The film adaptation of the Korean War drama Dedication was a personal thing for director JD Dillard. The film chronicles the valiant war effort of Jesse L. Brown, the first black Navy pilot played by Jonathan Majors. Dillard’s father, Bruce, was also a Navy pilot, having been the second African-American aviator to fly with the Blue Angels. JD Dillard spoke with The Hollywood Reporter on what it was like to see Majors perform the film’s most hurtful scene:
“That scene hurt, man, and it should hurt… But it’s hard, and it hurt me to see Jesse do this to himself. So the best I could do was just set the environment creating that felt safe, that felt confidence, that kept a stillness that Jonathan needed there. It’s one of those scenes where you love your actor and you know this is a performance, but it hurts to see you hurt.”
This scene references Jesse L. Brown’s pre-flight ritual of looking into a mirror and reciting all the mean things that had been said to him throughout his life. Remembering these bad experiences and horrible words was something Brown did to motivate himself before every flight.
It can be difficult to separate reality from performance, especially when the performance needs to mimic reality as closely as possible. Jonathan Majors had to perform this scene on one of the first days of filming, which Dillard referred to as “such a testament to how prepared Jonathan comes on set”. He had more praise for the protagonist, referring to his “presence” and ability to “disappear” in his role:
“He both masters such a presence, but at the same time, Jonathan Majors disappears and the character he portrays remains there. So that’s one of the great things about him, and it’s incredibly rare to be able to string.”
JD Dillard’s father helped consult Dedication
It’s a personal story for the director, whose father had similar experiences to Brown’s, albeit a few decades later. Bruce Dillard was consulted on the film to make sure everything was right. JD Dillard reflects on what it was like to tell such a personal story:
“As I cried my way through the script, not only was I blown away by how incredible the story itself was, but I immediately felt how much overlap there was between Jesse and my dad 30 years later… So I got this very strange but overwhelming opportunity to not only honor Jesse and Tom, but to tell my father’s story in a way I never expected.
Dillard also commented on how the Korean War is often referred to as the Forgotten War, pointing out that it’s harder to spot between World War II and the Vietnam War. “America’s relationship with it is much grayer. So it’s hard to celebrate in that regard,” he explained.
Based on a true story, Dedication premiered in theaters on November 23, 2022 and was distributed by Sony Pictures Releasing. It stars Jonathan Majors and Glen Powell, with the supporting cast including Christina Jackson, Joe Jonas, Thomas Sadoski and Daren Kagasoff.