Roger Sherman

Republicans, of course, will not agree with the central premise of this film. But this film is not made for them. It’s aimed squarely at independents and undecided voters. It’s saying...

The biographical campaign film has a long and proud place in U.S. political theater: from 1952's "The Man from Abilene," about Eisenhower, to 1992's "The Man from Hope," about Bill Clinton, these films have become an essential part of the campaign season. They not only try to appeal to voters' political concerns, they also try to cement in their minds an impression of the candidates' personalities.

The Obama campaign released a 17-minute documentary-style film last night called "The Road We've Traveled." It's narrated by Tom Hanks and directed by David Guggenheim, the Oscar-winning director of "An Inconvenient Truth." What does it have to offer, politically and cinematically?

With an increasingly sophisticated crop of small, inexpensive digital cameras — in addition to those built into the tops of computer monitors and cell phones — more people are making movies than ever before. Equally significant, these little vignettes are reaching a greater audience than ever before. But not everyone's filmmaking skills have caught up.

Roger Sherman, a corn enthusiast, documentary filmmaker, and author of the Atlantic's essay "How Did Corn Get So Sweet?", talks about the changing tastes of corn and how his favorite summer vegetable is becoming sweeter but has less flavor.

Are there other fruits and vegetables you've noticed getting sweeter? Do you think there's a backlash to the sugary food trend? Leave your comment here!