Politics isn’t just about government. It’s also about how we function as a society – who we lift up, who we tear down, and for what reasons. These collective impulses certainly shape our legislation, but they also shape our lives in more insidious ways that have nothing to do with “politics.” With that in mind,…
For a society that places so much emphasis on celebrity, it is kind of surprising that in the century or so that movies have been our most popular art form, we have only elected a handful of movie stars to public office. I suspect the reason for this is one that only raises more questions:…
UPDATE (5/10/12): It was announced today that Alan Rickman will be playing Reagan in “The Butler.” A very odd, terrible choice, but not nearly as terrible as who will be playing JFK. It was recently announced that liberal activist Jane Fonda will play former first lady Nancy Reagan in “The Butler,” an upcoming film that…
Last week, supporters of health care reform may have seen their hopes and dreams go up in flames. Solicitor General Donald B. Verrilli Jr., tasked with defending the Affordable Care Act (ACA) in front of the U.S. Supreme Court, gave a rambling, cough-filled, nervous opening statement that brought to mind Woody Allen without the jokes.…
For years, “Cinderella” has been the fairy tale movie producers turn to when looking for a quick adaptation and an easy buck. There have been countless by-the-book adaptations but even more versions loosely adapted to fit a different milieu while maintaining the story’s popular, pre-feminist sensibility. In fact, it seems that a near-majority of modern…
This is the first in a series of posts about “Movies that Matter.” In this space, I will analyze movies that have influenced public policy and discuss the techniques used by the filmmakers to create that impact. First up, Oliver Stone’s “JFK.” In the acclaimed 2005 documentary, “Why We Fight,” the filmmakers open and close…
Last week, we counted down the Top 5 Most (Secretly) Conservative Movies of All-Time. When I started thinking about the list, I was as shocked as you were to see some of my favorite movie stars in such conservative movies. Does this mean that the actors, writers, and directors involved in those movies are really…
On Friday, Geraldo Rivera ignited a firestorm when he took to the airwaves to defend the actions of George Zimmerman, a community watch captain who shot Trayvon Martin, an unarmed 17-year-old man, in what he claims was self-defense. Rivera defended Zimmerman on the grounds that Martin was wearing clothing associated with gang activity, and if…
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