There are certain types of stories that go together perfectly, and others that just don’t feel like natural matches. Unless you’re coming to the material with the experience of, say, Steven Spielberg, “violent war biopic” and “inspirational animal drama” are a tricky combo.
So while it’s perhaps no surprise that director Gabriela Cowperthwaite struggles to weave these disparate threads together in “Megan Leavey,” she ultimately does her heroes — both of them — proud.
Cowperthwaite is a documentary filmmaker best known for “Blackfish,” which bluntly upended any fond memories of family trips to SeaWorld. She takes a similarly straightforward approach to this fictionalized account of the real Leavey’s history as a U.S.