Richard Jewell (film)
Richard Jewell | |
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Theatrical release poster | |
Directed by | Clint Eastwood |
Produced by |
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Screenplay by | Billy Ray |
Based on |
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Starring | |
Music by | Arturo Sandoval |
Cinematography | Yves Bélanger |
Edited by | Joel Cox |
Production company |
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Distributed by | Warner Bros. Pictures |
Release date |
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Running time | 129 minutes[1] |
Country | United States |
Language | English |
Budget | $45 million[2] |
Box office | $5.2 million[3] |
Richard Jewell is a 2019 American biographical drama film directed and produced by Clint Eastwood, and written by Billy Ray. It is based on the 1997 Vanity Fair article "American Nightmare: The Ballad of Richard Jewell" by Marie Brenner, and the 2019 book The Suspect by Kent Alexander and Kevin Salwen.[4][5][6][7][8] The film depicts the Centennial Olympic Park bombing and its aftermath during the 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta, Georgia, in which security guard Richard Jewell found a bomb and alerted authorities to evacuate, only to later be wrongly accused of having placed it himself. The film stars Paul Walter Hauser as Jewell, alongside Sam Rockwell, Kathy Bates, Jon Hamm, and Olivia Wilde.
The film had its world premiere at AFI Fest on November 20, 2019, and was theatrically released in the United States on December 13, 2019, by Warner Bros. Pictures. It received generally mixed reviews from critics, but was chosen by the National Board of Review as one of the ten best films of the year, with Bates also being recognized for Best Supporting Actress.[9] The film was a box office flop,[10][11][12] making $5 million dollars on a $45 million dollar budget on its opening weekend.[13]
Contents
Plot[edit]
The film is based on a 1997 Vanity Fair article, and the book The Suspect: An Olympic Bombing, the FBI, the Media, and Richard Jewell, the Man Caught in the Middle (2019), by Kent Alexander and Kevin Salwen, and chronicles Richard Jewell's life during and after the attack at the 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta, Georgia.[4][6][7][8][14]
In 1986, Richard Jewell works as an office supplies distributor in a small public law firm. While mocked for his weight by colleagues, he forms a bond over arcade games and candy bars with his boss, attorney Watson Bryant. Eventually, he becomes a security guard at Piedmont College and moves forward toward his goal of being in law enforcement. However, after 10 years filled with multiple complaints from students as well as acting outside his jurisdiction, he is fired by the dean of the university. Moving back home with his mother Bobi, Jewell obtains a position as a security guard during the 1996 Summer Olympic Games in Atlanta, Georgia. Stationed at Centennial Park, Jewell along with other law enforcement officers maintain security during the various concerts and events taking place at the venue. Some time after midnight on the morning of July 27, 1996, after chasing off some drunken delinquents, Jewell discovers a suspicious backpack beneath a bench beside the NBC broadcast tower. Moments later, an unknown male calls 911 from a nearby pay phone station and warns of an impending bomb detonation. An explosives expert arrives and after examining the backpack, confirms the package contains three pipe bombs primed for ignition. The security team, which includes both FBI agent Tom Shaw and Jewell's longtime friend Dave Dutchess, begin to evacuate the area, but after a few minutes, the bomb detonates, killing two people and injuring over one hundred.
In the immediate aftermath, Jewell is heralded as a hero who saved many of the attendees' lives and is swarmed my media outlets. However, at Atlanta's FBI office, Shaw is approached by a superior who indicates that based on information from his past records, Jewell may be a suspect in the bombing. Using the 911 call as their only source of evidence, they create a profile to match with Jewell, which entails a 'lone wolf' white male who dreams of grandeur in law enforcement and decides to be a hero by calling in his own terrorist threat only to discover the device and evacuate the public prior to its detonation. At a bar, Shaw is approached by Kathy Scruggs, a journalist for the Atlanta-Journal Constitution who was at the venue at the time of the explosion. After coercing him with sexual advances, Shaw reveals to her that Jewell is their target. The following day, Scruggs publishes the story of Jewell's possible involvement on the front page of the newspaper, forcing the FBI to immediately bring Jewell in for questioning. Soon after, the headline is caught by media outlets across the nation, which vilifies Jewell akin to trial by media, though Jewell is completely unaware of the changing public perception. Shaw and FBI Agent Dan Bennet visit Jewell at his home and proceed to take him in under the guise of a bomb detection training program, but he begins to become suspicious of the agent's motives when they attempt to force him to sign a waiver taking away his constitutional rights. Jewell calls Watson Bryant, his previous employer, to represent him as his attorney, before figuring out he is the person of interest in the investigation. Bryant, now running his own struggling law firm, agrees to take the job after encouragement from his secretary Nadya.
Shaw and Bennet visit the dean of Piedmont College, who encourages their assumption that Jewell wanted to be a hero and planned the bombing scheme. They approach Jewell at his home with a search warrant where Jewell, Bryant, and Bobi are planning his defense. The FBI begins to seize property from the home as they search for evidence of linking Jewell to the bombing. As they do, Jewell raises unintentional suspicion by being a gun owner, knowing how the bomb could have been made, and other militaristic details, though it's due to his extensive knowledge of law enforcement-related information. Bryant scolds him for not keeping his mouth shut, but Jewell retorts that he wants to help the investigation to prove his innocence and work along his 'fellow officers.' Bryant convinces Jewell that he isn't seen as a colleague to the FBI but as a suspect and must be ready to defend himself. Instilled with confidence, the pair storm into the offices of the Atlanta-Journal Constitution and proceed to disparage Scruggs's article and demand a retraction and apology from her, though she is insistent on her reporting. Now cautious about the credibility of her story, Scruggs proceeds to time the distance between the phone booth and the bomb site. She comes to the realization that it was impossible for someone to be at both locations within the available the time frame between the discovery of the bomb and its detonation. She attempts to convince Shaw of this fact, but he ignores her and claims Jewell must've had a partner. As the case against Jewell begins to unravel, the FBI bring in Dutchess and attempts to link him to Jewell as a possible homosexual accomplice in the incident.
After weeks of public scrutiny, Bryant arranges a polygraph examination for Jewell, which he easily passes. Bryant and Bobi give a press conference, where Bobi pleas for the investigation to cease and allow she and her son to get on with their lives. Jewell and Bryant agree to meet with Shaw and Bennet at the FBI office for detailed questioning to put an end to the investigation once and for all. While the agents grill Jewell with blunt questions regarding the bombing, he retorts by asking them if they have any evidence to convict him. They are unable to answer, ending the meeting and essentially forcing the FBI to move on from him as their target. on October 26, 1996, 88 days after named the primary suspect, Jewell is informed that he is no longer a person of interest in the FBI investigation and is free of suspicion.
Nearly 8 years later in April 2005, Jewell, now working as a police officer in Luthersville, Georgia, is visited by Bryant who tells him that Eric Rudolph has been arrested and has confessed to the Centennial Olympic Park bombing. Jewell smiles and thanks him for everything he's done. Two years later on August 29, 2007, Jewell passed away at the age of 44 due to complications from diabetes and heart failure.
Cast[edit]
- Paul Walter Hauser as Richard Jewell
- Sam Rockwell as Watson Bryant
- Kathy Bates as Barbara "Bobi" Jewell
- Jon Hamm as FBI Agent Tom Shaw
- Olivia Wilde as Kathy Scruggs
- Nina Arianda as Nadya
- Ian Gomez as FBI Agent Dan Bennet
- Wayne Duvall as polygraph examiner
- Dylan Kussman as Bruce Hughes
- Mike Pniewski as Brandon Hamm
Production[edit]
The project was announced in February 2014 when Leonardo DiCaprio and Jonah Hill teamed to produce the film, with Hill set to play Jewell, and DiCaprio set to play the lawyer who helped Jewell navigate the media blitz that surrounded him.[15] Paul Greengrass began negotiations to direct the film, with Billy Ray writing the screenplay.[16] Other directors considered include Ezra Edelman and David O. Russell,[17][18] before the project went to Clint Eastwood. DiCaprio and Hill were no longer officially attached to star, though they remained as producers.[19]
In May, Warner Bros. acquired the film rights from 20th Century Fox, which had been acquired by The Walt Disney Company earlier that year.[20] In June, Sam Rockwell was cast as the lawyer, and Paul Walter Hauser as Jewell. Kathy Bates, Olivia Wilde, Jon Hamm, and Ian Gomez were also cast.[21][22][23][24][25] In July 2019, Nina Arianda joined the cast.[26] Filming began on June 24, 2019, in Atlanta.[27]
Marketing[edit]
A trailer was released on October 3, 2019.[28]
Release[edit]
The film had its world premiere at AFI Fest on November 20, 2019.[29] It was theatrically released in the United States and Canada on December 13, 2019.[30]
Reception[edit]
Box office[edit]
In the United States and Canada, the film was released alongside Jumanji: The Next Level and Black Christmas, and was initially projected to gross around $10 million from 2,502 theaters in its opening weekend.[31] However, after making just $1.6 million on its first day, estimates were lowered to $5 million.[2] The film ended up debuting $5 million, one of the 50-worst wide openings ever.[13] It was Eastwood's worst opening weekend since Billy Bronco in 1980 and the second lowest opening of his career.[32] It finished fourth at the box office, behind Jumanji: The Next Level, Frozen II, and Knives Out.[33] The film's performance was characterized as a box office flop by multiple media outlets.[11][10][34][12]
Critical response[edit]
The review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes reported an approval rating of 73% based on 161 reviews, with an average rating of 6.72/10. The site's consensus reads: "Richard Jewell simplifies the real-life events that inspired it—yet still proves that Clint Eastwood remains a skilled filmmaker of admirable economy."[35] Metacritic, another review aggregator, assigned the film a weighted average score of 69 out of 100 based on 38 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews".[36] Audiences polled by CinemaScore gave the film an average grade of "A" on an A+ to F scale.[2]
Controversy[edit]
The film came under fire for its portrayal of Atlanta-Journal Constitution reporter Kathy Scruggs, who died in 2001. Criticism was directed at the film for depicting her as offering to engage in sex with an FBI agent in return for confidential information.[37] The editor-in-chief of The Atlanta-Journal Constitution wrote in an open letter that this depicted incident was "entirely false and malicious".[38] Employees of the newspaper demanded the film have a prominent disclaimer that "some events were imagined for dramatic purposes and artistic license".[39][40] The film was accused of perpetuating a sexist trope of women journalists exchanging sex for information.[41][42]
Wilde, who plays Scruggs in the film, defended her role and claimed a sexist double standard in that Jon Hamm's portrayal of the FBI agent was not held to the same scrutiny.[43] Commentators noted that Wilde's character was based on a real person, whereas the FBI agent was an amalgamation of multiple characters.[43] They also noted that the purpose of the film was to expose and condemn the character assassination of Jewell. However, in the process, the film commits the same character assassination to Scruggs.[41][44]
Accolades[edit]
Award | Date of ceremony | Category | Recipient(s) and nominee(s) | Result | Ref(s) |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
American Film Institute | January 3, 2020 | Top Ten Films of the Year | Richard Jewell | Won | [45] |
Detroit Film Critics Society | December 9, 2019 | Best Supporting Actor | Sam Rockwell | Nominated | [46] |
Best Supporting Actress | Kathy Bates | Nominated | |||
Best Breakthrough Performance | Paul Walter Hauser | Nominated | |||
Golden Globe Awards | January 5, 2020 | Best Supporting Actress | Kathy Bates | Pending | [47] |
National Board of Review Awards | December 3, 2019 | Top 10 Films | Richard Jewell | Won | [48] |
Best Supporting Actress | Kathy Bates | Won | |||
Best Breakthrough Performance | Paul Walter Hauser | Won |
References[edit]
- ^ "Richard Jewell". AFI Fest. Retrieved October 30, 2019.
- ^ Jump up to: a b c D'Alessandro, Anthony (December 14, 2019). "'Jumanji: The Next Level' Advancing To $51M+ Opening; 'Richard Jewell' & 'Black Christmas' Earn Lumps Of Coal". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved December 14, 2019.
- ^ "Richard Jewell (2019)". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved December 17, 2019.
- ^ Jump up to: a b Climek, Chris. "Review: 'Richard Jewell' Clears one Name While Smearing Another". NPR. Retrieved 2019-12-13.
- ^ Brenner, Marie (February 1997). "American Nightmare: The Ballad of Richard Jewell". Retrieved December 6, 2019.
- ^ Jump up to: a b Kent Alexander and Kevin Salwen (2019). The Suspect: An Olympic Bombing, the FBI, the Media, and Richard Jewell, the Man Caught in the Middle, Abrams, ISBN 1683355245.
- ^ Jump up to: a b Benjamin Lee (December 13, 2019). "Stop defending an irresponsible movie and start apologising". The Guardian. Retrieved 2019-12-14.
- ^ Jump up to: a b Marc Tracy. "Clint Eastwood's 'Richard Jewell' Is at the Center of a Media Storm". The New York Times. Retrieved 2019-12-14.
- ^ "National Board of Review 2019: 'The Irishman' Wins Best Film, Adam Sandler Named Best Actor". National Board of Review. December 3, 2019. Retrieved December 3, 2019.
- ^ Jump up to: a b ""Richard Jewell" flops at the box office its opening weekend following controversy". www.cbsnews.com. Retrieved 2019-12-17.
- ^ Jump up to: a b Mendelson, Scott. "Friday Box Office: 'Richard Jewell' And 'Black Christmas' Flop, 'Uncut Gems' And 'Bombshell' Break Out". Forbes. Retrieved 2019-12-15.
- ^ Jump up to: a b "Clint Eastwood suffers worst opening in four decades as controversial 'Richard Jewell' flops". www.yahoo.com. Retrieved 2019-12-17.
- ^ Jump up to: a b "'Jumanji 2' Roars to $60M Opening While A24's 'Uncut Gems' Delivers Studio Record Debut". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved 2019-12-15.
- ^ Wynne, Kelly (October 9, 2019). "Inside the true story of 'Richard Jewell,' Clint Eastwood's upcoming film". Newsweek. Retrieved October 11, 2019.
- ^ Fleming Jr., Mike (February 4, 2014). "'Wolf Of Wall Street's Leonardo DiCaprio & Jonah Hill Plan Re-Team In Story Of Richard Jewell; Labelled Hero, Then Falsely Vilified As Bomber At 1996 Atlanta Olympics". Deadline.
- ^ Fleming Jr., Mike (September 11, 2014). "Paul Greengrass Circling Richard Jewell Pic With Leonardo DiCaprio, Jonah Hill".
- ^ "Clint Eastwood Eyes Richard Jewell Movie Starring Jonah Hill". /Film. April 1, 2015.
- ^ Busch, Anita (November 15, 2016). "'O.J. Made In America' Helmer Ezra Edelman In Talks To Direct Richard Jewell Movie".
- ^ Fleming Jr., Mike (April 18, 2019). "Clint Eastwood Circling 'Ballad Of Richard Jewell' For Fox/Disney".
- ^ Kroll, Justin (May 24, 2019). "Warner Bros. Lands Clint Eastwood's 'The Ballad of Richard Jewell' From Fox-Disney (EXCLUSIVE)".
- ^ D'Alessandro, Anthony (June 10, 2019). "Sam Rockwell Joins Clint Eastwood's 'The Ballad of Richard Jewell'".
- ^ "Clint Eastwood Casts 'BlacKkKlansman' Actor as Lead in Richard Jewell Movie (Exclusive)". The Hollywood Reporter.
- ^ D'Alessandro, Anthony (June 13, 2019). "Kathy Bates Joining Clint Eastwood's 'Richard Jewell'".
- ^ Kroll, Justin (June 18, 2019). "Olivia Wilde, Jon Hamm Join Clint Eastwood's 'Richard Jewell' (EXCLUSIVE)".
- ^ "Ian Gomez Joins Clint Eastwood's Richard Jewell Movie (Exclusive)". The Hollywood Reporter.
- ^ Kit, Borys (July 17, 2019). "Tony Winner Nina Arianda Joins Clint Eastwood's Richard Jewell Drama (Exclusive)". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved July 17, 2019.
- ^ "Feature Films: 'Jewell'". Backstage.
- ^ Trailer on YouTube
- ^ Day-Ramos, Dino (October 8, 2019). "Clint Eastwood's 'Richard Jewell' To Make World Premiere At AFI Fest". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved October 8, 2019.
- ^ D'Alessandro, Anthony (2019-09-27). "Clint Eastwood's 'Richard Jewell' Enters Awards Season With December Release". Deadline. Retrieved 2019-10-03.
- ^ Rubin, Rebecca (December 11, 2019). "Can 'Jumanji' Sequel Achieve Next-Level Box Office Success?". Variety. Retrieved December 12, 2019.
- ^ Rubin, Rebecca. "Clint Eastwood suffers worst opening in four decades with 'Richard Jewell'". chicagotribune.com. Retrieved 2019-12-17.
- ^ Mendelson, Scott. "Box Office: 'Black Christmas' And 'Richard Jewell' Both Disappoint While 'Uncut Gems' Breaks Records". Forbes. Retrieved 2019-12-15.
- ^ McCarthy, Tyler (2019-12-16). "Clint Eastwood's 'Richard Jewell' flops at the box office in its opening weekend despite critical acclaim". Fox News. Retrieved 2019-12-17.
- ^ "Richard Jewell (2019)". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved December 13, 2019.
- ^ "Richard Jewell Reviews". Metacritic. Retrieved December 13, 2019.
- ^ "Olivia Wilde Defends 'Richard Jewell' Journalist Portrayal Amid Backlash". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 2019-12-10.
- ^ Cox, AJC seek 'Richard Jewell' disclaimer in letter to Clint Eastwood
- ^ Cohen, Li (2019-12-10). ""Richard Jewell" film under fire for depiction of Atlanta-Journal Constitution reporter Kathy Scruggs". CBS News. Retrieved 2019-12-14.
- ^ Lang, Brent (2019-12-09). "Clint Eastwood's 'Richard Jewell': Atlanta Newspaper Demands Disclaimer on Depiction of Female Reporter". Variety. Retrieved 2019-12-10.
- ^ Jump up to: a b "Clint Eastwood movie 'Richard Jewell' commits same sin it purports to expose | The Star". thestar.com. Retrieved 2019-12-15.
- ^ Nathoo, Zulekha. "Why new Richard Jewell film is being blasted for 'misogynistic' portrayal of journalist". CBC News.
- ^ Jump up to: a b D'Alessandro, Anthony; D'Alessandro, Anthony (2019-12-03). "'Richard Jewell' Controversy: Olivia Wilde Calls Out Double Standard Of Sexism". Deadline. Retrieved 2019-12-10.
- ^ "Sneer Campaign: 'Richard Jewell'". NPR.org. Retrieved 2019-12-17.
- ^ "AFI AWARDS 2019 Honorees Announced". American Film Institute. Retrieved 2019-12-04.
- ^ The 2019 Detroit Film Critics Society (DFCS) Nominations
- ^ Golden Globes Nominations: ‘Marriage Story’, Netflix, ‘Once Upon A Time In Hollywood’ Lead Way In Film – Full List Of Nominations
- ^ ‘The Irishman’ Named Best Film By National Board Of Review, Quentin Tarantino Wins Best Director
External links[edit]
- 2019 films
- English-language films
- 2010s biographical drama films
- 2019 controversies in the United States
- American biographical drama films
- American films
- Appian Way Productions films
- Drama films based on actual events
- Films about the Summer Olympics
- Films based on multiple works
- Films based on newspaper and magazine articles
- Films based on non-fiction books
- Film controversies
- Films directed by Clint Eastwood
- Films produced by Clint Eastwood
- Films produced by Leonardo DiCaprio
- Films set in Atlanta
- Films set in 1996
- Films shot in Atlanta
- Films with screenplays by Billy Ray
- Malpaso Productions films
- Warner Bros. films
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