"Patriots Day" Is An Excellent Retelling Of The Boston Marathon Bombing
DETROIT (WWJ) - "Patriots Day" is not just the name of this extraordinary new movie. For people who aren't familiar with it, "Patriots Day" is a holiday in Boston, which commemorates the first battles of the Revolutionary War. And, every year on the third Monday in April, the entire city comes out for the Boston Marathon, and the city's beloved Red Sox play at Fenway Park.
But on April 15, 2013, things were very different. That's when two domestic terrorists set off a series of bombs along the parade route, killing three people and injuring 264. Following the attack, a special task force consisting of more than a thousand members was mobilized to reconstruct the bombing scene, analyze all of the evidence, interview witnesses and follow up on thousands of leads.
The movie "Patriots Day" chronicles the chain of events and shows the amazing response and cooperation among the investigators and members of the community who wanted to see the crime solved. The movie shows how the investigators zeroed in on the two suspects who were ultimately tracked down in the city of Watertown: Tamerlan Tsarnaev, who was fatally wounded in a fierce battle with law enforcement officers, and his younger brother Dzhokhar, who was captured the following night while hiding under a boat tarp in a resident's backyard.
Boston-area native Mark Wahlberg stars as Police Sergeant Tommy Saunders. While many of the characters in "Patriots Day" are based on actual people, Wahlberg's character is a composite of several police officers and first responders. His character is central to the story, representing how determined the members of law enforcement were to track down the suspects, and his performance is compelling, emotional and compassionate.
Joining Wahlberg in co-starring roles are Kevin Bacon, John Goodman, J.K. Simmons and Michelle Monaghan, who portrays Carol Saunders, the wife of Wahlberg's character.
This movie is not just an excellent retelling of the events that transpired on "Patriots Day," it also tells the untold story and shows how so many people – from those whose job it is to save lives for a living to ordinary citizens – all came together on that fateful day to show the world that love conquers all.
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