I’ve enjoyed many Clint Eastwood movies and consider him an excellent director and storyteller. That’s why I’m so disappointed with what he did in his latest movie about Richard Jewell. Movies based on true events are not documentaries and often embellish, omit, synthesize or otherwise distort details, sometimes for dramatic effect, sometimes for time’s sake or other valid reasons. However, any movie that purports to be truth-based should not intentionally accuse real people of misdeeds when there is no evidence of such.
Unfortunately, that’s exactly what Eastwood chose to do to Kathy Scruggs, who was a reporter for the Atlantic Journal-Constitution who covered the Jewell story. The movie depicts her offering sex in exchange for information from an FBI agent. That never happened, and she is no longer alive to defend herself. (The agent involved has a made-up name in the movie. Eastwood used Scruggs’ real name.)
This incident adds nothing of value to the story of Richard Jewell. It’s nothing more than a cheap shot by Eastwood. When asked to defend it, his reply essentially was that nobody can prove that it didn’t happen as depicted in the movie.
I love to watch movies about real events, but this is one that I will probably skip.