A Brutally Honest And Inspiring Biopic | “Stronger” (2017) Movie Review

Hello people, I am back with a movie review after almost a year!

Today’s film is “Stronger,” helmed by Jake Gyllenhaal as both the titular character and the film’s producer, which is directed by David Gordon Green. Gyllenhaal plays Jeff Bauman, the man who lost both his legs in the 2013 Boston Marathon bombing and the movie’s script is based on the memoir of the same name written by Bauman and Bret Witter.

For those unfamiliar with him, Bauman is one of the survivors of the 2013 Boston Marathon bombing, having been there in support of his then girlfriend, and now wife, Erin (Tatiana Maslany). The movie documents Jeff’s life since his injury and how it affected the people around him — family and strangers alike.

At the onset of the movie, we get a glimpse into Jeff’s relationship with his family, in particular his mother, and also the on-again, off-again relationship with his girlfriend, Erin. He still lived in his mother’s house while working at the deli counter of a Costco at the time of the incident. We also see that Erin loves Jeff but does not like the fact that he doesn’t properly support her.

In hopes of convincing her to get back with him, he turns up at the finish line of the Boston marathon as a show of support. However, just before Erin reaches the finish line, a couple of bombs are detonated by a group of people and Jeff is severely injured. Jeff had become the face of the bombing, due to a heartbreaking photo of him taken just after the bombing, after it had gone viral on the internet.

While America was praying for him, his family and Erin had to face the uncertainty and despair of not knowing if he will be able live and if so, what kind of life that would be. Though the doctors are able to save his life, they are unable to save his legs, amputating them just above the knees. Soon after Jeff wakes up, he identifies the bombers, leading to their arrest, thus molding him as a hero, as people in the U.S. start to see him as the symbol of resilience and inspiration.

Here on begins the real struggle for Jeff, wherein he has to accept and deal with the fact that his life has changed forever. Gyllenhaal, through his terrific performance, has managed to take us into Jeff’s myriad internal struggles — from his efforts trying to grapple with his predicament, to his frustrations at the limitations he now as, the grief over what he lost and his inability to understand why people — including his family — now insist that he is a hero.

Amidst all this trauma, confusion and his well-meaning but chaotic family, Erin understands his pain and becomes his anchor. Maslany’s sensitive and empathetic portrayal of Erin is excellent; she hardly has any dialogue, but her expressions effectively convey every single emotion Erin must have been going through in those fraught circumstances.

However, despite Erin’s efforts, Jeff’s physical, emotional and mental trauma catch up to him and I absolutely appreciate how brutally the filmmakers portrayed that ugly side of recovery as well. The screenplay is earnest and extremely honest, which is what I loved the most about the movie.

Jeff strongly reminded me of Auggie’s character from the 2017’s “Wonder,” when Auggie marvels at the fact that he is given an important award at the end of school year just for having survived a year of school, which according to him, is something every other person in his class has done. Jeff, who is always pondering his unease of being considered a hero for surviving the bomb blast, finally understands why his journey is important to many people and “Stronger” ends on this beautiful and poignant moment.

Green’s treatment of the story greatly works for it. The film is hardly cheesy and the movie never tries to elicit pity for Jeff. Green has perfectly achieved what he aimed for — a refreshingly honest and real portrayal of what it means to recover from trauma. The cinematographer, Sean Bobbitt, has wonderfully captured the small spaces and tight confines of Jeff’s house; Bobbitt, through his camera work, immerses the viewers completely into Jeff’s suddenly cramped world.

“Stronger” only aims to show what a real hero is — a person who has his struggles, but doesn’t shy away from showing himself honestly, good and bad alike. If you ask me if it has done that, my answer is a resounding yes.

My Indian readers can catch this movie in Disney+ Hotstar and I can’t recommend this movie more.

This movie gets 9 out of 10 stars just for its special view of humanity and the power of resilience.