Richard Jewell                   4 stars

The based on a true story film, Richard Jewell is a very professional telling of the wrongful treatment of the security guard that discovered the bomb that exploded in Centennial Park at the 1996 Atlanta Olympics. Jewell, played by Paul Walter Hauser was hailed as a hero for saving many lives for a few days, but then was identified as a suspect by the FBI and was vilified by the news media, all with no real evidence linking him to the crime. Hauser, very convincing as the slowwitted wanna be cop, previously played the bodyguard of Tanya Harding in I, Tanya, a similar role. Excellent performances are also given by Sam Rockwell as the private attorney representing Jewell who never gives up on his client, Kathy Bates as Jewell’s suffering mother (for which she received an Academy Award nomination) and Jon Hamm, the sleazy lead FBI investigator who would never admit he was wrong. The story is a well told cautionary tale about how a rush to judgment can ruin a person’s life and reputation all in the quest of scoring big headlines. Even now many people remember the sensational nature of the story instead of the final result that Jewell really was the hero at Centennial Park. The events happened well before the arrival of social media, but the warnings of misleading stories are even more relevant today with Twitter and Facebook. Even with all that, it’s impossible not to notice the political nature of a story that attacks the reputation of the FBI and the news media. The movie arrives 23 years after the event and 12 years after Richard Jewell’s death. So, why release it now when the current administration constantly tries to discredit the FBI and the news media? The agenda is unmistakable. Even so, the movie is well done and serves to clear the reputation of a good man.