Clint Eastwood’s 2019 biographical drama “Richard Jewell” is an emotional film that will leave you both astonished and angry. It tells the true story of Richard Jewell; a security guard who went from hero to suspect in the aftermath of the 1996 Olympic bombing in Atlanta.
Eastwood’s telling of historical events is quite good. He has helmed several pictures in the genre including “American Sniper, “Sully,” and “The 15:17 to Paris” with high levels of success. Here, the viewer is flawlessly transported back to 1996. One year after Oklahoma City and five years before September 11, terrorism on US soil was still an almost unfathomable occurrence. The bombing itself and the immediate aftermath are terrifying in their realism. We get into the personal lives of those involved.
In July of 1996, the city of Atlanta is excited to be hosting the Olympic Games. We get an abridged history of Richard Jewell up to this point. He’s obsessed with law enforcement. There’s an unhealthy desire to follow by-the-book protocol in every situation. He’s a security guard nerd who wants to be a Good Guy any way that he can. We have all encountered folks like this.
An excellent cast assist Eastwood in the delivery of the film.
Paul Walter Hauser was seemingly born to play the part. The film weaves footage of the actual Richard Jewell in photographs and interviews which confirm that Hauser looks and sounds exactly like him. I recognized Hauser from his goofy role in ‘Cobra Kai’ but here he delivers an emotionally charged performance that couldn’t possibly be replicated. It’s an unflattering character from physical and emotional appearance. Hauser forces the viewer to sympathize with Jewell and his situation.
The affliction Richard Jewell has with law enforcement only reveals one side of his character. He’s also a kind and giving man. These facets are explored with his relationship with his mom (Kathy Bates) and attorney (Sam Rockwell); the latter of which was made during a chance encounter ten years prior to the bombing.
Bates delivers a stellar performance as one would expect. She loves her son and is unwavering in her support of him – in good times and in bad. Likewise, Sam Rockwell is a struggling small time attorney who gets cast into the spotlight through no desires of his own. Rockwell has become one of my favorite actors from films like “The Green Mile” and “The Way Way Back” and here he is excellent once again.
I did not plant that bomb in Centennial Park, and I made the mistake of assuming you knew that
The cast is complete with Jon Hamm and Ian Gomez playing FBI agents, and the always stunning Olivia Wilde as a tenacious reporter for the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. I won’t spoil the details of the story. Needless to say, a combination of government agents and the media make for a perfect villain.
“Richard Jewell” is a compelling story and excellent film. You won’t look away as the events unfold. It’s a historical event from my lifetime that I remember well. The movie tells the story in an intriguing way. It proves that reality can often make the best fiction.
“Richard Jewell” is available to stream on Amazon.
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