The aftermath at Laurel Street at Dexter Avenue after the Watertown Police faced the Boston Marathon Bombers.
Town Manager Michael Driscoll announced that plans recreate the Watertown Shootout on the same streets that the incident occurred have been scrapped.
Driscoll sent out the announcement Friday afternoon:
“Upon further reflection, filming the recreation of the Watertown Shootout when police encountered the Boston Marathon Bombers at the intersection of Dexter Avenue and Laurel Street is not in the best interest of Watertown.
Therefore, CBS Films will proceed with identifying another location to film the Shootout outside of the Town of Watertown.”
The announcement came after a week of emotional responses by many residents about re-enacting the firefight between Watertown Police and the Tsarnaev brothers on April 19, 2013.
CBS Films had met with residents of Laurel Street to discuss plans, but the meeting held on Feb. 12 did not include other nearby residents. Many reacted negatively to the idea, but others wanted to honor first responders with a faithful recreation of the events.
The film stars Mark Wahlberg, and CBS Films announced this week that Oscar winner J.K. Simmons would portray Watertown Police Sgt. Jeffrey Pugliese.
Seriously??
TMD: Exactly my response when I read this. What a bunch of coddled hot house flowers. It is history folks, and no more than a fake reenactment of the event. You already know how it ends. Get over it.
They were probably upset because the people on Laurel and Dexter were going to be compensated and they weren’t.
A chance for Watertown to show it’s pride out the window. Watertown truly has become Cambridge West. I guess they will find another suburb that is willing to allow the story of our Watertown heroes to be filmed.
Are you serious???…. We the folks of Watertown as survivors can integrate our dissociated traumatic experience into an acknowledged memory and …encounter the lifelike trauma through this movie….I “Watertown Strong” am filled with pride on how our WPD didn’t “let them get away” & saved a lot of lives…
Well said.
It had nothing to do with compensation.
It was just that we didn’t want to be doubly traumatized. CBS was going to be filming until early morning, but assured that gunshots and explosions would end at midnight.
There will be children within hearing distance. Children who heard the original happen.
And keep in mind that I live 2 blocks from the intersection that the shootout took place, and I was not given a flyer.
Not a story to be glorified in a movie.
Fiction is one thing,
reenacting this true story and stirring up this terrorizing event ISN’T what I would want to see.
Didn’t go see the Bulger movie either.
Good for the people of Watertown to say No.
The problem though is that there is no guarantee of an honest retelling of the story. This is a commercial product, and as such will likely be highly fictionalized to make a good story. I would rather see a probing documentary–a real piece of historical work done–than some schlocky made for TV movie.
Wahlberg’s participation almost guarantees crap.
Perhaps you are not familiar with PTSD? Many residents were profoundly affected by the events that unfolded in their front, back & side yards. Have some compassion.
I think it would be good for Watertown to show what they went through and the brave responders, putting their life’s on the line for the town of Watertown. I would be proud to show what happened in a movie.
Larry
Have you experiences PTSD, lost sleep, nightmares or the experiences of parenting a child whose home was barged in on by swat team after you were woken up by explosions and gunfire ? Oh and then asked to stay in your room for a few days as they look for the bad guy ? Its not an event that happened and went away, it still lingers daily for those families on that street. Thanks for posting your rock brain comments.
Six years in the Marine Corps in the 60’s. Some in Southeast Asia, some in the Caribbean during the Missile Crisis, lots of tense times. Not counting the Watertown event with an army of first responders just down the street from my front door and a patrol car parked in front of it. Get a grip.
As a resident of Watertown who experienced the difficult events, I am heartened and relieved to know that we will not have to “re-live” the gunfire and explosion, even knowing it is a movie set. To subject the toddlers and children in the neighborhood, as well as the adults, is unconscionable. Thank you, to the sensible people, who brought about this change of action. Surely, a set can be made in Hollywood or otherwise to accurately depict what the producers wish to convey.
A wise decision. Now if they could just deep six the film, we’d all be in better shape.
At its best, the film will reinforce the culture of fear, which is tormenting our society and truncating hopes and possibilities. At its worst – and most likely – it will be one more building block toward the police-state culture – informal or otherwise – that the extreme right has been building since 9-11 (and before – recall Hoover’s Secuirty Index, Nixon’s law & order, enemies list, encouragement of hard hat assaults.)
Recall, too, that our Watertown Town Council has yet to find the backbone to demand the town police inform them – and us – of the number of immigrants they have detained for ICE.
Im actually bothered that this was even an issue with the residents. Now, it will in fact be just another bullshit story, thats not authentic at all….. the older the person, the more their PTSD kicks in. The younger generation thinks its fine… and I am right there with them. I think its ridiculous that it was made such an issue. I weep for my daughter in her later years, and only hope that she is as resilient as Ive taught her to be. Simply disgusted.
To have it played out on the same streets and then at the end of the movie everyone would line up on Mt. Auburn St. would have been great! Now it will be acted out in another town?!?!? That sucks!!! #nottruetownies
I work with the children of Watertown and am also a resident.
As an educator in WPS we have been dealing with the PTSD since the incident, and it is way too soon to have a reenactment in the same neighborhood.
If this filming had been proposed 10 or more years from now, and the town had included the neighboring streets’ residents in the discussion, this filming would have been met with open arms.
There are many adults who can live through this kind of trauma and bounce back, but to force anything like this on our people, even if the adverse are the minority, is not right. To comment negatively about these people, who probably speak for the children who have no voice, is unkind. We are not THAT here in Watertown. We take care of each other and those who can not speak for themselves. Right?
It was one night/day 3 years ago. We should all scrape off ” Watertown Strong” stickers on our cars. I hope they change their minds. Otherwise, this looks bad for our town. Just saying.
I am absolutely certain this is the RIGHT decision. Thank you so much, Watertown, for standing up to Hollywood, and thank you Town Council for listening.
Listen I understand all the trauma and PTSD but the movie is going to be made weather you like it or not and some other town and some other resident will benefit.To Bad
what will benefit?
I guess all those “Watertown Strong” stickers have faded.
my understanding is that they just don’t want to use the streets but want to move into some of the houses and move people out during the filming. this is asking a lot. also the man on Franklin Street has seen lost his wife to cancer and is grieving and just wants to be left alone. Walhberg is trying to make this his own because he is from Boston but he wasn’t even here.As a Watertown residentI think it was right to let the residents have their say.
i meant to write since lost his wife