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…
It’s not unusual for politicians to incorporate famous movie lines into their speeches. Arnold Schwarzenegger frequently peppered his campaign speeches with his well-known quips, particularly “Hasta la vista, baby.” Ronald Reagan often invoked his famous role as George Gipp in “Knute Rockne, All American,” perhaps most memorably at the 1988 Republican Convention when he told…
Here at Reel Change, we’re thrilled to present to you this exclusive video of Solicitor General Donald Verrilli making his opening statement in support of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) at the U.S. Supreme Court. Verrilli’s performance during the second day of oral arguments was widely panned, and some are suggesting that his lack of poise and preparedness…
In a counter-intuitive but headline-grabbing piece of casting, it has been reported that Jane Fonda will play First Lady Nancy Reagan in an upcoming film. “The Butler,” a script written by Lee Daniels (“Precious”) and Danny Strong (“Game Change”), tells the true story of Eugene Allen, a White House butler who served seven Presidents from Harry…
After a massive campaign by the film’s producers that included celebrity support and a Change.org petition signed by more than 500,000 people, the MPAA has still refused to lower the rating of “Bully,” a documentary that follows the lives of five families who have been the victim of bullying, to PG-13. The film, which will…
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