Movie Review by Cindy Summers
Call of the Wild

2 out of 4 palm trees

Based on the book written by Jack London, “Call of the Wild” chronicles the wild adventures of a special St. Bernard/Scotch Collie named Buck, who’s both big in size and in heart, and how he went from a cushy California life, to leading a sled dog team and later becoming leader of the pack and his own life as well. Released by 20^th Century Fox, Directed Chris Sanders, written by Michael Green and Starring Harrison Ford as John Thorton.

Buck was a very large, rambunctious dog owned by the local judge in a small California town. He got into trouble and was sent to sleep out on the porch where he was dognapped due to a big bounty on big dogs used in the Yukon to haul gear for gold miners. It was a long confusing journey for Buck, first on a boat, then a long hike in snow, which he had never felt before, to reach a settlement in the Alaskan Yukon during the 1890s Gold Rush. The outpost was Buck’s first interaction with John Thorton (Harrison Ford) when Thorton unknowing dropped his harmonica, which Buck saw and followed to return to him.

Buck’s next owner, Perrault (Omar Sy), was kind and patient with Buck’s transition to becoming part of a sled dog team that carried mail to remote outposts. Buck was a natural leader, but not leader of the sled dog team, though after a challenge took on that role. Buck was brave and caring for the other sled dogs and his caretakers, even saving Perrault’s girlfriend when she fell through the ice and was trapped under a frozen lake. Due to the telegraph coming to the Yukon, Perrault lost the mail route and Buck’s team was sold.

Unfortunately, a rich jerk, Hal, who brought a ton of stuff for convenience living to search for gold bought Buck’s team to carry the heavy load. Hal ran the sled dogs to exhaustion, and abused them until they could go no further. This is when Buck crossed paths with John Thorton again, who took him back to his cabin where Buck slept for two days to recover.

Thorton had come to the Yukon because he has lost his son and just wanted to be away from people and experience the adventure of the outdoors, so they set off to find places not on the map. They came across an old miner’s cabin and claimed it as their own, though after a while Buck became bored with human interaction and decided to go off into the woods to spend time with the wolves, spending more time away with each passing day.

One day, while Buck was away, Hal found their cabin and thinking he had been fooled ambushed and shot Thorton, also causing the cabin catch fire. Buck heard the gunshot and rushed to the cabin and attacked the bad guy, pushing him into the blazing cabin and killing him. Thorton succumb to his injury and passed away in Buck’s arms, and though Buck was sad he now had a new family with the timber wolf pack and became a legend.

“Call of the Wild” is quite a thrilling adventure story about a special dog, however the CGI is seriously distracting, often unrealistic and a surprise to seemingly most movie goers hearing their comments leaving the theater. Given the fact that there have been several successful films with similar storylines using actual live animals such as “Eight Below” and “Snow Dogs”, choosing CGI seems a disappointing, lazy waste.

PG (for some violence, peril, thematic elements and mild language)
110 minutes

by Shirley Lorraine

Viva La Femmes en Révolution!

Santa Paula Theater Center opens its new season of thought-provoking staging with The Revolutionists by Lauren Gunderson. Now hailed as the current most produced living playwright, Gunderson’s writings have garnered many awards. SPTC’s season offerings all fall under the heading of “that’s what she said” featuring works by outstanding female playwrights.

The Revolutionists is a generous mix of philosophy, history, equality entreaty and fantasy. The rapid-fire dialogue and energy of the characters, in addition to following the multi-layered action, kept me intensely focused. And sometimes confused.

Set during the French Revolution of 1793-1794, the play centers around activist and feminist playwright Olympe De Gouges. She is working on what she hopes is a definitive statement of feminist rights and encounters writers’ block.

As she struggles with her creativity, she is joined by several other women who each desire that De Gouges write something to secure their specific standing in history. Each wants to be remembered in a positive light for their accomplishments.

De Gouges is visited by Marianne Angelle, a Caribbean rebel/activist/spy who is fighting to end slavery. Angelle, a composite character, voices concerns for her people, mounting logical arguments and desiring the writer devise a pamphlet for her cause.

They are interrupted by Charlotte Corday, famous for murdering French political leader Jean-Paul Marat, an act that she considers she is doing “for the women of France.” She wishes a strong final statement written for her as she stands at the guillotine.

Joining them then is deposed Queen Marie Antoinette, portrayed in history in an indelicate light. She, recognizing that her historical legacy will be skewed, would like the writer to highlight her positive contributions before she, too, is beheaded.

De Gouges works hard to accommodate each, all the while expounding her own statements about the importance of theater and its influences. She is fierce in her appeals for women’s rights and is heartily booed at the National Convention for her convictions.

Each character is so different they are fascinating to watch as an ensemble. Sarah Broughton takes on the central role of Olympe De Gouges with panache. At times overly theatrical and pontificating, she maintains the focal point throughout.

Juliana Acosta plays Marianne. Her character appears the most level-headed of the four, stating her desires with purpose and logic. She presents an air of competent calm, giving a nice contrast to the flighty characterization of Marie Antoinette by Aileen-Marie Scott. Scott is resplendent in beautiful wig and gown, obviously having a ball with her outrageous depiction. She is a delight to watch.

The single-minded Charlotte Corday is embodied by Rosie Gordon, who gives a highly focused and chilling performance.

The actors are all outstanding. The piece itself is highly relevant at its core to today’s society (history does tend to repeat itself), recognizing the underplaying of women’s roles throughout history and the continual struggle for equality.

Direction by Jessi May Stevenson conveys the similarities in the characters’ challenges, while amplifying their differences.

This is a complex piece that bears introspection and scrutiny.

The Revolutionists plays Fridays and Saturdays at 8 p.m., Sundays at 2:30 p.m. through March 15. Santa Paula Theater Center, 125 S. Seventh Street, Santa Paula. Tickets available at www.santapaulatheatercenter.org, [email protected] or 805-525-4645.

Movie Review by Cindy Summers
Birds of Prey (And the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn)

In “Birds of Prey (And the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn)” Harley Quinn is targeted by sadistic nightclub owner Roman Sionis and teams up with the Huntress, Black Canary and Det. Renee Montoya to protect young pickpocket Cass and take down Sionis. Released by Warner Bros. Pictures, Directed Cathy Yan, Written by Christina Hodson and Starring Margot Robbie as Harley Quinn.

Having just broken up with the Joker, Harley Quinn (Margot Robbie) finds her independence but also finds herself targeted by everyone who she wronged, sadistic nightclub owner Roman Sionis/Black Mask (Ewan McGregor) being at the top of the list. Sionis eventually captures Harley, who negotiates her release by promising to find a stolen diamond young pickpocket Cassandra “Cass” Cain (Ella Jay Basco) took from Zsasz, Sionis’ face-carving right-hand-man. Unfortunately, Cass had just been picked up by police and was in jail, so Harley grabbed a sling full of glitter and color filled bean bags for her shotgun, and broke Cass out of jail using her ninja-like fighting skills.

Cass decided the safest place to keep the diamond was to swallow it, which created quite a predicament for Harley, who decided the best option was to get some laxative and duct tape Cass to a toilet. To make things more challenging, Sionis put a $500,000 bounty out on Cass, which had Harley fighting every bad guy in the city to protect Cass, though she eventually reverted back to her bad self and made a deal with Sionis to hand over Cass.

Dinah Lance/Black Canary (Jurnee Smollett-Bell), who originally worked in Sionis’ club as a singer but was basically forced to become his driver, warned Detective Renee Montoya (Rose Perez) that Harley planned to turn Cass over to Sionis at an abandon amusement park. Montoya headed to the park to rescue Cass, joined by the Huntress looking to recover her family’s diamond. Sionis hired an army of thugs who gathered at the park and seemed the odds were against them, but together Harley, the Huntress, Black Canary and Det. Montoya battled the bad guys, little Cass being the one to kill Sionis with a surprise grenade.

Following all that excitement, Montoya decided to leave the police force and join the Huntress and Black Canary as vigilantes known as the “Birds of Prey” while Harley pursued her own private eye business with Cass as her sidekick.

Harley’s charm and wit keeps viewers rooting for her every step of the way, displaying incredible fighting skills with stunts that seem almost superhuman while using very creative and often explosive methods to overcome endless obstacles in this fast paced, action packed film. Margot Robbie, who was a also producer, colorfully embodies the spirit of Harley Quinn while also having a deliberate focus on a message of freeing women from male oppression, whether it be Harley living the Joker’s life, Det. Renee Montoya constantly being undermined by male coworkers taking credit for her work, the Black Canary being dominated by her sadistic employer Sionis, or the Huntress’ family being senselessly murdered by a ruthless mob boss, all had a back story involving evolving in the movie to a “no more” mentality.

R (for strong violence and language throughout, and some sexual and drug material)
109 minutes

by Shirley Lorraine

Rubicon digs deeply into family dynamics

The 2019-2020 theatrical season at the Rubicon Theatre in downtown Ventura promises “stories about taking responsibility, finding freedom, daring to hope, living in harmony – and charting a new and certain course in an uncertain world”. The season also features plays by female playwrights. It is off to an auspicious beginning.

The current production, Never, Not Once, by Carey Crim was awarded the Jane Chambers’ Playwriting Award in 2017. This is the second production by Crim mounted at the Rubicon. It is a complex emotional study with many humorous moments.

Eleanor, a young college student raised by two mothers, desires to learn more about her genetic background. She hires a private investigator to assist in finding her father, whom she has never known. This disturbing action raises anxieties for her birth mother, Allison, as she has kept information about him secret for 20 years.

As Eleanor’s search continues, the family is forced to confront painful hidden secrets. Doug, the true father, appears back on the scene and reveals his struggles through life. Now he is face to face with a daughter he didn’t know existed and must try and repair the past with her mother, who vehemently resists.

Her long-time partner, Nadine, is supportive and at the same time wants to see Allison come to grips with the truth and move forward. Old misunderstandings come up as the two express differing viewpoints on the subject at hand.

Eleanor is aided in her search by her boyfriend Rob who becomes another spoke in the wheel of the family’s dysfunction, trying his best to be helpful and supportive.
Each member of the cast is simply superb. Each character undergoes many layers of emotional discovery as the story unfolds. The play is recommended for mature audiences due to the adult subject matter and language. The play runs without an intermission, about 90 minutes.

Melanie Cruz portrays the central character of Allison. She is at once stoic, frightened, anxious and resolute as she navigates areas she had hoped never to open. Her partner, Nadine, played by Diahnna Nicole Baxter, provides a sensible counterpoint as the second mother figure to Eleanor.

Sydney Berk is the enthusiastic Eleanor. Isaac Cruz is Rob, her college friend who becomes her boyfriend as the search progresses. Both bring the eagerness and determination of youth to the family picture as well as a needed measure of acceptance.

The reluctant father, Doug, played by Michael Polak, works through a gamut of emotions as he struggles with not only the past between he and Allison, but also his own difficult past. He confronts his own denial and devils, and in the course of doing so, discovers what he needs to do moving forward.

The play explores the effects secrets can have in the long run, insecurities that run deep, the challenges reality can present, and how lives can be changed with truth. The many layers can be dizzying but satisfying as they resolve.

Never, Not Once runs through February 23. Performances are Wednesdays at 2 p.m. and 7 p.m. (talkbacks follow the 7 p.m. show), Thursdays at 7 p.m. (Feb. 20 is College Mixer Night with special price and package for college students), Fridays at 8 p.m., Saturdays at 2 p.m. and 8 p.m. and Sundays at 2 p.m. Ticket prices range. Discounts for students, seniors, military and more are available. www.rubicontheatre.org or 805-667-2900.

Movie Review by Cindy Summers
Bad Boys for Life

Bad Boys Mike Lowrey (Will Smith) and Marcus Burnett (Martin Lawrence) are back out on the streets of Miami for one last time to settle issues from a past criminal mastermind. Released by Columbia Pictures, Directed Adil El Arbi and Bilall Fallah, Written by Chris Bremner, Peter Craig and Joe Carnahan and Starring Will Smith as Mike Lowrey and Martin Lawrence as Marcus Burnett.

After spending 25 years on the force, Marcus Burnett (Martin Lawrence) makes the decision to retire and spend more time with his family, having just had a new grandson born with his namesake. Having been partners for 20 years, Mike Lowrey (Will Smith) wants to continue working on the force but doesn’t want to work without his partner. Burnett stubbornly refuses until Lowrey is shot repeatedly in front of him, giving him no other option but to help Lowrey “just one more time” pursue the shooter after having regained his health.

Due to the fact that Lowery was the victim in the shooting, Captain Howard (Joe Pantoliano) forbids Lowery to work on the case, though Lowery is unstoppable so Captain Howard relents and allows Lowery to work the case as long as he follows Howard’s guidelines regarding working with the force to solve the case instead of on his own. Lowery learns that the killings are related to a drug cartel leader who had recently broke out of prison in Mexico City and with whom Lowery has a complicated past.

Complicated pasts seem to be Lowery’s M.O. as he is also forced to work with an internal agency named AMMO (Advanced Miami Metro Operations) that’s headed by his ex-girlfriend Rita (Paola Nunez). Throughout the movie Lowery tries to leave AMMO out of the loop, while Burnett secretly contacts them every time for backup and support.

Lowery eventually comes to the conclusion that Isabel Aretas (Kate del Castillo) is behind his attempted murder and a rash of killings involving local public officials after having broken out of a Mexican prison seeking personal revenge and to avenge the death of her ex-husband. Unfortunately, Captain Howard is targeted by the same man that shot Lowery and kills Howard at his daughters event in front of Lowery, spurring Lowery and Burnett to Mexico to find the killer.

Aretas actually sent her son Zway-Lo (Nicky Jam) to kill the group responsible for her incarceration and her husband’s death, requiring Lowery to be the last one killed and the only target left for Zway-Lo when Lowery and Burnett arrive in Mexico. A bloody battle ensues at an abandon palace, leaving Aretas dead and Zway-Lo alive but injured.

The buddy banter between Smith and Lawrence will have you laughing from beginning to end, while the action will have you on the edge of your seat, wincing at every painful experience of which there are many as unlike other big actions films, these heroes actually get shot and injured at lot as would be expected but mostly rejected by big film directors. The final scene also points to a plot line for the Fourth installment of the ‘Bad Boys’ film franchise.

R (for strong bloody violence, language throughout, sexual references and brief drug use)
123 minutes

by Shirley Lorraine

Transport’s “Bloomsday” captivates

Every so often Transport Theatre Company gets back on the boards. Through February 2, they are back, full force. A theater company without a permanent home, their current production of “Bloomsday” by Steven Dietz is playing a limited run on the south stage of the Elite Theater in Oxnard.

Transport, founded in 2006 by Artistic Director Linda Livingston and Producer John Procter, has continually, albeit sporadically in time, mounted superior theatrical experiences. Bloomsday is no exception.

The four-member cast is superb. Chandra Bond and Trent Trachtenberg handle the roles chronicling when and how Caithleen and Robbie first meet. John D. Reinhart and Linda Livingston embody the same characters after 35 years have passed. The ensemble is outstanding as we witness what could have been, perhaps what should have been, and how life ultimately played out for the two.

The background of the play is James Joyce’s novel Ulysses. Robbie is visiting Dublin, Ireland, when by chance he is approached by Caithleen, a tour guide who is in need of a “fourteenth” member to even out her tour attendance. The tour covers areas of Joyce’s life and adventures, many of which are reflected in his novel. Along the way Robbie and Caithleen find themselves revealing themselves to each other, creating a strong bond. The very Irish Caithleen (speaking in what to my ears is a superb Irish dialect), in the end, cannot be as spontaneous as Robbie would like, and thus they part.

The grown-up Robbie (John D. Reinhart) semi narrates what went before, to the confusion of the younger couple. Grown-up Caithleen (Linda Livingston) also enters to help her younger self understand why some things happened and how they could have played out differently had choices been made. The premise can be a bit confusing in the beginning, but clarity emerges as the play progresses.

As noted in the program, “Bloomsday celebrates the novel, its author, and the characters’ lives”. First celebrated in 1954, the commemorative event occurs in Dublin annually on June 16, the day the novel Ulysses takes place in 1904. It is named after the protagonist Leopold Bloom. Considered a literary street festival, participants frequently dress in period attire and readings from Joyce’s work are performed. Attendees also walk to pubs and locations noted in the book. It is this that the “tour” in the play mirrors.

The setting is simple. A few seating areas, a few sheer scrims behind which the actors can pass as though transcending time. The venue is intimate so the audience (well, I did, anyway) felt thoroughly involved in the tour as well as the back story.

Quite a bit of humor emerges through the lines, enhanced by the actors’ clear understanding of how to play their characters to the fullest. Director Tom Mueller expressed his delight at the actor’s abilities to inhabit the roles so completely. Overall, I found it to be a compelling experience.

Bloomsday runs until Feb 2 at the Elite Theater, 2731 Victoria Ave, Oxnard (Channel Islands). Tickets available at www.BrownPaperTickets.com. Runs Fri and Saturday at 8 p.m., Sunday at 2 p.m. All seats $22. Seating is limited so reservations are recommended.

by Shirley Lorraine
Classic comedy commences at Conejo

You Can’t Take It with You, a comedy penned by George S. Kaufman and Moss Hart, premiered to acclaim in 1936. It won a Pulitzer Prize for Drama in 1937 and went on to become immortalized in film in 1938 (with some plot alterations), winning an Oscar for Best Picture.

Conejo Players in Thousand Oaks opened its 2020 season with its rendition of this classic comedy featuring an abundance of energy, laughter and sterling performances. Director Alan Waserman has assembled a cast fully up to the challenge to keep the audience engaged and in stitches for the entire performance.

The story has many facets. It is a social commentary on how two very different social strata view life, happiness and government, and it is a love story embracing the beauty of eccentricities and the ability to adapt.

We are introduced to the Sycamore family along with extended family including “adopted” characters. While they each have their singularities, they somehow function quite well as a unit, to the surprise of others.

Without giving away the pearls of how each family member came to their talents per se, suffice it to say that it somehow all makes sense in the bigger picture.

Ronna Jones portrays Penny Sycamore, a writer and painter of sorts. Her husband Paul, played by Jim Miller, matches her “whatever happens” attitude with aplomb. The patriarch, Grandpa, (Donn Robinson) steers the family with a steady hand and sharp mind.

The two Sycamore daughters, Alice and Essie, are opposites. Alice (Timorah Brown) is the sensible one, holding down a full-time job and falling in love with the vice-president of her company, the owner’s son Tony Kirby (Carl Garcia). Sycamore sister Essie (Briana Bauer) is in lifelong training to become a ballet dancer, which she practices nonstop. She and her husband, Ed, (Alex Carrasco) live in the family home where Ed enjoys using his printing press and making music.

Also gracing the home are a Mr. de Pinna (Jim Diderrich) who fashions fireworks in the basement. The cook Rheba (Carla Ames) is practically a member of the family as is her boyfriend Donald (Daniel Krause) who is on permanent “relief”.

Gabriel Vega is a Russian dance coach Boris Kolenkhov, a frequent dinner guest. Vivian Latham takes a hilarious comic turn as actress Gay Wellington, who has clearly had one or two too many martinis.
When the boss and his wife, Mr. & Mrs. Kirby (Robert Craig and Cindy Lopez) arrive on the scene on the wrong night, son Tony admits he told them the wrong night on purpose, in order to be sure the two families were their true selves. Predictable chaos ensued.

The evening provided an escalating deluge of laughs as the families collided. Superior comedic timing was employed by all as the pace rose. At times one didn’t know where to focus. There was a lot going on.

The show is a lot of fun and gives a much-needed opportunity for laughter. Enjoy the quirky characters in all their glory.

You Can’t Take It with You runs through February 1 at Conejo Players Theatre, 351 S Moorpark Rd, Thousand Oaks. Friday and Saturday shows are at 8 p.m., Sundays at 2 p.m. There will be one Thursday night, Jan. 16 at 8 p.m. Contact www.ConejoP)layers.org or (805) 495-3715 for tickets.

Movie Review by Cindy Summers
1917

Set during the First World War, two young British soldiers, Schofield and Blake, are sent on a seemingly impossible mission to cross the German front and deliver a message in 24 hours to prevent 1600 troops from walking into a German trap, including Blake’s own brother. Released by Universal Pictures, Directed and Written by Sam Mendes and Starring George MacKay as Lance Corporal Schofield and Dean-Charles Chapman as Lance Corporal Blake

In April 1917, two young British soldiers, Schofield (George MacKay) and Blake (Dean-Charles Chapman) are tasked to deliver a message to the 2^nd Battalion to call off their planned attack on German troops. The Devonshire Regiment of 1600 soldiers, including Blake’s brother Joseph, were unknowingly walking into a trap and high command had no way to communicate with them due to the German’s cutting the phone lines upon their retreat from the front.

Schofield and Blake set off across no man’s land toward the German front and find that the Germans had retreated as reported and deserted their position as well as destroying all of their guns and weapons. They witness an aerial dog fight outside an old farmhouse and a German plane end up crashing almost on top of them. Wanting to be good Samaritans, they pull the German pilot from the plane, but the pilot turns on them, stabbing Blake in the stomach.

Unfortunately, Blake dies almost immediately from his wounds, and Schofield is left to continue the mission on his own to warn the troops. Schofield spends his day dodges sniper bullets and eventually ends up in the bombed-out area near the river that he had been told to find. Discovered by German soldiers, Schofield escapes by jumping into the raging river and eventually finds the 2^nd Battalion, but not before the first wave is launched.

Schofield eventually makes it to the front line command post and delivers the message to Colonel Mackenzie, who calls off the attack. That having been accomplished, Schofield then finds Blake’s brother Joseph to share the unfortunate news of his brother’s passing. In the end, we find Schofield too had reasons to continue, finding a peaceful spot under a tree to cherish photos of his own wife and two daughters back home.

The film’s design of long shots holds the viewer in the moment and emotion of this perilous journey, though the deeper story itself seems to remain mostly hidden behind the very dramatic and realistic war situations.

R (for violence, some disturbing images, and language)
110 minutes

Movie Review by Cindy Summers
Bombshell

Breeze rating from 1 to 4 palm trees, 4 being best.

Based on actual events, Bombshell recounts the brave women who brought down Fox News creator and CEO Roger Ailes for sexual harassment, a scandal that exposed the longtime offenses that happened to over 20 women working for the man that created the most powerful media empire of its time. Released by Lionsgate, Directed by Ray Roach, Written by Charles Randolph and Starring Charlize Theron as Megyn Kelly, Nicole Kidman as Gretchen Carlson, Margot Robbie as Kayla Pospisil, and John Lithgow as Roger Ailes.

Fox News CEO Roger Ailes (John Lithgow) was very controlling with the operations of Fox News, he would watch the network 24/7 and had a direct line phone into the production room where he barked out orders regarding how he wanted things to operate, one such example being that he wanted the camera to be wide shots to primarily include the female anchors legs. He also commented on the female anchors attire, saying that some dresses were too long, even though they were mid thigh which is generally not appropriate for executive offices.

Behind closed doors, Ailes would counsel female anchors on how to excel at their job and seek advancement, but would do it conditionally stating that he would need something in return for assisting them in their careers. His indiscretions were not only verbal, but physical and always done under the pretense that it was what was required to create a mutually beneficial situation.

Gretchen Carlson (Nicole Kidman) was the first to take action against Ailes, seeking legal advise to determine the best course of action to win her case. It was decided that it would be difficult to go after Fox News itself, but that they could go after Ailes individually for his actions. Carlson continued her employment for approximately one year, then quit and publicly outed Ailes for sexual harassment.

This created a media frenzy, and Fox News supporters actively attacked and threatened Carlson in public, as well as sending hate mail and using social media. Carlson was hoping that going public would help more women victimized by Ailes to come forward and aid in the legal case against him. It was at this time that Kayla Pospisil (Margot Robbie) a new news producer at Fox who was looking to get into the anchor seat, became Ailes next interest.

Megyn Kelly (Charlize Theron) had been a long time anchor at Fox News and covertly began to seek out other victims, having had been harassed by Ailes herself a number of years prior. Kelly finally joined Carlson in the suit against Ailes, which uncovered over 20 more women who would finally come forward during the investigation.

This all star cast does such an excellent job at bringing the viewer into the emotion of the situation, some of which can be difficult to stomach, though feel this movie can be very insightful and supportive to those going through similar situations. Hopefully it inspires those affected to take action against harassment in the workplace however daunting, as these women were publicly attacked, shammed and threatened but they were also the first to take down such high level, well-known execs (Roger Ailes and Bill O’Reilly) for their disgusting behavior toward women in the workplace.

R (for sexual material and language throughout)
118 minutes

by Cindy Summers
Richard Jewell

Richard Jewell is based on true events involving the bombing that happened in 1996 at the Olympics in Atlanta, Georgia, and shows how media misinformation can cloud the truth and destroy people’s lives. Released by Warner Bros. Pictures, Directed by Clint Eastwood, Written by Billy Ray, and Starring Paul Walter Hauser as Richard Jewell, Kathy Bates as Bobi Jewell and Sam Rockwell as Watson Bryant.

Richard Jewell got a job as a security guard at the Olympics in Atlanta after numerous failed jobs in law enforcement and related positions due to his overzealous enforcement and inappropriate authoritative attitude. He was very conscientious but socially awkward and spent his time studying penal codes and learning about guns and other military weapons.

After an altercation with some drunk teens, Jewell noticed an unattended backpack underneath the bench next to the sound booth tower and immediately contacted other law enforcement officers on the scene. Jewell was often thought to be too much by the book and the others played off the incident at first, but ultimately called a bomb specialist and discovered 3 large pipe bombs in the backpack.

Jewell and the other security staff feverishly tried to move the crowd away from the area, and at that same time, a call came in to 911 “There is a bomb in Centennial Park”. The bomb went off minutes later, and though people were wounded many lives were saved due to the keen site and heroic efforts of Richard Jewell.

For several days, Jewell was heralded as a national hero on television and everywhere he went, but due to the fact the FBI had no good leads, they turned to looking at Jewell as the prime suspect. The FBI decided that Jewell was a “false hero”, that fit their “hero bomber” profile due to recent similar events involving other bombing and fires.

Information regarding this direction in the FBI investigation was leaked to the local press, and Jewell was thrust into a “trial by media” and now hated by the public and chased by the media unrelentingly. Jewell sought the counsel of Watson Bryant, a previous coworker and attorney with his own firm.

Due to his somewhat simple mind and respect for law enforcement, the FBI was able to manipulate Jewell into false testimony and trick him into following their storyline. Fortunately for Jewell, Bryant was a pit bull and defended Jewell feverishly, as well as helping him to find his center in the chaos that swirled around him.

The FBI spent 3 months trying to find, and seemingly at times fabricate evidence to support their belief that Jewell was guilty, all the while the press kept falsifying and exaggerating the facts. Jewell was finally dropped from the investigation and six years later Eric Rudolph was found to have been the bomber.

Paul Walter Hauser did a superb job embodying the persona of Jewell and kudos to Clint Eastwood for sharing the true count of events of this sadly diminished hero.

R (for language including some sexual references, and brief bloody images)
129 minutes