When Mark Wahlberg and Peter Berg's Patriots Day opened last year it was expected to be a major awards contender, or at least a box office success. Instead the Boston Marathon drama only earned $48M overall, and that was with a very impressive ensemble of A-listers. That probably doesn't bode well for Stronger, a second film based on the bombing, even though it tells a slightly different story.
Directed by David Gordon Green and starring Jake Gyllenhaal, the focus isn't on the massive manhunt to catch the bombers. Instead it's on Jeff Bauman, a racer in the 2013 Boston Marathon who lost his legs in the attack, but still played a role in capturing the culprits. Tatiana Maslany, Miranda Richardson, and Clancy Brown co-star. Here's the synopsis:
Jeff Bauman woke up on Tuesday, April 16th 2013 and he had no legs.
Just thirty hours prior, Jeff was surrounded by revelry at the finish line of the 2013 Boston Marathon. The first bomb went off at his feet as he awaited his girlfriend’s finish. When Jeff awoke days later from hours of surgery, rather than take stock of his now completely altered life, Jeff ripped out his breathing tube and tried to speak. He couldn’t. Jeff asked for a pad and paper and he wrote down seven words, “Saw the guy. Looked right at me,” setting off one of the biggest manhunts in the country’s history and beginning his own brave road to recovery.
In his memoir, Jeff will inspire millions by writing about his experiences that early spring day and his ongoing mission to walk again. Jeff will show the terrorists that they accomplished nothing with their act of cowardice and prove to the entire world what Boston Strong really means.
It's always possible the personal story could work in Stronger's favor. Roadside Attractions will be hoping that's the case when the film opens September 22nd.
