YMMV / Richard Jewell

• Don't Shoot the Message: As some have pointed out, the film's valid statements about the dangers of spreading false information about someone are a bit undercut by how the movie falsely portrays Kathy Scruggs as sleeping with an FBI agent and getting information from him for her stories.
• Franchise Original Sin: For all the hay that is made over the notorious Historical Villain Upgrade given to Kathy Scruggs in this movie, Clint Eastwood had previously gotten away with a similar such upgrade to the National Transport Safety Board in Sully. But while Sully did receive criticism for its treatment of the NTSB, the vilification was still comparatively easy to tolerate since it was applied to an organization in general as opposed to any specific individuals, many of the NTSB workers who'd actually been involved in the Real Life investigation of US Airways Flight 1549 that Sully was based on were still alive and around to offer their side of the story, and their portrayal was at least consistent within the film's narrative. The same, however, could not be said for Richard Jewell's vilification of Kathy Scruggs, for not only was she a very specific person, but she'd already long since passed away and was unable to defend her side of the story. And furthermore, her portrayal in the film as an Immoral Journalist who actively seduces and sleeps with FBI agents for information, something there is absolutely zero evidence for in reality, ruined the film's intended message of how the media can manipulate and falsify information for the sake of slandering individuals and made it come across as hypocritical due to the aforementioned fabrication against Scruggs herself.
• Funny Moments: The film's mostly serious but it does have a few bits of comic relief.
  • During one of the FBI's visits to Richard's home, Watson instructs Richard not to say a word to the agents. He breaks it almost immediately (he doesn't say anything incriminating but he still broke the rules), causing a Death Glare from Watson.
  • When Watson asks Richard if there are any guns in the house, and Richard says that yes, because they're in Georgia.
• Hilarious in Hindsight: At the time of the events depicted, Jay Leno joked that Jewell bore an uncanny resemblance to Shawn Eckardt, the man hired by Tonya Harding to attack Nancy Kerrigan. Prior to being cast as Jewell, Paul Walter Hauser played that man in I, Tonya.
• Iron Woobie: Jewell, who did a good deed only to be scrutinized by the FBI and everyone when there was no evidence to prove he planted the bomb. And even with that, he maintains a strong but still idealistic view of law enforcement. At least until the end when he asks the Armor-Piercing Question to the FBI anyway.
• Moment of Awesome: In the end, after being furiously yelled at by Shaw (who's still insisting he put the bomb in the Park, despite every single piece of evidence proving otherwise), Jewell finally asks if they have any evidence to charge him with, all while pointing out the Skewed Priorities of how pathetic the FBI are in focusing on just him when they should've focused on finding the actual bomber and invoking fear into those like him into preventing more attacks. It leaves Shaw stunned and Jewell promptly leaves afterwards with Watson knowing that they've won.
• Overshadowed by Controversy: The film portrays Atlanta Journal-Constitution reporter Kathy Scruggs as sleeping with FBI agents to get her stories, which there is zero evidence for. It came across as especially questionable as she’s no longer alive to defend herself, and Olivia Wilde didn’t help matters much with a statement that completely ignored the main issue being raised, and even seemed to not be aware she was a real person. The Atlanta Journal-Constitution quickly threatened a lawsuit unless a disclaimer about this was added. Wilde also quickly changed her tune after her comments got serious backlash, saying that as the child of two journalists she'd never want to unfairly malign the profession and she doesn't believe the real Scruggs ever did it, not having any control over that aspect of the film. And even Jewell's own lawyer from the lawsuits weighed in that it was wrong to posthumously slander her.
• What Do You Mean, It's Not Political?: The cast and crew said the movie was meant to be apolitical, but considering the well-known conservative views of Clint Eastwood, it's not hard to look at the story of an innocent man hounded and framed by the media and the FBI and see an allegory for Donald Trump, who has claimed to be in the same position. The fact that the real-life bomber, who also targeted lesbian bars and abortion clinics, isn't even mentioned (aside from an extremely brief scene at the very end where Watson delivers the news to Jewell that the FBI found the real bomber), doesn't help matters. However, it does become somewhat more ambiguous with the knowledge that Eastwood declined to support Trump in 2020.
• The Woobie:
  • Richard Jewell himself. Although he is more of a Stoic Woobie until the end when he finally bursts in tears.
  • Bobi Jewell.
  • Alice Hawthorne. A victim of the bombing dying next to her daughter.

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