When the key events of this story happened, I was 14 and still only so attentive to news sources. I took a little more interest in the story when it came up at the Newseum as an example of controversial reporting. Incidentally, my parents had noticed the problem pretty much right away.
The title character (Paul Walter Hauser) is the 1996 Atlanta Olympics security guard who reports a terrorist's bomb in time to reduce the carnage to two dead and 111 injured. This makes him a celebrity overnight, but the FBI has an obligation to investigate him as a suspect. After Agent Tom Shaw (a composite character played by Jon Hamm) injudiciously leaks this to Kathy Scruggs (Olivia Wilde) of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, the story spins out of control, making Jewell out to be more and more certain to have planted the bomb for fake heroism. Apparently in response, the FBI regards the prospect all too seriously.
Sensing he won't get a fair shake, Jewell turns to Watson Bryant (Sam Rockwell), an aggressive attorney with whom he used to share a workplace. To say that Bryant had been a friend is a stretch, and he certainly isn't having a lot of career success at this point, but Jewell remembers him as the only one who treated him decently. Bryant still needs a bit of prodding from his secretary before taking the case.
I can see why Jewell has made an easy target for disrespect. He is morbidly obese. He rarely comes across as smarter than a simpleton. In middle age, he still lives with his mother (Kathy Bates, nominated for an Oscar for this role). These factors also play into him getting profiled as the culprit, along with later discoveries such as his weapon collection and complaints that he overstepped his authority in past positions.
The thing is, Jewell is consistently shown to have a good heart -- figuratively speaking; a few moments hint at his eventually fatal health issues. Alas, in his case, being a good guy just means that the FBI can corral him with less resistance. Even after warnings from Bryant, he comes dangerously close to sealing his own doom, thanks to his long-time respect for badges. Only near the end does he dare confront the bureau's questionable if not illegal moves.
As I watched, I considered what features of my own life would get highlighted if I stood accused of such a felony. I like to think I fit the stereotypes less than Jewell, but maybe it doesn't matter. Hostile parties don't need much to work with, and the public is a terrible jury. Regardless, I would not go along with anything from the FBI that I wouldn't tolerate from the police.
I also reflected repeatedly on Sully, another movie in which a distrusted hero, who sees himself as having merely done his job, must go on defense after the fact. I'm not surprised to learn that it had the same director, Clint Eastwood. And like in American Sniper, the lead actor is said to copy the real guy to an amazing degree.
I'll tell you who's not copied to an amazing degree: Scruggs. Everyone agrees that the flick's biggest weakness, as well as the reason for box office underperformance, is that she's rendered almost completely reprehensible: She's rude to her co-workers, she sleeps around, and immediately after the blast, she prays to God that she and her colleague get a juicy story before anyone else. Even before my supplementary reading, I knew the depiction couldn't be accurate. That slander is particularly conspicuous in a work with the theme of exonerating a libelee. The screen character's one redeeming value, near the end, is in deducing and telling Shaw that Jewell is probably innocent of the charges. I don't see the nasty rendition as sexist, just...overzealous.
It's a shame, because RJ is hardly divisive otherwise. You don't need a given political leaning to agree that Jewell was wronged on multiple sides. I wouldn't be surprised if the stresses contributed to his death at 44.
RJ is not an outstanding coup of filmmaking, but I am basically glad it exists. It serves to remind us that government, the Fourth Estate, and people in general can be all too quick to assume the worst about someone, not least someone who's been a great help. The pattern has not improved since '96.
No comments:
Post a Comment