Ben Bradlee Movies
The scandals and achievements of the United States President who oversaw school integration and the historic Moon Landing before resigning due to his involvement in the Watergate scandal are investigated in a comprehensive documentary exploring the life and career of Richard Milhous Nixon. The 37th President of the United States, Richard M. Nixon was an enigmatic man whose remarkable legacy forever altered the landscape of American politics. While some view him as a hero, others view him as one of the most reprehensible politicians ever to achieve top office. In addition to supervising the establishment of the DEA and EPA, Nixon also played a key role in opening up China to the West. Now, exhaustive research, detailed interviews, newly released White House recordings, home movies shot by Nixon staffers, and the daily recordings of Chief of Staff H.R. Haldeman provide unparalleled insight into the manner in which the president's contempt and distrust of his own staff ultimately led to his spectacular downfall. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- 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, All Movie Guide
The Queen Mother of all dirty words (as it was once described by Jean Shepherd) is examined through all its linguistic, sociological, legal, and ethical implications in this documentary. Filmmaker Steven Anderson interviews dozens of people about the history and function of "the F word," including language historians who have a hard time nailing down its origin, writers (including Hunter S. Thompson and Ben Bradlee) who talk about its role in literature and press freedom, comedians (among them Drew Carey, Janeane Garofalo, and Billy Connolly) who ponder its frequent presence in hipster humor, pop musicians (such as Ice-T, Pat Boone, and Alanis Morissette) who offer their theories about its role in contemporary culture, and social critics (including Michael Medved and Dennis Prager) who believe its currency is taking America into a dangerous place. F*ck also includes footage of famous figures caught using the word unexpectedly and animated sequences by Bill Plympton. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- 2000
In the film The American President: Compromise Choices, the world of politics seems to deal with compromises more often than not. Frequently, a better and more qualified candidate is passed over in favor of a lesser known and less controversial person. While the one may prove to be a more decisive leader of the country, the other would be inoffensive to the voting public. Two presidents who found themselves elevated to the White House based on their lack of negative aspects were Franklin Pierce and Warren Harding, whose terms demonstrated the absence of strong leadership. But James Garfield and Gerald Ford rose to the responsibilities of their office and put in strong showings. ~ Alice Day, All Movie Guide
