'Taking Chance,' premiering Saturday on HBO

McClatchy Newspapers (MCT) - Movies are memorable because of mighty moments. These are the scenes that pull us so close to the story we feel like we have crossed that invisible threshold that normally relegates us to being merely observers.

These mighty moments are at their best when they are so strong it is not a matter of whether we aren't sure is we will remember them or not. It is whether we know that we can never forget them.

Such a moment comes in the powerful HBO film "Taking Chance." The made-for-cable movie airs at 8 p.m. EST Saturday.

Kevin Bacon plays Marine Lt. Col. Michael Strobl, a career military man who volunteers to accompany the body of a dead Marine, 19-year-old Lance Corp. Chance Phelps, as he is returned to his family for burial.

This is a duty that is not taken lightly. Every inch of the journey is designed to pay the deepest respect to the fallen hero. For those who travel with the coffin, this is one of the most important missions of their military careers.

The screenplay was written by the real Strobl, who is a retired Marine, and Ross Katz. It is based on the journal Strobl penned. Because this movie is based on real events, each scene rings with a deep honest. That's particularly true in the scene that is the defining moment of this journey.

As part of the transportation, Strobl stands vigil while the body is unloaded from the airplane. Slowly, civilians _ from the passengers on the airplane to airport workers _ stop. Nothing is said. The message comes through their faces: a look of respect and sadness.

It's the moment that keeps this from being just another war movie and burns a message deep into our hearts. "Taking Chance" is a story about the preciousness and fragile nature of life. It is about the honor and devotion a person can feel that is so electric they are willing to sacrifice that life.

Director Ross Katz shows in this one scene that it doesn't take big explosions or complicated words to create memorable film moments.

Bacon turns in the performance of his career. His Stobl is a man who understands duty but must live with what he believes is a failing in his personality. He opts to accept a safe assignment on the homefront rather than joining his fellow Marines in Iraq.

Stobl is such a stoic character, it would have been easy for Bacon to fall into the trap of playing him mechanically. But there is never any doubt how emotional this journey is to him.

Had this movie been released in theaters, it would have all but assured Bacon an Oscar nod. He will have to be content with knowing he is the early frontrunner for an Emmy next year.

It doesn't matter what your views are about war. "Taking Chance" is the best story about the people who go to war since "The Best Years of Our Lives."

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TAKING CHANCE

8 p.m. EST Feb. 21 HBO

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© 2009, The Fresno Bee (Fresno, Calif.).