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Journeys With George (Documentary, 2003) Wikipedia, Metacritic (48) Rotten Tomatoes (80), IMDB Starring: George W. Bush, Alexandra Pelosi, (full list) Written, Directed and Produced by: Alexandra Pelosi  Journeys With George is a documentary of then Governor George W. Bush's campaign for president in 2000. While it isn't quite a full biopic, it does provide a lot of depth to the character of the soon to be president. How the movie's revelations are received is almost certainly an insight into the viewer's own political biases. A Bush critic is almost certain to point out the president's seemingly careless attitude toward the “little people.” A more sympathetic viewer will be delighted at Bush's humor and charm. Filmmaker Alexandra Pelosi, daughter of Democratic Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi, is no stranger to the charm offensive herself, using it to elicit frank and open responses from Bush as well as much of his staff. For example: Bush and Pelosi on voting As much as the documentary says about Bush as a politician, it might even say more about the irrelevancy of the national campaign, which is repetitive, cynical, and largely disconnected from what makes a good president. Pelosi builds a narrative from more than just Bush quotes. Houston Chronicle reporter R. G. Ratcliffe might be the most cynical man alive, condemning the whole process as a pointless fraud. Other reporters and political operatives like Carl Rove also make an appearance. Despite the criticisms, the film clearly has an upbeat tone. The admittedly liberal and intellectual Pelosi says that in many ways, Bush, his staff and the other reporters have become a second family. Viewers even see Bush, the obvious father figure, delivering a cake to Pelosi on her 30th birthday. Initially, there were some criticisms about the ethics surrounding the documentary. The White House originally condemned the film, until they realized that had prompted more people to become interested in seeing it, at which point they reversed their position. This is probably the last truly intimate campaign film we'll ever see. For a political film buff, it's absolutely essential. 4/5 More: Pelosi on Making Journeys With George More on Making Journeys With George
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Nov 22, 2010 06:19
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Probably the best insight into how Bush became president and in general campaign politics I've seen. Dynamic between W. and Pelosi is great, pretty cool how close she got to him. 5/5 Not because it's my favorite movie ever or even favorite documentary but because it does exactly what it set out to do.
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Oct 29, 2011 06:10
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