Good political movies to watch before 11/2- "The War Room" & "Bob Roberts"

[Lex]

When you're not phone-banking or canvassing, that is.

"The War Room" is an intense documentary of Clinton's campaign team in the primaries leading up to Clinton's eventual win in 1992. The filmmaker had no idea if Clinton would win or not, and even though you the viewer know, you are still on the edge of your seat.

"Bob Roberts" is a movie where Tim Robbins plays a creepy, right-wing folk-singer turned politician. Lots of wit and satire in this movie and it's both funny and disturbing.

Any other recommendations--well, besides "Farenheit 9/11", of course.

[demokatgurrl]

1. They are classics!

War Room will lift you up and energize you. Bob Roberts is a little close to reality and that kind of bothers me (but it's a good movie).

[9119495]

2. Why do people always forget about Bob Roberts?

It's masterful and it's a timeless indictment of dirty tricks. It is more relevant to day than ever. I saw it twice in the theater in high school and I rent it every few years.

[4morewars]

4. It's a GREAT movie !

We own it, but, it pisses me off ! Especially as it becomes more and more true.

[rndmprsn]

3. War room is the bomb

makes me break out in a big smile everytime i see james carville. his statement that geroge bush is so yesterday that everytime he sees him he thinks of an old beat up calendar is indeed classic!

[bunkerbuster1]

5. Must-see--"The Fog of War"

Brilliant documentary.

[deckerd]

6. Scary thing about Bob Roberts is it came out in 1991

During the reign of Bush I - long before the development of some of the
"exaggerated" right wing behavior featured in the film. I suspect Bob
Roberts was a model training film for Free Republic protest warriors.

[Lex]

12. I don't think they got the irony in the film and took it seriously.

That's just sad, isn't it?

Here's the re-tooled lyrics to "This Land" as sung by the Repuke folksinger "Bob Roberts"

This land is my land.
This land is our land.
Ya gotta be proud to be
In the Land of the Free.
This land was made for us.
This land was made for me.

Some people feel guilty for the bum on the street,
And when they walk past they drop a coin or two.
But I will keep every cent that I earn,
And I hope you will too.
Yes, I hope you will too.

[monchie]

7. Bob Roberts - ahead of its time

When I first saw "Bob Roberts" in, I believe, 1992, during its first run, I thought it was pretty funny but maybe a bit over the top. Now the whole faked assassination attempt bit doesn't seem so...uh...tin-foil-hatty. Heck, maybe Alan Rickman was really playing Karl Rove :-)

I watched it a few months ago, but I'll watch it again before 11/2. And "The War Room" too.

[KharmaTrain]

8. Movies Or Documentaries?

I just suggested my daughter rent "Primary Colors" to get a feel for how things were in '92 compared to today.

Also, Wag The Dog is a strange watch today considering how the Repugnicans tried to use that against Clinton and we're seeing Bunnypants doing exactly what the Dustin Hoffman character in the movie was trying to pull off...did Rove write the screenplay?

[rinsd]

9. About Wag the Dog....

It's based on a book called American Hero in which its Lee Atwaters secret plan and its Bush I with the Gulf War.

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/0345366638/qid=1097601598/sr=8-2/ref=pd_ka_2/103-0400295-9679854?v=glance&s=books&n=507846

Primary Colors is good(though purists here will decry it). The War Room is an excellent documentary. Even Journeys with George has some value.

[monchie]

10. I delayed seeing "Wag the Dog" for a long time.

Judging by the news coverage at the time, I thought it was gonna be a thinly veiled attack on President Clinton, and I was thoroughly sick of the endless, relentless, vicious smear campaign against him.

A liberal friend finally convinced me to rent it, and I was bowled over. The only connection with Clinton was that a sex scandal got the Prez in trouble. (And later I found out that that was actually inspired by something that happened in the Reagan White House.)

Almost immediately, I recognized that the marketing of the phony war, which is really what the movie is all about, was based on the type of things that happened during Poppy Bush's Gulf War.

And then the Iraq War became even more like "Wag the Dog." "Saving Private Jessica" and the phony statue-toppling stunt could've fit right into that movie.

[Emboldened Chimp]

11. Don't forget Primary Colors...

Another great, and underrated, political film.