Movie Breakdown: Richard Jewell

Pre-Screening Ramble:

I was 13 when the Centennial Olympic Park bombing happened, so I vividly remember Richard Jewell being declared a hero and then – seemingly immediately – being pegged as the guy who probably did it.  His story has always felt like one that needed to be told, so I’m excited to see if Clint Eastwood nailed it.  My guess is that he did.

Post-Screening Ramble:

For a brief moment, Richard Jewell received praise for his heroic act (that saved a lot of lives), and then he was totally railroaded by both the FBI and the media.  If you don’t already believe that this is exactly what happened, then Clint Eastwood’s latest film will either convince you of such or infuriate you, as it never waivers from portraying Jewell’s persecutors as anything but bullies with bullshit agendas.  I actually like the unabashedly biased and straight-as-an-arrow approach that Eastwood takes, since it rightfully ramps up the compelling nature of Jewell’s story, but there are some things that end up feeling really heavy-handed.  For instance, Jon Hamm’s Agent Shaw seemingly only ever speaks with his face half in the shadows, and Olivia Wilde’s Kathy Scruggs is made out to be the meanest journalist ever who will do anything to advance her career.  Also, Eastwood paints Jewell as a bit simple, which doesn’t all the way feel necessary in the grand scheme of things.  Still, I get it, Richard Jewell was made to showcase just how utterly ridiculous that entire situation was from start to finish, and there was simply no room for anything subtle or ambiguous.  This is a movie that’s meant to leave you shaking your head in a disapproving fashion.

Yes, the film is one-sided as hell, but I think it does the actual Richard Jewell justice and is one of 2019’s best releases.  Make sure you see it.

One Last Thought:

Paul Walter Hauser is truly fantastic as Richard Jewell, but the list of Best Actor possibilities is forever long this year, so it’s unlikely he’ll get a nomination.  On a similar note, Kathy Bates (she plays Jewell’s mother, Bobi) deserves to land in the Best Supporting Actress category, but that also seems like a long shot due to a crowded field.  Bummer.