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'Patriots Day' Review

A realistic portrayal of the Boston Marathon bombings.

By Marina Caitlin WattsPublished 7 years ago 5 min read
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Courtesy of Lionsgate

An all-star cast tells the action-packed story that is Patriots Day. Starring Mark Wahlberg, John Goodman, Kevin Bacon, J. K. Simmons, and Michelle Monaghan, the film follows the lives of those effected by the bombings that took place on April 15, 2013 in Boston. From the police officers to the marathon runners, we see how this one day changed everything for so many.

Director Peter Berg (Lone Survivor and Friday Night Lights) tell the emotional and intense story of the Boston Police Department and FBI as they wrap up the terrorist attacks that affected Boston. The film is based on the book "Boston Strong" by Casey Sherman and Dave Wedge. The vignettes depicted during the stressful week show the resilience Boston had, along with the timeless theme of good versus evil, and love versus hate.

Courtesy of Lionsgate

The morning of April 15, 2013 started like any other, but with an especially high level of excitement for Bostonians, as the Boston Marathon was an exciting day. The film mainly follows fictitious Boston Police Sergeant Tommy Saunders (Mark Wahlberg), who is assigned to stand by the finish life of the Marathon that day. His role is crucial throughout the film as his presence connects the various vignettes that make Patriots Day. He interacts with runners and spectators at the finish line, works with the FBI, responds to the car hijacking police call, and celebrates the ending of the manhunt.

Meanwhile, Dzhokhar and Tamerlan Tsarnaev (Aex Wolff and Themo Melikidze, respectively) leave their home with pressure cooker bombs that set off at the finish line, throwing the entire day into a world of chaos and disarray. The bombs killed three people, injured several hundred, and brought the entire city to a call for action to find out what happened and how to prevent further damage.

As those hurt by the day's events, Saunders' men and the FBI team up on a nonstop manhunt to evaluate surveillance, chase down the suspects, and restore order in Boston. Every second is action packed as we follow multiple story lines and see them all converge through the eyes of Saunders.

Courtesy of Lionsgate

From a storytelling standpoint, the exposition gave audiences a chance to attach themselves to the lives that would soon be changed forever.

The film told the story of the day of the bombing plus the days following in time increments, this way viewers could really feel what it was like watching everything unfold. The script was originally two separate projects that merged together to create what we saw onscreen. The first was called "Boston Strong" which had a very action/thriller focus to the story. The second, "Patriots Day," had more of a drama spin to it. The result? A solid balance of two, with enough narrative to take away from the intense action sequences.

Yes, I admit, sitting through the bombing scenes and the hospital scenes to follow was one extremely chilling. My heart pounded and my hands were clammy, especially knowing how the events unfolding onscreen was a true story which happened a few years ago. I remember reading the headlines and following the news updates in the days to follow. I cannot begin to imagine what someone living in Boston a few years ago felt as the seconds dragged on between all the chaos.

But this film is more than just a recounting of the nightmare that was the 2013 Boston Marathon for many. Patriots Day tells the story of the brave men and women who gave their all to make Boston safe again. The ending of the film brings audiences to a finale that feels more like a documentary than the dramatization that unfolded for the two hours prior.

Courtesy of Lionsgate

Across the board, Patriots Day received positive reviews for its heartfelt retelling and powerhouse of actors.

Film critics in Boston, however, feel otherwise. The Boston Globe called the film “heartfelt and unnecessary.” Ty Burr writes, “If you’re not from Greater Boston or New England, of course, the movie will be the latest dramatic reenactment of something bad, cathartic, historic, and inspirational that happened elsewhere.” He goes on to argue that anyone who had seen the HBO documentary that told the story of the survivors and those affected by the day’s events would feel like Patriot’s Day is very inaccurate. The Hollywood effect of overdramatizing or bending the truth in order to make their version better than one that is accurate can plague films about tragic events.

A similar case to this movie was World Trade Center, filmed only five years after the attacks of September 11. Oliver Stone headed the movie, which focuses on two Port Authority police officers that are trapped underneath the building’s rubble. The New York Times says that the movie came “shockingly soon” after the national tragedy. A. O. Scott writes, “ a public tragedy [has been] turned it into something at once genuinely stirring and terribly sad. His film offers both a harrowing return to a singular, disastrous episode in the recent past and a refuge from the ugly, depressing realities of its aftermath.”

Like Patriots Day, this film focuses on the rescuers, which is a moving tale to be told. Even though there is an interesting kind of nostalgia that viewers feel, there’s no comparing it to the trauma those experienced sixteen years ago. The same feeling can be applied to Patriots Day.

Courtesy of Lionsgate

Yes, a movie showing how good overcame evil is a timeless theme Hollywood likes to exhaust. However, making a movie about the 2013 Boston Marathon is premature, and could have been made with more respect to those whose lives changed that day. Maybe in ten years, we could watch this movie and not still feel hurt by the day’s events. However, there are people who can be haunted by April 15, 2013. As some viewers watch to be entertained, they relive their worst nightmare again on the silver screen, in a place where escapism should keep reality at bay.

Overall, Patriots Day tells the story of heroes during some of the darkest hours Boston had ever seen. The final scenes of the movie once the second bomber was captured showed how strong Boston is and its resilience. The first-hand accounts from Boston Police Commissioner Ed Davis (Goodman) and his team played into the film, giving it a more authentic feel.

"People were running towards the bomb sites to help rescue those caught in the blast," survivors said. This overwhelming statement of love shows how even though it may have been too soon to make Patriots Day, the act of heroism and good trumping evil is timeless.

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About the Creator

Marina Caitlin Watts

Marina loves Frank Sinatra and hates decaf coffee. The native New Yorker and Cornell grad knows every word to "Ferris Bueller's Day Off" and thinks Shakespeare is cool. If you need her, she's waiting for Godot. Twitter: @marina_caitlin

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