The population of the United States has an increasingly difficult time agreeing on anything in an election year, but there is one standard catch phrase both sides seem to agree on every four years: this is the most important election of your lifetime. Such a statement seems to hold more water when terrorists continue to run amok unchecked and the economy is in the toilet.
But if absolutist statements are your bag, there is one even more defensible: Movies will affect this election more than any other in history.
Yes, I said it, movies. After Michael Moore demonstrated that documentary and propaganda are not mutually exclusive genres (and perhaps should not be), an endless stream of releases offered varying levels of analysis of the candidates and their supporters.
When “Fahrenheit 9/11” opened, critics and pundits alike gasped out one breathless question — what if a movie could influence, even decide, a presidential election?
No chances were taken. So, among others, we saw the release of “Outfoxed,” the true story of Fox News, “Control Room,” the true story of Al-Jazeera network, “Unfit for Command,” the true story of how Democratic challenger Sen. John Kerry lacks character, and “Going Upriver,” the true story of how Kerry’s heroics in the Mekong Delta show strong character.
Both candidates chose film clips as their introductions at their respective party’s nominating conventions. Win, lose or “that little-known third category,” as Al Gore says, both sides will admit film has impacted the 2004 race like never before.
With the presidential debate sessions whirling all around us in the next few weeks like golden leaves on Library Mall, it will be hard not to think about the personal choices of the candidates.
In recent interviews, President Bush has said his favorite film ever is “Field of Dreams.” Kerry, in his trademark verbosity, rattled off a list including “Giant,” “Scaramouche,” “Blues Brothers,” “Animal House” and “Old School.”
Bush’s choice of “Field of Dreams” is about a man who hears voices telling him to embark on a huge mission that, in the end, leads to a bunch of ghosts showing up and playing baseball. Similarly, Bush believes god spoke to him and told him to embark on the huge mission of running the country.
As general partner of the Texas Rangers from 1989 to 1994, baseball was a major part of Bush’s life. When Kevin Costner completes his mysterious mission, a bunch of ghosts show up to play baseball. Bush’s mission has created enough ghosts to form more than 100 phantom ball clubs.
Bush likely visualizes himself in a more roughneck role. Following the first presidential debate, many pundits compared Bush’s short answers and terse phrasing to John Wayne one-liners. Bush is fond of recounting the time Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi compared him to a spaghetti western hero.
“His favorite movie was Gary Cooper in ‘High Noon,'” Bush said at an address in April. “One time he walked up to me and said, ‘You like Cooper.’ I said, ‘I’m like Cooper?’ He said, ‘Yes.’ I finally figured out what he meant.”
Kerry mentions the old-timey “Scaramouche,” which is about a man with two lovers who becomes a politician in order to duel with his arch-enemy and support the little people. Easy parallels are drawn to a certain senator from Massachusetts, who was forlorn after the dissolution of his first marriage. After being revitalized by finding a second wife in a wicked awesome heiress, Kerry now battles an incumbent for the presidency.
The plot of “Giant” centers on a Texas rancher Bick Benedict, who marries Leslie, a Maryland rancher’s daughter. The story follows their family and its rivalry with cowboy and oil tycoon Jett Rink for two generations.
Was Kerry being coy? His favorite movie is the story of an underdog and his wife battling a cowboy-oil tycoon. Is this ringing any bells?
Bush and Kerry disagree about most things, but it seems like they could reach an accord on the bottom half of Kerry’s list.
Kerry has said he likes to doze on the campaign trail while watching “Blues Brothers.” While Kerry might love the blue-collar cross-country energy, Bush wouldn’t object to Dan Aykroyd’s catch phrase “We’re on a mission from God.”
Much more has been made of Bush’s collegiate partying so it seems odd Kerry was the one to choose frat farces “Old School” and “Animal House.”
Let’s take the lessons of “Old School” back to Yale in the late 1960s. It’s not hard to imagine Kerry at debate club — “What happened? I blacked out. That’s how you do it, that’s how you debate!” — or Bush at the beer bong — “Do it again! It tastes so good when it hits your lips!”
When you step up to the ballot box this November, remember “Fahrenheit” isn’t the only movie that can teach us about the candidates.
—David Steinhaus contributed to this column
