Film Review: Obama's Campaign Documentary
Friday, March 16, 2012
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Roger Sherman is a producer, director, cinematographer, and still photographer. His documentaries have been honored with a host of accolades, including a Peabody Award, an Emmy Award, and two Academy Award nominations.
The Road We’ve Travelled, the Obama campaign film released Thursday night, opens by jumping us back to election night and the days immediately following.
“What do we remember in November of 2008?” Tom Hanks asks in his narration? “Was it this moment?” We see images of cheering, adoring crowds and the Obama family basking in the election win glow. “Or this.” We’re shown economic panic on Wall Street. A powerful opening.
Davis Guggenheim, the director, is saying to Americans: in case you forgot, because no one’s talking about it now, the Democratic administration inherited an economy in a tailspin and two wars. In a pretty powerful way administration insiders bring us behind the scenes and recount what they faced right out of the box. This is done without narration for the most part, which is very effective.
When, in quick succession, Rahm Emanuel tells us the auto industry was days away from economic collapse, and David Axelrod describes a trifecta of looming economic disasters presented to the president by his top economic advisors, it gets your attention. When Obama himself tells us his mother couldn’t pay for her cancer treatment, followed by Michelle Obama saying her death “could have been prevented,” we don’t have to be reminded that the administration is telling us Republicans are fighting hard against the administration’s health care initiatives.
And, when Joe Biden takes us into the Situation Room and recounts when President Obama asked each of his top secretaries what their advice was about going after Osama Bin Laden, and their responses are all very measured, it’s impossible not to feel the burden of being the President of the United States. “He’s all alone,” Biden says.
The Republicans, of course, will not agree. But this film is not made for them. It’s aimed squarely at independents and undecided voters. It’s saying to them: look how hamstrung we were when we took office. And, look at our successes in the midst of out-of-control Washington gridlock. Remember that in November.
As a campaign film I think it’s successful. Allowing the people who were there to tell their own stories works, and seventeen minutes is just about the right length. The story doesn’t bog down.
The campaign film made for Obama’s first term, called American Stories, American Solutions, ran almost a half-hour - far too long. The narration in The Road We’ve Travelled could have been omitted, in my opinion, for most of the film. It’s a bit over0written at times and takes some of the impact away from some scenes. At the end, when the narrator quickly recaps Obama’s successes, without going into deep detail, it does it’s job. But then you can’t make a film with narration only at the end.
Comments [14]
So this is what all the non-stop fund raising hath wrought as we fast approach 16 trillion in debt and the gradual decline of the nation under this President?
Can't wait to see how that movie will end.
It's very moved of seeing the road that have passed. It's not only archievement for the America, but also is archievement for the world as well, under the Obama presidency.
We should be realistic and should remember Obama was not the one to make America's economic run down; instead of appriciate and contribute our part towards the recovery and progress road to help The President Obama accomplish more for the good WILL.
It's a very well made of a real,moved and inspired resume. Very good to watch.
I saw the film March 15 at the opening of Obama's campaign headquarters in LA.
Hundreds of people were there waiting in an around the block line to get in. Loved the film. It showed not only Obama's successes but the difficulties he faces given the state of the country and world.
The facts are the facts; good representative narrative.
It is tiresome to constantly read the words "liberal", "leftist", "elitist". In the end, it is citizen helping citizen to succeed. Those words are hollow adjectives
I can't even watch it...if Hollywood would even remotely pretend to be even-handed I might..but this is simply more of the same. Bash film after bash film against the GOP and zero investigating the Dems. The only film made about a recent Dem was "The Man from Plains", a love-fest over Jimmy Carter. You can buy the soundtrack at the JC Library in Atlanta. Nothing about Clinton or Johnson..and only glowing myopics about Kennedy and FDR. Meanwhile we get "W", "Nixon", "The Reagans" (two of these starring Josh Brolin"...give me a break.
And old saying goes, "History is our teacher." Based on the comments thus far, it appears this "Teacher" wonders, "what kinds of students are we."
Based on comments thus far, all history - recorded - or not - would be classified as 'propaganda.'
Facts are facts. Like em or not. Kindly remember another old saying, "What goes around, comes around." I PRAY anyone BASHING ANY LEADER - remembers this when they get more of the same-old same old!
This is absolute propaganda . And the people for the most part see through it . This is a Michael Moore style " documentary " . This country still has mostly intelligent people at the helm and will vote him out in november . What a looser .
A fine piece of liberal propaganda from the leftist elite in Hollywood. A propaganda piece from the land of make believe about the make believe president, Barack Hussein Obama, the man who sat in a racist hate church for 20 years, hobnobbed with leftist radicals his whole life, only to be scrubbed clean by the bleeding hearted liberal media for the liberal public's consumption.
Not fooled here. Remember, this is a "president" who couldn't even get anything done when he had a super majority in Congress, when the evil Republicans couldn't do a thing to stop him. Yet, even though they were powerless to stop him, it was still their fault that he was incompetent.
And, if you listen to this slanted and hopelessly biased drivel from the leftist Hollywood elite, it is STILL the Republicans' fault that Obama is incompetent. What a joke.
Why not get nitwits from Hollywood to help the bumb out.It makes perfect sence to me.Its all smoke and mirrors in Hollywood.Just as it is with Obama and his White House.
"And, look at our successes in the midst of out-of-control Washington gridlock." Am I missing something or did the President not have a lop-sided "rubber stamp" Congress during his first two years? And that the gross partisan excesses of the President and Legislators cost the Democrats that Congress?
But, yes, our trillion dollar Hollywood industry has done itself proud in trying to select our President ... again. Coupled with gigantic campaign fund raising and the Republicans shooting themselves in the foot, if someone other than the President wins in November, we will know for sure the guy is good and the voters really, really wanted him.
The sappiest piece of work i've seen in awhile. And quite a waste of money seeing that Mitt Romney is going to be the next President.
The many freedoms the Republican's talk about eliminating (like medicare, planned parenthood etc.) the Republican party must have a death wish come November.
How in the world can you guys call this a documentary? This film is just propaganda, and made to raise big $$$'S.
Blue smoke and mirrors - Just like Obama. I voted for him the first time. I will not vote for him again. I can't remember feeling so let down by any other President.
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