’s what Clint Eastwood decided to do in the movie The 15:17 to Paris, which began showing in theatres in mid-February.

The three young men, who stopped a terrorist attack on a Paris train back in 2015, probably never dreamed they would one day be movie actors in a $30-million-budget film. The day they took down a heavily-armed Islamic State recruit on a crowded train going from Amsterdam to Paris will not only be embedded in their memories, but on film as well.

The three heroes aren’t the only ones who portray themselves on screen. A man who got shot in the neck acts out his near-death experience while his real-life wife stands by. And some of the passengers who were on board that day depict themselves.

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The three young men grew up together, went to school together and on that momentous day were vacationing together. In fact, it was just by chance they were on that train, because it wasn’t something they had planned to do.

Two of the men credit their U.S. Armed Forces training for their quick response to the terrorist. One of the three recalls seeing the man holding an AK-47 assault rifle, so he ran towards him. Immediately, the terrorist pointed the gun and fired. Incredibly, the gun didn’t fire due to a bad primer in the bullet, which rarely happens. That faulty AK-47 saved many lives.

After seeing the movie, I have to admit it moves along at a slower pace, except for the intense train scene. However, when you keep in mind that most of the actors are ordinary people who had never planned or prepared to be in a movie, it’s an amazing story. And for the the real-life heroes, it could be the beginning of new careers.

One of the men said, “Clint blessed us with a new career. Any day after that terrorist attack is a blessing and I feel like I’m living on borrowed time. So why not?”

The threesome did the right thing when it counts and now they (along with other people who were present that day) are getting the earnings that usually go to Hollywood actors. It’s an unexpected reward, given to ordinary citizens who were willing to risk their lives to save others.

Eastwood should be commended for giving real-life heroes an opportunity to tell their own story. After all, a successful movie isn’t necessarily the one that makes the most money.

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