Robert Greenwald Movies

This documentary tells the story of a handful of whistleblowers who saw corruption happening in their government, and exposed the situation to the media. Though people who perform this service are supposed to be protected by the law, the filmmakers crystallize how these brave souls have faced numerous unexpected hindrances for doing what they believed was the right thing. ~ Perry Seibert, Rovi

While the U.S.'s 2001 invasion of Afghanistan was seen as an imperative after the attacks of 9/11, the ongoing conflict has seen a massive drop in public support and a questioning of whether military force can solve the struggling nation's social, political, and economic problems. This documentary from filmmaker Robert Greenwald (Uncovered: The War on Iraq) calls for a de-escalation of the war in Afghanistan in favor of non-military solutions and makes its case through rarely seen news footage and interviews with foreign-policy experts such as Andrew Bacevich, Stephen Kinzer, and Tariq Ali. ~ Sandra Bencic, Rovi

In 1984, Tom DeLay was first elected to Congress as a Republican representative from Sugar Land, TX. DeLay wasted little time making his presence known in the House of Representatives, and earned the nickname "the Hammer" for his forceful style of insuring his GOP colleagues voted as party leaders wanted, and for his habit of making life difficult for those who opposed him. DeLay became the House Majority Leader in 2002, and made no secret of his opposition to many major government programs (he said it was his goal to eliminate the Department of Education, the Environmental Protection Agency, and the Department of Energy, among other things) and his support of big business. A large number of major corporations courted DeLay's support, and DeLay did not forget those who helped him. However, DeLay's desire to help his wealthy associates led to a major scandal in 2005 when he was indicted by a grand jury in Texas, led by district attorney Ronnie Earle, on charges of criminal conspiracy to violate election laws after the discovery of evidence linking DeLay to money laundering and diverting illegal political contributions to his PACs. The Big Buy: Tom DeLay's Stolen Congress is an activist documentary which examines DeLay's rise to power, his controversial style and methods, Earle's campaign against him, and the struggle to remove corporate influence from Congress. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi

Wal-Mart has become one of America's most successful retail chains by offering everyday goods at low prices for working families. But just how is Wal-Mart able to charge less than many of their rivals, and what has their success done for their employees? Documentary filmmaker Robert Greenwald takes a look inside the discount retailer's empire in Wal-Mart: The High Cost of Low Price, and discovers a company short on scruples and long on shabby treatment of the people who work for them. Through interviews with labor experts and former Wal-Mart employees, Greenwald documents the firm's anti-union tactics, their history of paying wages often below the poverty line, the high price they charge for health benefits (employees are often encouraged to apply for government subsidized health care programs instead), their methods for driving away locally owned businesses, their practice of hiring illegal aliens for cleanup crews at a fraction of minimum wage, the abysmal working conditions and pay in the Third World plants where much of Wal-Mart's goods are manufactured, and more. Wal-Mart: The High Cost of Low Price is one in a series of muckraking documentaries from director Greenwald which includes the films Outfoxed: Rupert Murdoch's War on Journalism, Uncovered: The War in Iraq, and Unconstitutional: The War on Our Civil Liberties. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi

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

In the wake of the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, the United States Congress passed what became known as "The Patriot Act," a package of legislation President George W. Bush and his cabinet claimed was intended to help law enforcement officials take steps to stop terrorism. However, the bill was run through Congress so quickly that very few lawmakers were able to read it before it was passed, and it wasn't long before many Americans began to ask if the act posed a real threat to civil liberties and constitutional freedoms at home. Unconstitutional: The War on Our Civil Liberties is a documentary that takes a close look at the Patriot Act, offers opinions from legal and constitutional scholars about its possible dangers, and features interviews with law-abiding citizens who've run afoul of the broad interpretations and implications of its regulations. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi

This eerie cable-TV movie begins as married couple Jim and Patty (played by one-time L.A. Law costars Harry Hamlin and Susan Dey), accompanied by their children, drive through the Nevada desert in their SUV. Through an unfortunate set of circumstances, the family finds itself marooned in a deserted (and uncharted) town called Weaver. Or is it truly deserted? The spectral images encountered by Jim and Patty may be the spirits of Indians interred in a local burial mound, or they might be the hideously misshapen victims of a botched nuclear test. Whatever the case, it is what the audience doesn't see that induces the goose pimples. Filmed in Australia, Disappearance originally appeared over the TBS cable service on April 21, 2002. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

Independent filmmakers Richard Ray Pérez and Joan Sekler direct the political documentary Unprecedented: The 2000 Presidential Election. Narrated by Peter Coyote, this 50-minute film examines the controversial occurrences in Florida during the 2000 presidential election leading up to the eventual administration of George W. Bush. The filmmakers examine what went wrong before, during, and after the disputed election decision. It explores the topic of voter rolls, ballot design, vote recounting, and the actions of the Supreme Court. ~ Andrea LeVasseur, Rovi

The remarkable life and tragic death of Marilyn Monroe has fascinated film fans for decades, but this two-part TV miniseries, based on a novel by Joyce Carol Oates, takes an unusual approach, using dramatic license (the film announces itself as a work of fiction using the names of real people) to look inside the minds of Monroe and those around her to ponder the circumstances of her rise and fall. Young Norma Jeane Baker (Skye McCole Bartusiak) is raised by single mother Gladys (Patricia Richardson), who is unstable, uncaring, and poorly equipped to deal with the responsibilities of parenthood. As Norma Jeane grows up without a father and with little affection from her mother, she suffers from a poor self-image and craves attention; when she grows into a beautiful young woman who is unusually attractive to men, she falls into a number of romances and a short-lived marriage in search of the approval she needs so desperately. When Norma Jeane (now played by Poppy Montgomery) turns 20, she meets a photographer, Otto (Eric Bogosian), who sees star potential in her beauty. Otto's cheesecake pictures catch the eye of I.E. Shinn (Wallace Shawn), an agent who in turned introduces her to Mr. R (Richard Roxburgh), the head of a movie studio, who offers to make Norma Jeane a star -- if she would be willing to have sex with him. Norma Jeane unenthusiastically agrees, and Mr. R proves good to his word; renamed Marilyn, she becomes an major film star and an international sex symbol. But the adulation proves to be a poor substitute for the love she craves, and as she falls into relationships with any man who treats her with a modicum of respect -- including a famous baseball player (Titus Welliver) and an acclaimed author (Griffin Dunne) -- her life begins to spiral out of control. Blonde also stars Ann-Margret, Kirstie Alley, and Patrick Dempsey; the series first aired May 13 and May 16, 2001, on the CBS television network. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi

By rights, child psychologist Dr. Nina Moss (Mare Winningham) should be pleased and proud that her daughter Beth (Alison Lohman) is a slim, eternally upbeat overachiever. But Nina suspects that all is not well with Beth--and she's right. Desperate to be accepted by her family and friends, and determined to be fully in control of her own destiny, Beth has become bulimic, "binging" and "purging" whenever things threaten to get out of hand in her life--or whenever she gains a single pound beyond her "ideal" weight. The winner of a 2001 Peabody Award, Sharing the Secret originally aired May 10, 2000, on CBS. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

Vocal artist Natalie Cole comments on her own life, beginning with her acclaimed father's singing career and descending into the depths of her heroin addiction. Her story of finally defeating the drug addiction is inspired by the legacy of her father Nat King Cole; through her memory of him, she is able to overcome her own problems. The creation of the album that serves as a tribute to her parental inspiration is also featured in Livin' for Love: The Natalie Cole Story. ~ Sarah Sloboda, Rovi

A young girl stuck in a horrific cycle of familial violence finds the power to build her own future from the place she least suspected in an inspiring tale of friendship and devotion starring Ossie Davis and Della Reese, and directed by Bruce Pittman. For years Jo Ann Foley (Madeline Zima) has suffered under the cruel hand of her ruthless grandfather. A chance meeting with kindly neighbors Honey (Reese) and her husband Too Tall (Davis) finds things looking up, however, as the nurturing couple provides Jo Ann with the support needed to break free of her grandfather's tyrannical grip. As the future lies before her ready to be molded however she sees fit, Jo Ann must now find the courage to let go of the past and seek the redemption needed to start life anew. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi