Page 30 - ARUBA TODAY

A30 PEOPLE/ARTS
Wednesday 20 september
‘Stronger’ spawns a friendship

for Gyllenhaal and Bauman

By JAKE COYLE nect with a wide world of wear a Yankees hat, but I
AP Film Writer amputees, war veterans am a Sox fan.
TORONTO (AP) — As the and other sufferers trying Jeff: He doesn’t wear a
cast and makers of “Stron- to get by. One memorable Yankees hat around me.
ger” collectively rose to scene, taken from a real Jake: That’s true.
take a bow after the film’s experience, shows Bau- Jeff (derisively): He’s a War-
Toronto International Film man mobbed at Fenway riors fan.
Festival premiere, Jake Gyl- and listening to story after Jake: Easy.
In this Sept. 10, 2017 photo, Jake Gyllenhaal, left, poses for por- lenhaal realized that Jeff story. They’ve been inseparable
trait with Boston Marathon bombing survivor Jeff Bauman dur- Bauman, whom he plays “There’s so much love while strolling down red
ing the Toronto International Film Festival in Toronto. Gyllenhaal in the film and who wears coming at Jeff,” says Gyl- carpets and promoting
portrays Bauman in the film “Stronger.” prosthetic legs, was still sit- lenhaal. “People line up “Stronger.”
ting, overwhelmed with — they really do — to talk ‘’I’m like his shadow,” said
emotion. to him. They’re like: ‘This Gyllenhaal. Last week, they
“Jake was like, ‘Get up!’” thing happened to me,’ showed the film to patients
said Bauman. “And I stood ‘That thing happened to and staff at the Spauld-
up.” me.’ We are not alone in ing Rehabilitation Hospital,
“As soon as he got up, ev- all that, and that’s what his where Bauman worked on
eryone else stood up,” said story says.” his recovery and where
Gyllenhaal. “I realized: This Meeting for an interview at they filmed scenes for the
movie just showed them a Toronto hotel shortly after movie.
everything he went through the film’s festival premiere, In Toronto, Bauman was
just for that moment. I’ve the close bond between pleased to see a photo
never had an experience Gyllenhaal and Bauman caption misidentifying him
like that making a movie.” was plainly evident. In the as his fiction-film doppel-
“Stronger,” directed by Da- two and a half years since ganger. He plans to frame
vid Gordon Green, is the they began working on the it and give it to Jake.
kind of movie that holds as movie together, they’ve But in the time they’ve been
much drama off the screen gotten to know each other making “Stronger” (Gyllen-
as on it. The movie chroni- well through Gyllenhaal’s haal is also a producer),
cles Bauman’s struggles af- regular trips up to Boston to both say Bauman has dra-
ter the bomb explosion tore spend time with Bauman matically grown. He’s now
through his legs while wait- and study how he moves 15 months sober and study-
ing by the finish line of the physically. Bauman came ing engineering in college.
2013 Boston Marathon. He to New York to see Gyllen- Working at Costco at the
was there to greet his on- haal on Broadway. time of the bombing, Bau-
again, off-again girlfriend, They threw out the first pitch man now hopes to work for
Erin Hurley, who had previ- at Fenway Park together. a prosthetics company. He
ously chided Jeff for never “Since we first met, I think also moved out of his moth-
“showing up.” he’s a totally different per- er’s apartment and into his
“Stronger,” based on Bau- son now,” Gyllenhaal says. own place.
man’s 2014 memoir, is an “Particularly in the past Gyllenhaal considers it the
undoubtedly inspiring story, year, since getting sober. I film’s biggest accomplish-
but maybe not in the way think he’s been much more ment.
you’d expect. Honest, pain- open. “I took my hand off the
ful and funny, it avoids the When we first met, trying to pause button,” says Bau-
familiar Hollywood beats learn about him and figure man. “I had my life on
for a more truthful tale of out what was going on was pause. You get stuck, es-
personal growth. “The big a little harder. And now I pecially when you’re drink-
moments of our lives don’t feel like I know him better ing and isolating. I started
happen in a close-up,” than even when I played homing in on what I want-
says Gyllenhaal. the role.” ed to do as a person. Just
“Stronger” captures Bau- “Bromance” is a term that try to grow up.”
man, now 31, recalibrating has often been applied to When Gyllenhaal first met
his life after the tragedy, their relationship, but Gyl- Bauman, he was struggling
still struggling with relation- lenhaal, 36, is more like an to adjust to the prosthetic
ship and drinking problems encouraging older brother. legs. Now, he confidently
that predated the bomb- He’s helped Bauman goes up and down stairs,
ing and chafing at the role through hard times (he unaided. Bauman, still re-
cast upon him as a heroic and Hurley, previously mar- luctant to take any credit,
symbol of “Boston Strong.” ried and with a three-year- praises the technology. But
Bauman instead saw him- old daughter, Nora, have Gyllenhaal prods him, still
self merely, he says, as: separated) and gamely trying to get Bauman to
“Just a dude with no legs.” accepts Bauman’s playful take some credit.
Bauman’s modesty re- chiding — like his question- “I wish you could stand
mains, but he’s also come ing the depth of the New where I stand when you
to terms with being some- York-based Gyllenhaal’s walk through,” Gyllenhaal
one who gives hope to Red Sox fandom. says, “and people just go,
others, who can now con- Jake: I am a Sox fan. I just ‘F---ing awesome.’”q