Posted on 12/13/2019 4:30:34 PM PST by Lazamataz
Years ago a professor of film studies told me that "Breaking Away" was one of the best "coming of age" films he'd ever seen because it didn't involve sex, but rather a boy being disillusioned with his cycling childhood heroes.
"Richard Jewell" is in many respects a coming of age movie. Most people know the story: Atlanta Olympic Games security guard Richard Jewell (Paul Walter Hauser), who had been fired from a police department and from a college for excessive enthusiasm, finds a bomb in a backpack left at the Atlanta Centennial venue. He calls the police, assists in moving people away, thereby saving lives, and is at first branded a hero.
But the FBI, led by Agent Tom Shaw (Jon Hamm in a superb bad-guy role) and Atlanta Journal Constitution reporter Kathy Scruggs (Olivia Wilde, who sleeps with Shaw to extract the information that Jewell was a suspect) are convinced that Jewell is the bomber.
Here is where the plot deepens. Director Clint Eastwood doesn't pull punches with Jewell, showing his incredible naivete, his simplicity, and his quasi-redneck existence. Jewell does not perceive at first that the FBI is after him, and tries to be as supportive as possible. The line "I'm law enforcement too" (probably repeated more than "With great power comes great responsibility" in Spider-Man) is Jewell's theme . . . except it's not true. It's what Jewell wishes he was.
Shaw immediately perceives that and plays on Jewell's incredible innocence. The FBI brings in Jewell for a "training video," asking him to sign away his rights as apart of the video! Then and only then does Jewell finally get suspicious and asks for his lawyer.
Fortunately for Jewell, he only knows one lawyer---Watson Bryant (Sam Rockwell), whom he knew in a previous job. As we learn from Jewell, Bryant was the only one at that job who took Jewell seriously and who did not make fun of him. Indeed, Bryant nicknames Jewell "Radar" for his attention to detail.
Slowly, Bryant convinces Jewell that the state (especially the FBI) is not his friend, nor even an honest investigative party, but a lynch mob, a witch hunt convinced of its target with insufficient evidence.
Jewell comes of age when he realizes that it is NOT that he isn't "Law Enforcement," but that the "law enforcement" agencies that he had idolized and believed in all his life did not exist any longer, if they ever existed at all.
That is the power of "Richard Jewell." I think I speak for millions of Americans who once looked up to the FBI, likely from the weekly propaganda of the "FBI" television show with Efram Zimbalest, Jr. While the aura of the CIA as a heroic and pure band of anti-communists has long ago been removed ("13 Hours," "Charlie Wilson's War", "American Made") the FBI still maintained some reputation as the guys who fought Dillinger and the Mob.
But "Richard Jewell" shows that those images we all held were naive at best and dangerous at worst. The FBI tramples every civil right in the book, persuading Jewell to do a taping of a bomb warning, bugging his house, trying at first to deny him a lawyer. There is no possibility in the minds of the FBI agents that Jewell is innocent, even when it is proven he could not have made the call to the police and been at Jewell's location. (When Scruggs finally tests this theory, at least she was humbled by it and changes her mind---but does not print a retraction.)
In short, "Richard Jewell" is a movie for our time because on a micro level it encapsulates exactly what we have watched happen to President Donald Trump on a macro level: a politicized group of agents, completely biased and prejudiced to their own outcome, rig a case to frame someone without a shred of evidence. Anyone who says the movie is about anything else is not paying attention.Most of all, the film says in mirror form that if they can "do it to Richard Jewell, they can do it to Donald Trump, even if he's president."
Eastwood's specialty is character studies---Billy Munny, Sully Sullenberger, Earl Stone. In Richard Jewell he found a great character, played in an Oscar winning performance by Hauser, who could be Jewell's twin brother. While Hamm and Rockwell and Kathy Bates (as Jewell's mother, Bobi) deliver solid performances, Hauser has the viewer thinking he is just a simpleton until he finally boils over after a tongue-lashing by Bryant. It is then we see that it is Jewell's loss of faith in the whole system he has defended that is really eating at him.
Most of all, Eastwood subtly reveals the contempt the elites--whether reporters or bureaucrats---have for common people, whose lives they freely destroy with no comeuppance. The most unsatisfying part of the film is that neither Scruggs nor the FBI in general nor Shaw individually were ever held to account for their heinous actions against a true hero. For these and many other reasons "Richard Jewell" is a must see this holiday season.
Yeah, you might want to actually read the article before making a fool of yourself.
Ditto. He’s almost accomplished turning me away from this site, and I’ve been here 19 years. He’s Free Republics own personal mall cop.
Must see film by Eastwood!
“Jewell comes of age when he realizes that it is NOT that he isn’t “Law Enforcement,” but that the “law enforcement” agencies that he had idolized and believed in all his life did not exist any longer, if they ever existed at all.
“That is the power of “Richard Jewell.” I think I speak for millions of Americans who once looked up to the FBI, likely from the weekly propaganda of the “FBI” television show with Efram Zimbalest, Jr. While the aura of the CIA as a heroic and pure band of anti-communists has long ago been removed (”13 Hours,” “Charlie Wilson’s War”, “American Made”) the FBI still maintained some reputation as the guys who fought Dillinger and the Mob.
“But “Richard Jewell” shows that those images we all held were naive at best and dangerous at worst. The FBI tramples every civil right in the book, persuading Jewell to do a taping of a bomb warning, bugging his house, trying at first to deny him a lawyer. There is no possibility in the minds of the FBI agents that Jewell is innocent, even when it is proven he could not have made the call to the police and been at Jewell’s location. (When Scruggs finally tests this theory, at least she was humbled by it and changes her mind-—but does not print a retraction.)
“In short, “Richard Jewell” is a movie for our time because on a micro level it encapsulates exactly what we have watched happen to President Donald Trump on a macro level: a politicized group of agents, completely biased and prejudiced to their own outcome, rig a case to frame someone without a shred of evidence. Anyone who says the movie is about anything else is not paying attention.Most of all, the film says in mirror form that if they can “do it to Richard Jewell, they can do it to Donald Trump, even if he’s president.”
I have yet to watch the second season of Mindhunter (about the early days of the FBI profiling unit, and it includes dialogue from actual interviews with notorious serial killers). The FBI has become so unappealing to me.
Same here.
I get tired of Hannity and his constant disclosures on this, even though he is an asset to conservatism. He claims he is connected to LE as his mother was a prison guard. LE needs to face and be made into examples for all and any misbehavior. Nothing should slide. It would prevent some of them from going up the line and growing up into aholes like Comey etc.
Agree – I have no idea why he hasn't been canned. He's a nasty piece of work.
Agreed.
Great movie, saw it today. The whole theater audience verbally scoffed at the idea of a righteous FBI.
Bump!!!
Interesting.
Great review..!!!
OH how I revel when you, who surely has proven the record holder of all stupidity, descended to depths of classlessness legend ... reaches new heights, redefines lowly.
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I couldn’t agree more with your post to “ArrogantSniper”. Hopefully he’ll take it to heart.
Great movie review.
I’ve been on a number of juries in my life, but if I was called up for a criminal case today I’d have a hard time convicting anyone of anything. There’s no reason to trust ANYONE any more. Particularly, police & prosecutors.
I agree. If I were in voir dire and were asked if I could be objective, I’d just say, “Until Hillary Clinton and her friends are behind bars, as far as I’m concerned, everybody is ‘not guilty’.”
Interesting that while many criticize the film for alleging that the reporter slept with an FBI agent to get her story, no one is criticizing the idea that the FBI would leak stories to reporters for sex.
I agree. If I were in voir dire and were asked if I could be objective, I’d just say, “Until Hillary Clinton and her friends are behind bars, as far as I’m concerned, everybody is ‘not guilty’.”
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Exactly. When we see the elites in jail, I’ll worry about the little guys. Not until then.
Excellent review.
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