When you make a movie about any sort of national disaster, especially one still so far in the forefront of the American consciousness as the 2013 Boston marathon bombings, it’s important to treat the film’s subjects with respect. You can’t sacrifice the truth just to put in some fictional drama, and director Peter Berg knows this, opting instead to involve as many people as possible in Patriots Day who were there on the day of the bombings. A new featurette, which came out today, shows how Berg and his associates, along with the film’s stars, did everything they could to provide a sense of authenticity to the film.

It’s clear that Berg and Mark Wahlberg have a good working relationship by now, as they’ve worked together before on a number of films all about people overcoming disasters. Now that Wahlberg is going back to his Bostonian roots, it’s even more imperative for him to “get it right,” as the featurette indicates. Producer Michael Radnutzky even says, “He felt a deep obligation to make sure that the movie treated this city with respect.”

No matter how close to true events they stick, there’s a good chance that the film will probably fudge a few things just for the sake of story structure. That’s just what happens. But it’s great to see Berg and Wahlberg and co. doing everything they can to satisfy those who were actually there that day.

Patriots Day opens in theaters December 21.

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