Now four years removed, Hollywood studios are looking back at the Boston Marathon bombing that killed three people and wounded hundreds—leaving more than a dozen innocent people with missing limbs. In 2016, Mark Wahlberg's Patriots Day followed the bombing and subsequent manhunt from the perspective of a Boston police officer.
But this year's Stronger takes a more intimate approach. Jake Gyllenhaal plays real life Boston Marathon bombing survivor Jeff Bauman, a man standing near the finish line who lost both his legs in the attack. Rather than turn the events into an action drama as Wahlberg's film did, this one focuses on Bauman's recovery and becoming a beacon of strength after an act of terror. The first trailer shows his life before the attack with his then-girlfriend Erin Hurley (played by Tatiana Maslany) and his life afterward after he struggles to mentally and physically cope with his injury. Even this trailer is tough to watch—with a glimpse at what already looks like an Oscar-worthy performance from Gyllenhaal.
Adding to the sense of community, Stronger is written by Boston local John Pollono. The movie, directed by David Gordon Green, is out on September 22.
