American Sniper Reviews: Michelle Obama Praises 'American Sniper'

First Lady Michelle Obama lauded the contentious war film "American Sniper" for its portrayal of the dynamics in military families as well as "the complex journeys that our men and women in uniform endure," in a bid to boost the image of war veterans in the entertainment industry, Variety reported on Friday.

The First Lady was a guest to a recent event organized by Got Your 6, a group that seeks to promote accurate depictions of war veterans in the entertainment industry.

"The No. 1 movie in America right now is a complex, emotional depiction of a veteran and his family," Obama told the event's participants.

"While I know there have been critics, I felt that, more often than not, this film touches on many of the emotions and experiences that I've heard firsthand from military families over these past few years," she also said.

The film has been a source of debate on issues such as the portrayal of Kyle, its alleged glorification of violence, and its commentary on U.S. action in Iraq, Variety wrote. Its director, Clint Eastwood, has argued that "American Sniper" is "in many respects anti-war."

Despite the controversies that surround the movie, it was also praised by Sen. John McCain (R-Arizona) and Jane Fonda.

The First Lady said the film "reflects those wrenching stories that I've heard — the complex journeys that our men and women in uniform endure. The complicated moral decisions they are tasked with every day. The stresses of balancing love of family with love of country. And the challenges of transitioning back home to their next mission in life."

She said that veterans should be depicted in a way that shows the different facets of their lives rather than as "caricatures," whether they are shown as downtrodden or as saintly.

"Here's why a movie like this is important: See, the vast majority of Americans will never see these stories," she said. "They will never grasp these issues on an emotional level without portrayals like this."

"It's not like a single episode or a movie will mean that everyone in America will immediately understand" the veterans' experiences, but "bit by bit, if we can familiarize the country with who these folks truly are, if we can give folks a better picture of everything our veterans have to offer, then we can make a real difference in the lives of these folks and their families."

The actor who played as Chris Kyle in the film, Bradley Cooper, was also part of the panel at the event.