In a surprising move, Hollywood appears to have created an unabashedly pro-American, pro-law-enforcement film with Patriots Day. Director Peter Berg’s upcoming film focuses on the courage of police and citizens surrounding the Boston Marathon bombing.
The Hollywood Reporter’s international editor Abid Rahman wrote that the movie starring Lone Survivor actor Mark Wahlberg will recall the horrific events of April 15, 2013, when bombs placed by two Islamic extremists exploded at the Boston Marathon, leaving three dead and 264 injured. The bombing occurred on Patriot’s Day, the Massachusetts state holiday celebrating the first battles of the American Revolution.
The film follows Sergeant Tommy Saunders (Wahlberg) leading up to the attack and the aftermath as police race to find the culprits. Rahman described how the film captures “how amidst the shock and the chaos of the bombing, the community was able to pull together and how law enforcement managed to track down the bombers before they struck again.”
Even the trailer promised an American pro-law enforcement film as the text inspiringly asserted, “Some events test our courage. Some people inspire our strength. And some moments define our spirit.” A slow, piano version of “America the Beautiful” plays in the background.
Besides Wahlberg, the star-studded cast includes Kevin Bacon, Michelle Monaghan and J.K. Simmons. The film premieres in Boston, Los Angeles and New York on December 21, and hits all theaters on January 13.
