HOW IN THE WORLD DID WE GET HERE?? American Politics and Film
Four Hollywood movies and one independent documentary will track some of the key changes that made our national politics what they are today. Each film looks critically at forces and methods, from changes in how we nominate candidates for President—Mike Nichols and Elaine May’s Primary Colors—to the role of media and manipulation—Barry Levinson’s Wag the Dog—to charisma and demagoguery—Warren Beatty’s Bulworth and Tim Robbins’ Bob Roberts. Finally, a vibrant documentary—Rachel Lear’s Knock Down the House—shows a grassroots antidote to media-driven, patriarchal politics in the campaigns of four women, including Alexandra Ocasio Cortez in New York and Cori Bush in St. Louis.
Michael Krasner, political science professor emeritus and long-time political activist, designed this series to provide an entertaining framework for political analysis, and will introduce each film and then lead in-depth discussions after each showing.
Four Hollywood movies and one independent documentary will track some of the key changes that made our national politics what they are today. Each film looks critically at forces and methods, from changes in how we nominate candidates for President—Mike Nichols and Elaine May’s Primary Colors—to the role of media and manipulation—Barry Levinson’s Wag the Dog—to charisma and demagoguery—Warren Beatty’s Bulworth and Tim Robbins’ Bob Roberts. Finally, a vibrant documentary—Rachel Lear’s Knock Down the House—shows a grassroots antidote to media-driven, patriarchal politics in the campaigns of four women, including Alexandra Ocasio Cortez in New York and Cori Bush in St. Louis.
Michael Krasner, political science professor emeritus and long-time political activist, designed this series to provide an entertaining framework for political analysis, and will introduce each film and then lead in-depth discussions after each showing.
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Primary Colors (1998)
Tue Sep 24th 7:00pm A man joins the political campaign of a smooth-operator candidate for President of the United States of America. This film illustrates the candidate-centered (“modern”) system of presidential nominations that replaced the system ruled by party bosses. |
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Wag the Dog (1997)
Thu Oct 3rd 7:00pm A comedy about truth, justice, and other special effects. The methods for creating an “alternate reality” are presented in the context of a presidential election. |
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Bulworth (1998)
Tue Oct 8th 7:00pm A suicidally disillusioned liberal politician puts a contract out on himself and takes the opportunity to be bluntly honest with his voters by affecting the rhythms and speech of hip-hop music and culture. A public hungry for authenticity responds strongly, foreshadowing recent developments. |
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Bob Roberts (1992)
Tue Oct 15th 7:00pm A conservative folk singer turns his hand to politics, running for the US Senate. He is not above dirty tricks and smear campaigns to gain an advantage over his opponent. Many of the messages that have resonated powerfully in our time are presciently previewed here. |
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Knock Down the House (2019)
Tue Oct 22nd 7:00pm Go behind the scenes as four determined women -- including Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez -- challenge big-money politicians in the 2018 race for Congress. The possibilities and problems of genuine grassroots campaigns are movingly outlined. |
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Election Night Watch Party
Tue Nov 5th 8:00pm-?? Join us at Next Stage to watch the results of Election 2024 unfold. The bar will be open. |
All screenings and discussions will take place at Next Stage Arts, 15 Kimball Hill, Putney
This series is co-presented with The Taft Institute for Government and Civic Education.
This series is co-presented with The Taft Institute for Government and Civic Education.
