‘Patriots Day’ film is perfect for Inauguration Day

Amanda Gonzalez|January 20, 2017

The first great film of 2017 is here, and the nation needs it now, more than ever.

Today Donald Trump was inaugurated as the 45th President of the United States. For those celebrating his official swearing in, a way to extend your patriotic sentiments is by catching the new film “Patriots Day” in theaters.

For those who are saddened by Trump’s presidency, this film will remind you of why you must always be proud to be an American, even today. And if you’ve already started slacking on your New Year’s resolution to exercise daily, this film will make you feel grateful to be alive, able to run and free to hold your loved ones close.

Based on the true events of the 2013 Boston Marathon bombing and consequential, terroristic manhunt, “Patriots Day” revolves fictitiously around Boston police sergeant Tommy Saunders, played by Boston-native Mark Wahlberg. His outspoken, tough character perfectly captures the heartfelt resilience of his beloved city.

The action thriller focuses on the chronological order of events from April 15-20, 2013 and provides insight as to how local police divisions and federal task forces came together to protect the city of Boston from the terrorist brothers and deliver justice for those who were killed. This film also voices unspoken fears, risks, guilt and trauma that law enforcement officers suppress on a daily basis.

Prior to the start of the Boston Marathon, there is an intense 26-second moment of silence honoring the victims of the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting on Dec. 14, 2012. Mundane images of legs and feet performing everyday tasks are emphasized at the beginning. But after the explosions occur near the finish line, there are graphic images of limbs and a lonely running shoe in a pool of blood, which are contributing factors to the film’s R-rating.

Supporting actor Kevin Bacon portrays FBI Special Agent Richard DesLauriers, who led the daunting, real-life task of identifying the terrorists by analyzing over 12,000 pieces of video footage, directing a statewide manhunt and deciding which bombing details to release to the media.

Moreover, Alex Wolff of the Naked Brothers Band effortlessly plays one of the two young Muslim brothers who built the homemade bombs that killed three people, and later fatally shot a Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) university police officer in a failed attempt to steal his gun.

The film’s characters do not rush to judgement when initially investigating the bombings, as to not fuel anti-Muslim behavior in the United States. Using clips from real-life news coverage, security cameras, cellphone videos and witness testimonies, the directors stay as true to the timeline of the Boston Marathon Bombing aftermath as possible.

Without spoiling the ending, the film concludes by echoing patriotic feelings similar to those after 9/11, when former president George W. Bush threw a strong ceremonial first pitch from atop of the pitcher’s mound at Yankee Stadium in New York during the 2001 World Series. In that moment, American citizens – who voted for and against Bush – were all proudly overwhelmed watching their elected leader throw a symbolic perfect strike that embodied the nation’s fortitude and fearlessness.

Since its Jan. 13 debut, “Patriots Day” has reminded Americans that although terrorist attacks are not always preventable, love is the only weapon that can be used to fight back with against hate. A united nation can’t lose. The marathon bombers may have taken lives and limbs, but the city of Boston responded with a camaraderie and courage.