What Taylor Kitsch Texted Mark Wahlberg + Other Reasons Women Should See 'Lone Survivor'

By Sabrina Rojas Weiss

January 10, 2014 / 10:30 AM

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Let us be clear: Lone Survivor is a serious war movie, a brutal look at the violence of combat in Afghanistan based on the tragic true story as told by Navy SEALs veteran Marcus Luttrell. But even if, like us, you're not normally into war movies, this movie from director Peter Berg deserves your attention, for reasons both serious and completely NOT. Take, for instance, Mark Wahlberg's complaint (in the video above) about what went down between this all-male cast on location in the mountains of New Mexico.

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[Photo: Universal Pictures]

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[Photo: Universal Pictures]

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[Photo: Universal Pictures]

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[Photo: Universal Pictures]

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[Photo: Universal Pictures]

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[Photo: Universal Pictures]

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[Photo: Universal Pictures]

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"It could get a little weird at times," he said. "The stuff that they send around, via text and pictures and videos --- it's not what I want to see. I don't need those images in my head."

OK, so three of the stars we spoke to --- Eric Bana, Emile Hirsch and Taylor Kitsch --- claimed that because of the serious nature of their film and the upstanding leadership of their director, the set never turned into "a measuring contest," as Hirsch put it. So, should we believe Wahlberg that Kitsch and Ben Foster were sending objectionable photos to him and the rest of the cast and crew? Maybe, maybe not. Still, we kind of love to imagine ourselves as a fly on the wall as the guys let off steam after a long day of shooting.

Here are some other reasons to see Lone Survivor:

Er, have you seen this cast? Even under all that dust?

This could be the movie that retrieves Kitsch's career from the ashes. Why didn't it come out BEFORE Battleship?!

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Yes, there are long stretches of explosions and gunfire, but there are also a few beautiful, peaceful moments. The remind us of those early-morning pre-game scenes in Friday Night Lights.

These soldiers are NOT stereotypical macho dudes. In some of our favorite scenes, they talk about their wives, wedding planning and redecorating their homes. Luttrell told us that this part was absolutely true to reality.

This is not just about entertainment. When we asked the stars how we should recover from the stress of watching such an intense film, every single one said not to recover, but instead, to let it sink in. "Be open to it. Let it affect you," Kitsch told us. Hirsch said we should watch it more than once. And Wahlberg went one step further: "If you're in a position to, hire a veteran; encourage other people to hire veterans."

And yeah, for all their seriousness, these guys do admit they're still just actors, after all. Here's what they told us about their chances of lasting as Navy SEALs:

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[Photos: Universal Pictures]