Let me be clear at the start of this, I am NOT one of those who shout "fake news" when I hear a report I don't like. The media as a whole serve a valuable purpose, investigating and informing where most of the public would never otherwise hear about many important stories.
But often certain people working in the media go off the rails, so eager to get a scoop that they run with stories prematurely. This is what happened in 1996 to Richard Jewell, played here so well by Paul Walter Hauser. The problem started with the FBI, rushing to judgement by looking at Jewell's "profile" and quickly focusing on his as their prime suspect for the Atlanta bombing. Then an agent leaked it to a reporter who convinced her boss to run the story as a front page headline. A classic case of judging "guilty unless proven innocent."
Well Jewell was innocent, facts uncovered, including the location of the pay phone used to make the call, proved he could not have been the caller. Plus he actually helped save lives by quick action to clear the area after the pipe bombs in the backpack were identified. Then some months later a person was identified as the real bomber. But Jewell never recovered, he died just 11 years later at the young age of 44.
I am amazed at what a good job Paul Walter Hauser, a Michigander, did in his portrayal of Richard Jewell. Richard's mother was involved and when she first met Hauser she exclaimed that it was like seeing her son again. I would hope he gets into the "Best Actor" conversation.
Good movie, some liberties were taken with the facts, some characters created, some dialog fabricated, but overall the Clint Eastwood movie tells a very compelling true story.
I watched it on DVD from my public library, my wife skipped.
But often certain people working in the media go off the rails, so eager to get a scoop that they run with stories prematurely. This is what happened in 1996 to Richard Jewell, played here so well by Paul Walter Hauser. The problem started with the FBI, rushing to judgement by looking at Jewell's "profile" and quickly focusing on his as their prime suspect for the Atlanta bombing. Then an agent leaked it to a reporter who convinced her boss to run the story as a front page headline. A classic case of judging "guilty unless proven innocent."
Well Jewell was innocent, facts uncovered, including the location of the pay phone used to make the call, proved he could not have been the caller. Plus he actually helped save lives by quick action to clear the area after the pipe bombs in the backpack were identified. Then some months later a person was identified as the real bomber. But Jewell never recovered, he died just 11 years later at the young age of 44.
I am amazed at what a good job Paul Walter Hauser, a Michigander, did in his portrayal of Richard Jewell. Richard's mother was involved and when she first met Hauser she exclaimed that it was like seeing her son again. I would hope he gets into the "Best Actor" conversation.
Good movie, some liberties were taken with the facts, some characters created, some dialog fabricated, but overall the Clint Eastwood movie tells a very compelling true story.
I watched it on DVD from my public library, my wife skipped.