Billy Lynn's Long Halftime Walk is Ben Fountain's groundbreaking debut war satire novel. Published in May 2012 by Ecco Press, the novel follows a group of war veterans as they go on a victory tour following an intensely violent firefight which by chance was caught on camera. It is told through the point of view of Specialist Billy Lynn (for whom the book is named) as he struggles to return to a life of normalcy after leaving Iraq -- a place devoid of normalcy for the soldiers. The soldiers are sent to participate in a Dallas Cowboy's Thanksgiving Day Halftime show by the Bush administration, where Billy ponders over his life and war and where he meets a cheerleader. Some of its themes are the commercialization of war and the costs - at home and abroad - of supporting the war.
The book was adapted into a movie by director Ang Lee in 2016. It stared newcomer Joe Alwyn, Kristen Stewart, and Chris Tucker. Although it received middling reviews (45% on review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes), critics lauded its "noble goals." It grossed $30.9 million against a budget of $40 million, losing a great deal of money and becoming a box-office bomb.
Upon release, the novel Billy Lynn's Long Halftime Walk received very good reviews. On book review aggregator site Goodreads.com, it holds 3.81 out of 5 stars. Reads a glowing review by the Guardian: "Billy Lynn is an exhilarating read, and convincingly – if belatedly – damning of Bush's America."
