This Oscar-nominated documentary takes a behind-the-scenes look at Bill Clinton’s 1992 campaign for president. The eventual president is really just a supporting character in the film, which follows campaign leaders James Carville and George Stephanopoulos.
Starting with the Democratic primary, in only 96 minutes, the film shows how campaign staff must deal with minor issues like what signs to have at the Democratic Convention to dealing with sex scandals and draft dodging charges. Making the film that more fascinating is that Carville and Stephanopoulos couldn’t be more different. Carville is a brash and direct, balding man in his late 40s while Stephanopoulos is a handsome man in his early 30s, who has a calmer and more diplomatic style.
We get scenes of Carville rallying the campaign workers, dealing with the press, writing TV ad text and helping with spin when needed. One intriguing scene has Carville obsessing about a news report from Brazil stating that George Bush had campaign material printed in South America. We watch as Carville tries to hunt down clues that might lead to a damning story against their opponent. It’s interesting to see how skeletons are exposed at the campaign level. But it also shows how much time and effort is spent on something that seems so petty in light of larger issues.
In another fascinatingly candid scene, we listen as Stephanopoulos talks with a Ross Perot campaign worker who is uncertain whether to go to the press with a rumor that Clinton fathered a black baby. In a rather firm, but matter-of-fact way, Stephanopoulos tells that the person that it’s an unconfirmed story that will not help his candidate and will only end his career in politics, because everyone will look at him as a scumbag. It’s amazing how Stephanopoulos seems like he’s threatening the worker as well as giving genuine concerned advice at the same time.
Throughout the film, we get a great sense of the passion that all the workers have. In a heartfelt and unguarded scene, Carville is brought to tears when talking to campaign workers only days before the election about how much this campaign has meant to him. Many times this fly-on-the-wall documentary records humorous moments, which mainly come from Carville’s lively personality. In retrospect, the film stands as a wonderful document of history. It’s also an honest portrayal of the many things that must be done to win the presidency.
Rick DeMott
Animation World Network
Creator of Rick's Flicks Picks
