Clint Eastwood has spent the majority of his life in the public eye dealing with media coverage. So, it would make sense for him as a director to take on a project about a man who had to face all facets of media attention in his life — for better or worse.

However, Eastwood’s straightforward storytelling methods in “Richard Jewell” are both the film’s greatest assets and weaknesses. While the film does allow its actors to shine, its understated nature also leads to a film that struggles to keep viewers attentive. That, coupled with some dated representations, makes “Richard Jewell” a troubling experience.

“Richard Jewell” is based on the real-life trials and tribulations of the title character. A person who always wanted to be a cop, Jewell saves hundreds of lives by identifying a bomb at Centennial Park during the 1996 Olympic celebrations. His honors are cut short when he is accused as the primary suspect in the FBI’s investigation into the bombing. This investigation is leaked to the media, and Jewell is ruled by the public to be guilty before any form of an investigation takes place.

Eastwood takes a relatively simple approach in telling Jewell’s story, allowing many moments for his actors to breathe. The vision of Eastwood and screenwriter Billy Ray, who co-wrote “The Hunger Games,” was elevated by several fantastic lead performances. Paul Walter Hauser shines as Jewell, playing the character with a simple sweetness and a willingness to stand by his principles.

In addition, Sam Rockwell and Kathy Bates are fantastic in supporting roles. Rockwell, playing Jewell’s longtime friend and lawyer, is the most consistently entertaining performer in the film through his relaxed charm and quips. Bates plays Jewell’s mother with sincerity and class while showcasing the ripple effects of the investigation on Jewell’s loved ones.

Unfortunately, this simplicity is also a detriment to the film. Many scenes of characters having regular conversations drag on longer than necessary. These said conversations are shot with little flair or style due to the basic shot-reverse-shot manner, a film technique in which one character is shown looking at another character during a conversation and then vice versa. Such moments bloat the first two thirds of the film, tiring the viewers by the more emotional third act.

Also, “Richard Jewell” rarely features a musical score in the background. The lack of music makes the lengthy scenes feel even more dry and elongated. The few scenes that have a score feature overdramatic music.

The slow, drawn-out scenes, along with a lack of music, make the film excruciatingly slow to watch at times. This pacing is hurt by several attempts to add humor to the film. While the actors are trying their best, these moments rarely add more than a slight chuckle.

Several attempts at humor come from the main journalist represented in the film, Olivia Wilde’s Kathy Scruggs. The characterization of Scruggs, a real journalist with the Atlanta Journal-Constitution who died in 2001, has come under controversy because the character hints at using sex as a bargaining point to get information from the FBI. Wilde has come out and defended the character on Twitter amid the backlash, but several real-life figures involved with Jewell’s case slammed the film’s portrayal of Scruggs.

The representation of a real person in this manner is troubling, especially since Scruggs’ portrayal in the film is cartoonish compared to the rest of the film’s performances. In addition, the fact that they use the real name of an honest reporter while the FBI agent is given a fake name is bizarre.

Despite the portrayal of Scruggs, “Richard Jewell” is a serviceable yet unspectacular film. Maybe more creativity with regard to the filmmaking and music would have made the story more interesting, but the straightforward presentation bogs down several strong performances. As it stands, “Richard Jewell” is a case in which the story the film is based on is more interesting than the film itself.

Published on December 16, 2019 at 3:49 pm

Contact Patrick: pagunn@syr.edu