“Stronger” opened in a few theaters today and I drove thirty miles to catch it at noon. It was worth the trip.
The film centers around Chelmsford, Massachusetts native Jeff Bauman, who lost his legs in the horrific bombing attack near the finish of the 2013 Boston Marathon.
From start to finish the film is beautifully shot. Director David Gordon Green masterfully captures events at Fenway Park and Boston Garden along with gut wrenching scenes at the bombing, in the hospital, and in emotionally charged exchanges between Jeff and his girlfriend Erin. Both Jake Gyllenhaal (Jeff Bauman) and Tatiana Maslany (Erin Hurley) deliver superb performances.
The film is based on a book written by Bauman and a cowriter. As such it is not sugar coated in the least. Bauman is just a regular guy, full of fun yet far from perfect. Like a lot of us he lives and dies with his Boston sports teams.
This is a no punches pulled look at the man, his family and his friends in the aftermath of a horrible, senseless tragedy. Some scenes are tough to watch and more than a few tears will be shed by moviegoers.
Along with the stellar performances by Gyllenhaal and Maslany several others are worth noting. Miranda Richardson who often plays Duchesses and such is outstanding as Jeff’s mother Patty. She perfectly captures the heavy drinking, chain smoking yet doting Mom.
Carlos Sans plays “Carlos”, the Good Samaritan who tended to Bauman’s wounds and likely saved his life. He was the “guy in the cowboy hat”on the news. Bauman had declined to meet with him for some time but finally agreed to a private meeting at a restaurant. It is a highlight of the film thanks to terrific work by Sans.
There is no political statement to be made here, nor any attempt to delve into the perpetrators of this horror. It is a real life story, beautifully told, superbly filmed with a wonderful cast that delivers in every scene. Don’t miss it.
