I don’t have a lot of memories as a child, but the Atlanta Olympic Bombing is one I remember pretty well. Because of that, Richard Jewell’s visage is something I can hardly forget. Unfortunately, I forgot that Jewell was not in fact the Atlanta bomber, despite all the stories saying otherwise. Clint Eastwood, probably pissed at me personally, concocted an entire feature film to remind me just how much this innocent man was put through the ringer. Or maybe he was mad at the lamestream media, hard to tell.
All Richard Jewell (Paul Walter Hauser) wanted to do with his life was to be a member of law enforcement. He wanted it so bad he would deliver mail for the police, which allowed him to meet officers like Watson Bryant (Sam Rockwell). After getting let go from various law enforcement jobs because of his obsessive dedication, Richard volunteers to be security at Centennial Park during the 1996 Olympics. That intensity proves important in this case, as Richard finds a suspicious bag that he forces the bomb squad to inspect, and lo and behold, it’s filled with pipe bombs. Two people unfortunately died in this attack, but thanks to Richard’s quick action, the numbers could have been WAY higher. The first 24 hours for him were awesome, as everyone, even Tom Brokaw, was calling him a hero. However, FBI Agent Tom Shaw (Jon Hamm) finds irregularities in Jewell’s past, that make him believe Richard might have planted the bomb himself, a false theory which journalist Kathy Scruggs (Olivia Wilde) helps propel into the public. All eyes then focus in on Jewell, the loner older white male with lives at home with his mother Bobi (Kathy Bates) as the media then decides to see him.
It’s no secret that Eastwood has conservative political leanings. As a result, the director sometimes can get carried away with altering reality so his story fits a narrative that makes sense to what he believes. In this case, it’s Eastwood’s objective to vilify Kathy Scruggs and the irresponsible journalism practices he believes she used to target Richard Jewell. Now, if he had stuck to the facts, Kathy Scruggs could have been a compelling character: she did push this story, but after she figured out Jewell was innocent, her life was destroyed, becoming consumed with regret and drug abuse. Not only is Eastwood not really interested in Kathy Scruggs’s part in this story, but he also presumes information about her prostituting sex for tips on stories, which has been studied and proven false. Eastwood is a smart director and usually tells nuanced stories, but perpetuating an old, tired, and frankly crappy trope about the sexually liberated reporter is lazy. He could have simply changed her name, or stuck to the facts, but by doing neither he invites unnecessary scrutiny upon his film.
And it’s too bad too, because the rest of Richard Jewell is really compelling. Paul Walter Hauser’s portrayal of the man is pretty great. Hauser has to simultaneously make us believe that Jewell is an innocent man who wants to be a cop; he also has to make us see Jewell as an intense believer in the law, making him scary if he gets a little drunk on his power, which would explain why the FBI would want to investigate him. Eastwood can stage an action scene like the best of em, and the bombing is hella scary and intense, plus we get to see Richard Jewell at his best, in his element, helping protect people from danger. The best parts of the script revolve around when Jewell gets outed as the target of the FBI’s investigation. There’s lots of humor here, particularly with Watson Bryant’s and Bobi’s incredulity at how intrusive the investigation is and how willing Richard is to help the people trying to imprison him. These scenes are where Hauser shines as the embattled Richard. Richard carries himself with a calm, agreeable demeanor at the Kafkaesque nightmare he’s found himself in. But when alone with his legal counsel and his mom, he reveals depths of fury and emotion slowly working inside his head trying to make sense of what’s happening to his life. Despite the fact that the media makes Richard Jewell look like a naive simpleton, Hauser’s portrayal will make you leave the theater thinking anything but.
By the time the real Atlanta bomber, Eric Rudolph, gets arrested, you feel like you’ve gone on that crazy journey with Richard Jewell. When it comes to the loner white male into guns and law enforcement living with his mom, Clint Eastwood reminds us all that looks can betray, and the truth can set Richard Jewell free. Now, Clint, maybe next time give any other type of person the same benefit of the doubt please? You’ve sold me on Kenny Rogers by the way…