Movies

Politics overshadows performances in Clint Eastwood’s controversial drama, Richard Jewell


Richard Jewell is the story of a real life hero suspected of being a terrorist (Image: Warner Bros)

As Clint Eastwood enters his eighth decade in show business, his films still have the power to provoke a reaction from audiences and his new film Richard Jewell made the headlines for all the wrong reasons when the colleagues of Kathy Scruggs publicly protested the portrayal of the journalist by Olivia Wilde, calling it defamatory and without basis in fact.

Biopics are usually a magnet for controversy, but does this drama merit it?

Paul Walter Hauser stars as Jewell, a quirky security worker from Atlanta who idolises law enforcement. His dreams of protecting the public are realised when he saves thousands of lives by spotting a bomb at an event celebrating the 1996 Olympics, and clearing the area minimising the casualties.

Initially heralded a hero, the FBI and a ruthless journalist (Wilde) start to suspect Jewell of being the bomber. With assumptions made and liberties taken, Richard’s only hope is lawyer Watson Bryant (Sam Rockwell), his former boss who sees the inconsistencies in his case.

It’s another chapter in the American Heroes phase of Eastwood’s career, featuring ultra-patriotic portrayals of men who have saved lives without receiving the plaudits they deserved. He did this brilliantly in 2014’s American Sniper, while 2016’s Sully was an elegant recreation of the man behind the Miracle On The Hudson.

Like those two films, his masterful direction on Richard Jewell gives even the most disturbing scenes a sense of grandeur. Unlike its predecessors, there’s something more agenda-driven about this film, however. Something more personal than the celebration of a life.

Clint Eastwood’s own views are pushed on the story (Image: VALERIE MACON/AFP via Getty Images)

The bugbears touched upon in Sully are more furiously scrutinised here, as the filmmaker draws a very defined line between good and bad.

On one side is Jewell: a patriotic, idealistic Georgian whose biggest crime is trusting authority implicitly. On the other is the press and FBI, portrayed as dual forces of corruption who will bend the rules in any way they see fit in order to incriminate an innocent man.

It’s a simplistic and frustrating way to tell a story, at times feeling more like a rant than a debate. There’s very little mention of the actual bomber, Eric Rudolph, and with no ambiguity as to whether Jewell could have committed the crime, it’s hard to engage with such a one-sided shaming of those in charge.

Olivia Wilde plays a ruthless journalist who turns public opinion against Richard Jewell (Image: Warner Bros)

This agenda often leaves the star behind.

Hauser is terrific as Jewell, a man who is truly honest to a fault. He brings moments of dry humour to the role, such as when Bryant asks him if he has any guns in the house. ‘Yeah, it’s Georgia’ he says meekly, before revealing a vast artillery.

Sadly, the script doesn’t allow him any kind of growth – he ends the film largely the same person as he was before, despite his harrowing experience.

Hauser has an excellent co-star in Rockwell, the jaded counter-balance to Jewell’s sincerity. His weary asides and banter with his secretary (Nina Arianda) endear you to his journey, but it’s Kathy Bates as Jewell’s mother Bobi who wins your heart. She shows the real effects of the ordeal, barely holding it together as she realises that this is indeed a witch hunt. An ordinary woman in a situation she’s not equipped to deal with, she’s a pleasure to watch.

Does Wilde’s appearance merit the criticism it has received? Yes and no.

To target the star personally is to let both Eastwood and writer Billy Ray off the hook for a pantomime villain of a character. She’s completely disinterested in the truth, derailing an investigation to manufacture an exclusive.

The controversial scene where she has sex with a source (Jon Hamm) isn’t as transactional as headlines have suggested, but it’s a fictitious slight on a real person who isn’t here to defend herself (Scruggs died in 2001).

Well directed, and featuring some solid performances, your enjoyment of Richard Jewell will no doubt hinge on how much you agree with Eastwood’s heavy-handed commentary.

Artistically, the hyperbole distracts from an interesting story, and one that might have benefited from a more nuanced focus.

Richard Jewell is in cinemas Friday.



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