First lady defends ‘American Sniper’

Michelle Obama is defending “American Sniper,” saying the film “touches on many of the emotions and experiences” of military veterans.

“I had a chance to see ‘American Sniper’ this week on that long flight we took,” the first lady, who just returned from a trip to India and Saudi Arabia, said Friday.

{mosads}“While I know there have been critics,” Obama continued, “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.”

Obama’s remarks came at an event with Got Your 6 at the National Geographic Society in Washington. The nonprofit, which works to promote positive portrayals of service members in the media, announced the launch of a certification program that would award a “6 Certified” label to projects that “positively contribute to the overall cultural narrative around veterans.”

The star of “American Sniper,” Bradley Cooper, also appeared at Friday’s event with Obama. Cooper plays late Navy SEAL Chris Kyle, the deadliest sniper in American history.

“Now, I’m not going to spoil it for anyone who hasn’t seen it,” Obama told the audience, “but this movie 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 Clint Eastwood-directed film, which is up for an Academy Award for Best Picture, has been at the center of a media firestorm following criticism from some high-profile detractors.

Former Democratic presidential candidate Howard Dean was the latest public figure to make headlines, when he said Americans who see the movie “are very angry.”

He later apologized to veterans for the comment but said he was not offering a mea culpa to “right-wing nutjobs” who attacked him for the remark.

“Fahrenheit 9/11” director Michael Moore had called snipers “cowards” in a tweet earlier this month. He later wrote in an online post that he was not referring to the blockbuster flick.

“American Sniper” has continued to break records since its nationwide release in early January, reportedly raking in more than $200 million.

“Just look at the latest box office numbers,” Obama said Friday. “The No. 1 movie in America right now is a complex, emotional depiction of a veteran and his family.”