Itâs hard these daysâwhen terrible things come at us so quickly, one after the other, without a break or a breathâto feel ready to memorialize anything. The Boston Marathon bombing happened only four years ago, and despite the fact that weâve had several lifetimes of sadness between then and now, it feels like it just occurred. Are we ready for a movie about it?
Whatâs that? This is the SECOND movie about it? Patriotâs Day came out earlier this year? What? Why! Thankfully, Stronger isnât another grubby Mark Wahlberg movie glossing up a real-life tragedyâinstead, itâs a close study of a guy and a family who went through some shit. The guy, Jeff Bauman, became the face of the Boston Marathon bombing after a picture of his rescue from the scene landed on the front pages of newspapers across the world. He was hunched in a wheelchair and dazed, which is precisely how Jake Gyllenhaal portrays him in Stronger.
What makes Stronger different from other schmaltzy, rah-rah Americana movies is that while itâs about the marathon bombing, itâs not really about the marathon bombing. The moment of the blast isnât hyped up for drama. It happens off to the side, and itâs peopleâs reactions to the tragedy that are in focus. Whole scenes are shot in close-up of a single characterâs face, which feels intensely personal to the point of becoming intrusive. Itâs an effective trick, since Bauman was a man struggling with his own recoveryâhe lost both legsâwhile also being claimed as the symbolic victim of a national tragedy.
Gyllenhaal does his very best acting here, which is... okay. Tatiana Maslany as Erin, Baumanâs estranged, exhausted girlfriend, is the one to watch. (If youâre not already obsessed with her from Orphan Black, itâs time to get on board.) Stronger only drifts into self-congratulatory territory a couple of times. The rest of the timeâwhen itâs just the story of a guy and his familyâitâs great. Even if it does feel soon.