The Director's Series: Clint Eastwood, No. 5


Throughout 2025 I'm turning my focus to Directors. They help craft the vision on screen that makes a movie work. This year I'm looking at five favorite films from 18 directors I admire and 10 films directed by different women that I have enjoyed. Join me Fridays and Saturdays throughout 2025 as we take this journey.

Richard Jewell (2019)
Starring: Paul Walter Hauser, Sam Rockwell, and Jon Hamm
Director: Clint Eastwood
About: Eastwood has had a long and varied career. He made his name as a star at first and later moved into directing. He's been prolific at both and has crafted some very engaging films. Narrowing it down to a top five was interesting. This film follows the security guard who was accused of planting the bomb at the 1996 Olympics in Atlanta. The film includes that sequence and all that followed. It's an interesting story that hasn't been often explored. Kathy Bates is quite good here in a supporting role and this film was more interesting and surprising than expected. It's a great example of how Eastwood can take simple stories and do them in a way that they stick with you. That's why this one just slides on to the list for me.

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