Jeri Jacquin
Coming soon to
theatres from director Clint Eastwood and Warner Bros. is the story of a man
who sees the world better than he is treated and his name is RICHARD JEWELL.
Richard (Paul Walter
Hauser) is a very polite southerner who meets lawyer Watson Bryant (Sam
Rockwell) working for a firm delivering mail. Preparing to move on to a
security job, Richard makes sure to say goodbye to Watson. As a university
security, it doesn't go well and once again he has to move on to another job.
The one person standing by him is mom Bobi (Kathy Bates) knowing her son
believes in law enforcement.
The opportunity
comes for Richard to work security at the 1996 Olympics in Atlanta, Georgia's
Centennial Park. Taking his job serious, he is polite to everyone and even
makes himself indispensable to on-sight law enforcement. His job also has its
perks taking Mom to a concert in the park. Someone who isn't happy about the
Olympics assignment is FBI Agent Tom Shaw (Jon Hamm) and partner Dan Bennet
(Ian Gomez).
Each day Richard is
ready and stays alert to everything around him. One evening he has to stop a
group of young kids from throwing bottles against a media tower and notices a
backpack. Alerting authorities they at first don't seem worried, but after closer
inspection everyone leaps into action to get people away - including Richard.
When the bomb
explodes, the contents flies into the crowd and people fall everywhere. A
stunned Richard tries to do what he can to help those who are hurt. The mayhem
is emotional for everyone and when Richard returns home to a grateful Mom, he
can't believe what has happened. Quickly the media hails him a hero and the
attention makes Richard a tad uncomfortable but still very polite.
The FBI immediately
jump on the case and start investigating everyone who was at Centennial Park
and one name that pops up is Richard Jewell. Trying to get a scoop on the story
if Kathy Scruggs (Olivia Wilde), a reporter for the Atlanta Journal-Constitution
who turns to Shaw for information and runs with it. Immediately Richard goes
from being hailed as a hero to a villain.
Richard calls Watson
Bryant at first to look over a contract but quickly needs much more help.
Watson's secretary Nadya (Nina Arianda) informs him that Richard is being
looked at as a suspect in the bombing. Both Richard and mom Bobi are being
emotionally torn apart with the things being said, the constant attack by the
media and the life altering harassing by the FBI.
Yet Richard remains
respectful until Watson reminds him that standing up for himself is just as
respectful.
Hauser as Jewell is
just that - a jewel! His portrayal of Richard is a combination of so many
things from a very caring person who notices people to being a little over
zealous wanting to be part of the law enforcement community to a son who will
not tolerate anyone making his mother cry. From the moment of the bombing all
he wants to do is help find the person responsible and in that lies Hauser's
stunning performance. Raised to be respectful, he knows that he is not
everyone's cup of tea but it doesn't change how he treats them and Hauser
portrayal gives Richard a depth that just tore at my heart.
Rockwell as Bryant
is the loud to Richard's soft feelings about what is happening around them. Not
understanding how Richard can continue to be loyal to law enforcement that are
trying to sacrifice him is stunning to Rockwell's character. Keeping his client
under control proves to be a challenge as well but one that has moments of
smiles and even, dare I say, giggles. Knowing Richard to be an acquired taste,
Rockwell's Bryant can't help but see what we as the audience sees. I am
confessing here and now that I adore Rockwell and even more so in this film.
Bates as Mom Bobi is
a simple woman who keeps her life tidy and believes one hundred percent in her
son. So proud of him for saving lives after the bombing, she doesn't understand
how and why the vilification of her son can possibly be happening. What I love
about Bates in this role is that at no time does her portrayal of Bobi fail to
believe in her son and she is everything believable.
Wilde as Scruggs is
just a reporter who from the moment she steps on screen is someone I wanted to
just shake because of the tactics used to get her story. She is a very outward
character in her mannerisms and behavior to the point that the audience in the
theatre had, and I quote from the woman next to me, "just about enough of
that woman!". I can't remember the last time I heard that from someone in
the audience. Hamm as Shaw has issues of his own and the grumblings of being at
the Olympics turns bad quickly. Seeing the result of the bombing puts him on an
all-out idea that he will capture the bomber. The problem is his tactics along
with those he works with at the FBI letting everything get out of hand. Hamm
makes an awesome good guy and an equally awesome not so good guy.
Gomez as Bennet is
just as guilty for the tactics against Richard as Shaw and what was so
irritating is that neither of these men seen to have any guilt for it all. You
know you've done a good job in your role when everyone wants to scream at you
so well done. Arianda as Nadya is such a good person seeing exactly what Bobi,
Bryant and the audience sees about Richard Jewell and she is a no nonsense
character as well.
RICHARD JEWELL is
absolutely one hundred percent a Clint Eastwood film. This actor/director takes
stories of everyday people and put them on screen in such a way that we become
a cheering squad by the end of the story. There is certainly nothing wrong with
that to my way of thinking. What I truly enjoyed about this film is that
Hauser's portrayal of Jewell is so uncanny and so endearing. It would be easy
to just play up the stereotypical southern boy instead of a man who was raised
to believe in the good of people and the respect of those who know might know
more, including law enforcement.
The film also forces
us all to realize that, as Rockwell's character says, we are confronted by the
two most powerful forces in the world - the U.S. government and the media. That
was said in 1996 without even realizing that statement would predict the future
in many ways. Ruining a life in 1996 with print is one thing, if the same thing
happened to Jewell today it would have been incredible worse and more dangerous
than even I want to think about.
The last half hour
of the film is one for a box of Kleenex as the story finally confronts all of
what happened that evening in 1996 and how two men became even closer friends
and a mom never stopped believing in her son.
In the end - the
world will know his name and the truth!
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