Jake Gyllenhaal and Tatiana Maslany do wonderful work in this disabled drama that tries to do something new despite conventions.
Watching Stronger is interesting, if only because it doesn’t try to fit into the mold established by other disabled narratives. The story of Jeff Bauman (Jake Gyllenhaal), who lost his legs during the 2013 Boston Marathon bombing, is worth telling. But in contrast to other “inspirational disabled narratives” director David Gordon Green and screenwriter John Pollano focus on a flawed man affecting his disability, as opposed to the other way around. Little flips like this, coupled with telling a story from the actual perspective of the disabled person, do a lot towards making Stronger accessible to the able-bodied and the disabled. Coupled alongside two salient performances by its leads, Stronger isn’t the year’s best movie, but it tries something new.
Jeff Bauman is a shiftless layabout trying to get back in the good graces of his ex-girlfriend, Erin (Tatiana Maslany). When he arrives at the Boston Marathon in 2013, he assume this will be a chance to redeem himself. Unfortunately a terrorist’s bomb leaves him battered and lacking both legs. As he recovers Jeff must learn to not only cope with his disability but the flaws he had before.
The disabled narrative feature is well-tread territory in Hollywood, often acting to “inspire” the able-bodied with a tale of perseverance. Stronger tries to go beneath that surface story. Jeff is an average Joe who works at Costco and still lives at home with his mother, Patty (Miranda Richardson). His girlfriend Erin has broken up with him three times and takes him back because of … well, it must be love. Interestingly, despite Gyllenhaal’s boyish good looks — as well as a Boston accent and curly moptop that take some getting used to — there’s no real attempt to make Jeff preternaturally perfect. This helps once the bomb goes off and Jeff becomes the face of “Boston Strong.”
Stronger is at its best when it focuses on Jeff’s role within the media landscape. Similar to The Fighter, Jeff is surrounded by a family of trashy opportunists spearheaded by his mother. He’s quickly asked to wave the flag at a hockey game, go on Oprah, and take pictures with every person he sees. Gyllenhaal conveys Bauman’s inner torment, his PTSD and general depression that sets in after the accident. The tragedy comes in the fact no one sees his pain, except for Erin. Numerous times Jeff asks why everyone labels him a hero. Why is he, out of the countless people wounded that day, “Boston Strong?” The script never provides an answer, but leaves audiences questioning who the media picks out of a tragedy to spotlight. It should make them go further and ask them why certain disabled movies get made.
Gyllenhaal continues to show an ability to craft a fully heartwrenching character, no matter the situation. As Bauman he’s snarky, irritating, angry, and sweet. The film eschews showing us Jeff’s carnage — a scene of his bandages being changed focuses on his anguished face — and focuses on how Jeff deals with living with himself. There’s a shaky foundation for the character established. We meet him as he fails to take his ex’s hints that she’s not into him, but after the tragedy there’s no easy solutions to their relationship created.
As the other half of the relationship, Tatiana Maslany does a lot towards making Jeff someone we want to follow. As Erin she’s uncompromising, with her own set of fully formed morals. What she wants is Jeff to grow up, and that’s something he can do regardless of his disability. Gyllenhaal and Maslany have adorable chemistry, and it’s wonderful that the film isn’t reliant on their mutual twee sensibilities. When the two have a massive argument after a night of Jeff’s heavy drinking, it’s explosive. The script never lets Jeff off the hook for his actions, and it’s unique to see a disabled movie wherein the disabled protagonist isn’t saintly.
The rest of the cast is solid, but it’s all about Maslany and Gyllenhaal. Miranda Richardson takes a cue from Melissa Leo, and in fact many of Patty’s plot points mirror Leo’s in The Fighter. She schemes in the best interest of her son, presumably, and sees herself in competition with Erin.
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Stronger opens the door towards better disabled representation as it removes the need to inspire and instead tell a story. Jake Gyllenhaal and Tatiana Maslany are memorable.