PAGE 16 THE GREEN WAVE GAZETTE
Movie Review : " Patriots Day " Pride and Perseverance vs Terror and Hate
“ Saunders ' strong headed attitude and smart remarks portray a classic Bostonian , and make him a very relatable character .”
- Samantha Johnson ‘ 20
Samantha Johnson ‘ 20 Contributor
“ Patriots Day ” hit theaters in January and definitely lived up to its pre-release hype . The movie details the horrific events of April 15 , 2013 , the day the Boston Marathon was bombed . Many people that live in the Boston area can claim some type of personal connection to that day , so the opening was eagerly awaited .
“ Patriots Day ” shows the audience the lives of those who were affected by this act of terrorism , including the victims , the police officers and the bombers . The movie begins during the morning of the marathon , and ends when Dzhokhar " Jahar " Tsarnaev ( Alex Wolff ) is arrested . It is an action packed race against time as the Boston Police Department hunts down the Tsarnaevs before they can plant bombs in New York . It closes with David Ortiz ' s heartfelt speech to the people of Boston , and the real victims describing their emotions since the day of the bombing . Director Peter Berg beautifully captures the emotions felt throughout the northeast that fateful week .
According to the Patriot Ledger , production designer Tom Duffield took great care in producing accurate sets that were
Book Review : “ Half Brother ”
identical to the Boylston Street finish line and Laurel Street in Watertown sites . The sets were created in Weymouth ' s very own Union Point . Duffield ' s efforts paid off greatly as the untrained eye could not spot a difference between the movie scenes and the streets of Boston .
Berg intertwined real video footage of the Tsarnaevs with fictional shots . This unique style of filmmaking made the movie all the more compelling . Costume designer Virginia Johnson matched the outfits of the cast exactly to that of the people in the real-life footage . Berg ' s decision to include real video arouses emotion in the audience that hasn ' t been felt since the bombing .
Mark Wahlberg stars as Sergeant Tommy Saunders . While Saunders is a fictional character , he represents all of the brave men and women on the task force . Wahlberg , a Massachusetts native , delivers an emotional performance . The audience can feel his love for the city . Saunders ' strong headed attitude and smart remarks portray a classic Bostonian , and make him a very relatable character .
Wahlberg dedicated himself to the role in order to tastefully portray the event .
Competing for love with a chimpanzee
According to Foxsports . com , he met with current Boston police commissioner Bill Evans and Carlos Arredondo , a citizen who helped saved lives on Boylston Street immediately following the bombing . Wahlberg also met with the family of Martin Richards and made sure that their request not to be in the movie was carried out . Wahlberg ’ s commitment to his role made his character very convincing .
" Patriots Day " also includes John Goodman as Boston Police Commissioner Ed Davis , Jake Picking as slain officer Sean Collier , Rachel Brosnahan as Jessica Kensky , J . K . Simmons as Sergeant Jeffrey Pugliese and Kevin Bacon as Special Agent Richard DesLauriers .
The movie ' s ending is a tearjerker . The victims ’ tales of going from hopeless to hopeful is humbling . The inclusion of Big Papi ' s words for the people of Boston gives a sense of pride and perseverance making the audience ' s heart swell .
While some believed that the movie was filmed too soon after the tragedy , it was done artfully and with respect . The movie perfectly depicts the people of Boston and their never quit personalities . This is a must-see movie .
Book Cover ( Scholastic )
Lauren Baker-Tubbs ‘ 20 Contributor
“ Half-Brother ,” a novel by Kenneth Oppel , deals with issues of love , family , and devotion . Ben is an only child until the age of 13 , when his scientist parents decide to raise a baby chimp named Zan , while teaching it American Sign Language ( ASL ).
The book is narrated by Ben , the teenage boy who is surprised by the change that recently affected his life . The narration is in first person which helps the audience see into Ben ’ s mind , giving readers a front row seat on his adventure . Because Ben narrates the story , his opinion always seems to be the right one , unlike in third-person narration that shows the points of view of all characters . However , Ben ’ s first-person narration adds a level of believability , and his dry humor proves to be quite witty , keeping the laughter alive throughout the story .
Published in 2010 by Scholastic , “ Half Brother ” is easy to read and connect with . A relatable relationship in the book was that between Ben and his father , who is one of Ben ’ s main frustrations in the story , just like parents can be the frustrations of many teens today . In Ben ’ s eyes , his father is the enemy , moving his family to a weird new town in Canada , and bringing home a chimpanzee to seemingly “ replace ” his son . Ben sees his father as a heartless scientist looking for results .
Love is an important topic in the book , as Ben wants to feel love from his father . Lots of teenagers can relate to this struggle , wanting to be accepted by their parents , creating a recognizable conflict for the book , allowing teens to connect to the story .
“ Half-Brother ” pulls at the reader ’ s heartstrings as Zan the chimpanzee learns more ASL . There are also silly family centered scenes like a birthday party and a cookout that let the reader see Ben beginning to change his view of Zan . Closer to the end of the story , decisions are made regarding Zan , creating some heart wrenching scenes .
“ Half-Brother ” is a great 375-page book for teens that conveys a powerful message about love and the bond between siblings , even bonds in less