David confronted Goliath in the valley of Elah and this thriller is based on the true story of an American soldier who was murdered after returning from the Middle East. Jones stars as Hank, a Vietnam veteran and lawman, who is told that his son, Mike, has gone AWOL from a military base in New Mexico after a harrowing tour with the infantry in Iraq. Having already lost one son in a helicopter accident at Fort Bragg and having received worrying messages from Mike before his disappearance, Hank leaves his grieving wife and teams up with a woman detective who is a single parent oppressed by the misogyny of the police department she works in. Together the odd couple attempt to get to the bottom of the mystery, a journey which takes them to seedy places and brings them into conflict with the military establishment as a cover up becomes apparent. As their investigation progresses Hank is forced to question everything he has previously held dear and begins to doubt his own integrity as well of that of his son and his country. Jones received an Oscar Nomination for his portrayal of the hard bitten and deeply religious Hank in this film about war and how people behave in war, the message of which is contained in the symbolism of Old Glory, hoisted upside down by accident at the beginning of the film and deliberately at the end.