With it being the 4th of July, I thought a great theme for this week's This Weekend's Film Festival would be America — the good, the bad and the ugly. Once I had my theme lots of ideas and sub-themes came to mind. It's a ripe area to explore and I will definitely be visiting it again sometime. However, the lineup I have come up with captures the American spirit though politics and sports. I truly feel that American holidays celebrating America should be a time for us to not only wave flags and remember that we are lucky to be Americans, but also to reflect on the bad and the ugly parts of what being an American means to us as well as the rest of the world. This week's five films address some of our shortcomings as well as our triumphs.
I decided to start off with the ugly. When I was thinking of films that represented the ugly of America, it was WACO: THE RULES OF ENGAGEMENT that first came to mind and never left. Many hear WACO and instantly think of David Koresh and his Branch Davidians. Cult also springs to mind along with cache of guns, ATF assault, child brides, murder-suicide. It's the dark side of American freedoms. But all those ideas are only the surface story; the tale that people pick up in sound bites during the nightly news. William Gazecki's powerful documentary uncovers the other ideas that should be associated with the tragedy at Waco — government abuse of power, religious paranoia, political slaughter. You will not view the Waco disaster in the same way after seeing this film. The same can be said about the U.S. government. Find out more about this haunting documentary in my original review.
Saturday's lineup tackles the bad side of our political system. The American political system is truly an amazing accomplishment. However, as time goes by, governments get corrupt and the system breaks down. Greed and power rule. Winning the game gets in the way of doing what is right. MR. SMITH GOES TO WASHINGTON and PRIMARY COLORS represent this crossroads where doing good collides with greed. It's both the bad and the good together. How can one have a film lineup about America and not have a Frank Capra film on it? MR. SMITH GOES TO WASHINGTON is a classic, which puts a naïve man, who loves his country's ideals, into the corrupt political machine where he must find a way to win the game and still do good. Jimmy Stewart is perfect as the title character. He is one of the icons of American cinema. MR. SMITH is a shining example of what this entire lineup is for — it holds hope in the principles of America, but it's not naïve to the problems. You can find out why in my original review.
PRIMARY COLORS is a modern political masterpiece. It chronicles the primary campaign of a Democratic candidate for president. Though the candidate is clearly based on Bill Clinton, this film is not about ideology, but about the political process. John Travolta plays Jack Stanton, an honest and good-hearted politician who wants to do good, but begins to feel the pressure of the political game and teeters on the moral line. Will he do right or do wrong? What is right and wrong? Can you still believe in a politician if they do wrong as a way to ultimately do right? These are the ideas the film addresses in an intelligent and hilarious way. Amazing performances combined with stellar writing make this film unforgettable. And don't forget to check out my original review to learn more about this modern classic.
What better represents America than the American Dream? The idea that anyone can come from anywhere and, with hard work, accomplish their dreams. Another part of America is sports. We're obsessed with them. So the "good" section of the lineup deals with the fulfillment of the American Dream though underdog sports flicks. This opening film is the surefire tearjerker — RUDY. This is a film that can make the toughest male's lower lip quiver. Daniel “Rudy” Ruettiger was small for a football player and his grades were sub-par, but that didn't stop him from reaching for his dream, which was to play football for Notre Dame. What director David Anspaugh's film does so well is truly capture the precipice in which Rudy had to overcome. Emotionally we feel how difficult his goal is and it is inspiring. Football has replaced baseball as the American sport and RUDY is the best film about football. Find out more in my original review.
Well, the closing night film is ROCKY. One of the best sports movies ever made. But it's not sports that make this film great; it's the characters. Rocky is a lovable loser. The kind of guy who many people wish they could be. The kind of guy who when he finally gets his big break, gives it his best. This film also represents a healing time for America. It came out in 1976 when the U.S. was celebrating its bicentennial and the American people were still reeling from Watergate and the Vietnam War. It won the Oscar over the better, but more cynical, film, NETWORK. It was a shot in the arm of hope that people connected with. But the film isn't all flags and apple pie. It addresses the commercialism of American society as well. In some ways, Rocky represents the working stiff that triumphs over the greedy establishment. It shows the good and the bad too. Read a more in-depth look at this classic here.
It's wonderful to take a day to celebrate our freedom. Hopefully, this lineup of films will not only be entertaining, but enlightening too. A nation is only as good as its people make it. If we hide our eyes to the bad and the ugly then we will inevitably lose the good. So it's time to strike up the barbeque, help out you fellow man and update your rental queue, hit the rental store or check out Zap2It.com. Not necessarily in that order.
Rick DeMott
Animation World Network
Creator of Rick's Flicks Picks
