Al Franken Movies
Comedy writer, author, and occasional actor Al Franken was one of the first alumni of the NBC network sketch comedy institution Saturday Night Live (1975) and spent most of his career closely associated with the series and its byproducts. He is also the author of the best-selling book Rush Limbaugh Is a Big Fat Idiot. On television, he starred in the NBC sitcom Lateline (1997-1999).Franken started out as a standup comedian in high school. While attending Harvard, he attempted to get onto the staff of the Harvard Lampoon but was rejected. Later, he teamed up with his former high school classmate Tom Davis and toured the country as a standup comedy duo. They were spotted by Canadian producer Lorne Michaels, who at the time was trying to put together a Monty Pythonesque sketch comedy show for American audiences. He hired them in 1975, as both writers and performers. As writers, Franken and Davis distinguished themselves with their outrageously funny sketches. Franken's recurring segment "Al Franken Decade" was one of his popular creations. They remained with the show until Lorne Michaels departed in 1980.
The unemployed duo penned many comedy screenplays together, but most went unproduced. One More Saturday Night (1986) was an exception, but it bombed at the box office. Not long after that, Franken and Davis returned to Saturday Night Live. Around this time, Franken created one of his most memorable and enduring characters, Stuart Smalley, an unlicensed 12-step therapist. A quiet, gentle man whose motto was "I'm good enough, I'm smart enough and doggone it, people like me," Smalley hosted a show in which guests would come on to share their problems and learn to feel better about themselves. Later, Franken later expanded the recurring sketch into the feature film Stuart Saves His Family (1995). Franken then hit the jackpot with his scathing written attack on Limbaugh and other rightwing radicals. The success of the book helped Franken land his own sitcom, Lateline. In 2004 he was the first star to sign on as host of a program on the nascent Air America Radio, and four years later he won the 2008 U.S. Senate seat for Minnesota in a disputed race.
~ Sandra Brennan, Rovi
- 2008
In an era where partisan politics seems to have split America right down the middle and political debate can grow so heated that most folks choose to avoid the topic altogether, filmmaker Kelly Nyuks travels from coast to coast in order to find out why political discourse regarding public affairs has become so disconnected. What does it mean for the future of our country when we can't even discuss our political differences in a civil manner anymore, and who has the authority to say what's truly "right" or "wrong" anyway when it comes to such hot button issues as abortion and gay marriage. In the run-up to the November, 2008 presidential elections, Nyuks attempts to answer all of these questions and more by interviewing such noted political commentators as Tucker Carlson, Noam Chomsky, Jesse Jackson, and Robert Putnam, and engaging people all across the country in a constructive dialogue about politics in general, and the potentially destructive effects that political partisanship has had on American society as a whole. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi
- 2006
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Barry Goldwater was among the most controversial figures in American politics in the 1960s. A hard-line fiscal conservative and an outspoken supporter of the war in Vietnam, Goldwater was elected to the U.S. Congress as a senator from Arizona in 1952, and he helped galvanize the Republican party, leading the way for a bolder brand of conservative politics that many have cited as the first steps to the election of Ronald Reagan as president and the new wave of conservative thought that followed, despite Goldwater's own infamous defeat when he ran for president opposite Lyndon Johnson. However, while Goldwater was regarded as a spokesman of the far right, his political views were far broader than his reputation would suggest -- he frequently supported civil rights and environmental legislation in Congress, he was an outspoken opponent of the influence of Christian activists in politics, and his positions took an a more libertarian stance as the Republican party moved farther to the right in the 1980s. (He also once called Richard M. Nixon "the most dishonest individual I have ever met.") Goldwater also earned a reputation for his sharp sense of humor and his unflinching honesty. Barry Goldwater's granddaughter C.C. Goldwater produced the documentary Mr. Conservative: Goldwater on Goldwater, in which home movies, archival interviews, newsreel footage, and conversations with Goldwater's friends, relatives, and colleagues come together to create a portrait of the public and private sides of this complicated man. Among those interviewed in the film are Walter Cronkite, Hillary Clinton, Helen Thomas, George Will, Sandra Day O'Connor, Ben Bradlee, Julian Bond, and Al Franken. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi
The documentary Al Franken: God Spoke follows the comedian-turned-pundit as he goes about his daily business. Through the course of the film, Franken discusses his transformation from comedy to politics, and discusses his ambitions. Franken also takes every opportunity to jab at his political opponents in the right wing. ~ Perry Seibert, Rovi
- Starring:
- Al Franken
- 2005
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Saturday Night Live: Lost and Found - SNL in the '80s documents a turbulent decade for the long-running sketch comedy show. The eighties began without creator Lorne Michales at the helm, but still produced Eddie Murphy. By the middle of the decade Michaels returned, but his first season back was a bumpy one for both fans and critics. This program features famous skits by a number of popular performers including Dana Carvey, Jon Lovitz, and Phil Hartman. ~ Perry Seibert, Rovi
- Starring:
- Phil Hartman, Billy Crystal, (more)
Experience the turbulent rise of America's first all-liberal radio network firsthand as documentary filmmakers Patrick Farrelly and Kate O'Callaghan follow the progression of Air America Radio from conception to the airwaves through interviews with such key figures as Al Franken, Randi Rhodes, Mark Walsh, and Evan Cohen. When a group of investors chose to challenge the conservative standards of talk radio by launching a liberal radio network in early 2004, few could see the monumental struggles that lay ahead. Despite the financial, creative, and logistical challenges that nearly sunk the entire endeavor, Air America Radio beat the odds by going live on March 31, 2004. As the presidential race between George W. Bush and John Kerry heated up, the struggle to sustain Air America Radio in the middle of a political firestorm gave testament to the tenacity and undying vision of those willing to put their livelihood on the line to ensure the public a quality alternative to the conservative viewpoints of such outspoken Republican media figures as Rush Limbaugh and Bill O"Reilly. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi
- 2004
Many political writers and comedians have gotten laughs from quoting the malapropisms and misstatements of the 43rd President of the United States, George W. Bush. He committed these verbal gaffes often enough that many have been collected in the film George W. Bushisms, which combines footage of these errors with satirical comments and short films. Al Franken and Garry Trudeau are among the comics who contributed to the finished film. ~ Perry Seibert, Rovi
- 2004
This deeply critical and often humorous documentary opens with President George W. Bush's acceptance of the 2000 Republican nomination and Bush's assertion that each U.S. president must be fully responsible for his actions. It then moves forward in time to examine the extent to which Bush failed to live up to this oath, via eviscerating commentary from numerous left-wing spokespeople including Arianna Huffington, Michael Moore, Bill Maher, Al Franken, and others. Peter Coyote narrates. ~ Nathan Southern, Rovi
- 2004
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While the Fox News cable network has promoted itself as a "fair and balanced" news outlet -- so much so that they've even trademarked the phrase -- not everyone believes that they're living up to their slogan, and this activist documentary by filmmaker Robert Greenwald takes a close look at the political perspective of Fox's coverage. Outfoxed: Rupert Murdoch's War on Journalism examines the right-wing slant of Fox News' reporting, as represented in stories the network chooses to cover and their shoehorning of editorial opinion into stories, revealed in interviews with former Fox employees and several noted journalists (including Walter Cronkite) who discuss the pro-conservative, anti-Democratic views of the channel's management and how they're manifested in their programming. The film also puts talk show host Bill O'Reilly under the microscope and offers potent examples of his frequently abrasive interviewing style. Production of Outfoxed was supported in part by the leftist political action network Moveon.org. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi
- Starring:
- Douglas Cheek
- 1998
This just in: Nightline meets The Mary Tyler Moore Show in Lateline, an ensemble TV sitcom about a late-night news-and-issues series with a show-within-a-show format, incorporating real-life guests and using digital time updates and video to contrast "on-air" scenes with the filmed footage of the main story. Al Freundlich (Al Franken) is a correspondent on the latenight Lateline, a series headed by the somewhat sinister executive producer Vic Karp (Miguel Ferrer), with the help of sharp producer Gale Ingersoll (Megyn Price), assistant Mona (Catherine Lloyd Burns), witty guest booker Briana (Sanaa Lathan), intern Raji (Ajay Naidu), and anchorman Pearce McKenzie (Robert Foxworth). Al Franken (Saturday Night Live) and John Markus (Cosby Show) are the creators and executive producers, with Andy Ackerman (Seinfeld) producing and directing. Variety praised Lateline as "sly, edgy, spirited, charmingly cynical and populated by a bevy of lovable eccentrics who don't treat a punch line like a medicine ball." Premiered March 17, 1998 on NBC. ~ Bhob Stewart, Rovi
- Starring:
- Al Franken, Robert Foxworth, (more)
Originally aired on HBO and directed by Apollo 13 star and space enthusiast Tom Hanks, among others, From the Earth to the Moon explores the ups and downs of space travel, beginning with President Kennedy's famous speech before Congress on May 25, 1961, and chronicling the journey to putting the first man on the moon. This highly acclaimed, Emmy-nominated, 12-episode series is available in a six-tape VHS set and a four-disc DVD set. ~ Tracie Cooper, Rovi
- Starring:
- David Andrews, Bryan Cranston, (more)
- 1997
While organizing a roast for Larry (Garry Shandling), Norman (David Paymer) invites Dana Carvey, Bill Maher, Jon Stewart, and Al Franken to take their best shot at the self-absorbed talk-show host. When Artie (Rip Torn) invites Carl Reiner to host instead of Hank (Jeffrey Tambor), the sensitive sidekick retaliates by practicing his heckler defense skills and inviting an unexpected guest. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi
An entrepreneurial bachelor and his loyal best friend strike out on their own to live it up in the Hamptons in directors Sam Sokolow and Rob Lobl's all-star comedy featuring Josh Lucas, Bob Balaban, Al Franken, Ally Sheedy, Teri Garr, and Roy Scheider. Eric Traber (Lucas) has just been fired from his job. As if that wasn't enough to get a guy feeling blue, his roommates have compounded his woes by voting him out of the household. Soon joining up with best bud Ziggy Sinclair (Jeffrey Beuhl), the pair decide to leave New York City behind and travel to the Hamptons to see how the other half lives. Though Eric hopes to win over the lavish estate that his deceased father had willed to his estranged stepmother, getting the keys to the million-dollar home won't be as easy as he thinks. As Eric and Ziggy's manic quest to realize the American Dream reaches a fever pitch, they soon realize that getting to the top can literally be murder. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi
Al Franken brings his Saturday Night Live character Stuart Smalley to the big screen in this unexpectedly downbeat comedy about a man desperately trying to overcome his dysfunctional upbringing. Stuart hosts a TV show on public access TV in which he offers bits of New Age wisdom on self-help, often incorporating his trademark affirmation, "I'm good enough, I'm smart enough, and doggone it, people like me!" Too bad Stuart's advice doesn't work so well for himself; he barely supports himself as a waiter, his self-esteem is shaky at best, and his family is dominated by depressive alcoholics sunk in denial (for all his quirks, Stuart is the only Smalley willing to admit he has a problem). One day, Stuart's friend Julia (Laura San Giacomo) tells him that a cable network is looking for programming, and suggests he should pitch his show to them. Soon Stuart has a nationwide audience and is actually able to support himself, but that's small comfort when his family falls into another crisis. By turns a goofy comedy and a serious look at a dysfunctional family, Stuart Saves His Family does feature a few strong dramatic performances by Laura San Giacomo, Vincent D'Onofrio and Shirley Knight, and a distinctive comic turn by Julia Sweeney as a guest on Stuart's show. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi
- Starring:
- Al Franken, Laura San Giacomo, (more)
A dramatic treatment of a family torn apart by alcoholism and recovering from it, this was a star vehicle for popular actress Meg Ryan, who plays Alice Green, a school counselor who has a serious drinking problem. Her husband is Michael (Andy Garcia), an airline pilot. Though she's lighthearted and loving, Alice is often reckless and, when drunk, even neglects her children, nine-year-old daughter Jess (Tina Majorino) from a previous marriage, and four-year-old daughter Casey (Mae Whitman), whose father is Michael. After an accident, Alice realizes that she has "hit bottom" and goes into a clinic for rehab. When she returns home, she has kicked her addiction and has become independent and strong, and her perfectionist, controlling husband has trouble adjusting. Michael is used to his wife being weak and helpless, and they end up seeing a marriage counselor to recover from Michael's "co-dependency" on Alice's role as an alcoholic. ~ Michael Betzold, Rovi
- Starring:
- Andy Garcia, Meg Ryan, (more)
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