Was All The Hollywood Filming At The Boston Marathon Too Much?

I’ve gone back and forth about this a million times and I’m quite sure I’ll never come to an actual conclusion myself, but I’ve seen a lot of people talking about this and here’s what I’ve got: seeing Wahlberg filming at the finish line absolutely gave me an uneasy feeling. The optics of it all aren’t right and I don’t think that’s up for debate, like I’m sure Wahlberg himself even thought “Ehhh I’m not crazy about this” while filming. I’m sure he too felt awkward walking the marathon finish line beat while he played pretend. If he didn’t then he’s got a screw loose.

But after thinking about it a bit, I think it’s ok? If you hate the idea of a movie as a whole, then that’s fine, you probably hate this too. But if you’re gonna see the movie then I guess you just have to accept the fact that there are some shots that will be uncomfortable to get but will play better than if they were filmed in a studio?

In a way, I lump all the media together. When I saw the video of Patrick Downes and his wife, Jessica Kensky, yesterday my first thought was Wow that is beautiful.

My next thought was “Hey, you vultures, get the cameras out of their faces and let them have this.” But in the end, having that moment preserved to share was worth it? Having embraces like this one captured and shared is an important aspect of the marathon, it always has been and they’re even more important now.

I think the Hollywood aspect of it is on a comparable level. Yes, the gut reaction is absolutely that they’re cashing in on tragedy and poaching what used to be an exclusively local event. I totally admit that the look and feel is just off. But when all is said and done I think it will provide a more believable and authentic feel? Plus, I don’t think that Wahlberg’s presence really took away from the event at all. Far more people were talking about the stories that matter like Marc Fucarile, Patrick Downes, and Adrianne Haslet than were talking about Mark Wahlberg or Gyllenhaal.