Journeys with George

I got to see a screening of this movie at the Newport International Film Festival a few summers ago. The sold out show made it a joy to have a theater full of people laughing at the series of segments captured during his 2000 campaign for President. I got to see the movie for free since I was volunteering my services to the film festival. After the movie, I had to drive the director of Journey's with George to the train station in the nearby town. She was dressed all in purple. From her blouse to her pants and sneakers, she stuck out like a sore thumb that was bruised purple. Like her wardrobe, the movie stuck out amongst the rest of the film screened at the festival. It was a hit amongst its audience and fans of the local republican base in Newport, Rhode Island.

This is an interesting if ultimately disappointing documentary following G.W.Bush's campaign for the presidency. It is filmed entirely by Alexandra Pelosi as a member of press pack on the campaign buses and planes across the US. It is interesting because it shows the scale of the electioneering business and it shows an inside view of Bush. The overall impression one gets is that US elections are mostly about rallies and bus trips. What Bush stands for never comes into the picture. The result is mixed. Initially Bush comes across as a bit of a buffoon, not slow-witted, as he has been portrayed, but cheeky and a bit chauvinistic, like a college prankster. He never takes Pelosi seriously, and wise-cracks his way through all her questions. However, they strike up a rapport and ultimately he is shown to be more of a friend to her than her colleagues in the press corp. Democrats will probably hate this documentary because it doesn't show him to be a dim-wit monster. Karl Rove type Republicans will not like it too much either because Bush certainly does not look presidential. The press comes off worst, portrayed basically as willing poodles as they are bussed from one rally to another.

Although very watchable, by the end I was disappointed with this documentary because it really doesn't have much bite.

This documentary gives a real in-depth, behind-the scenes view of the journey for politically campaigning. From its infancy up until the end of the election.

For one, George W. Bush personifies a go-getter from the beginning hopefully becoming triumphant at the end of his 'journey' to become president. It shows his highs and lows in the political race as he is faced with constant scrutiny as well as great accomplishments along the way. You can't have a comment without a compliment in the media. The two are inseparable and George W. Bush allows for both the bad and good to be reinforced always into a positive. For some reason, he can take any comment and make it into a compliment.

He keeps battling these obstacles and successfully rising above them, only to allow them to resemble him as a go getter in his 'journey'.

What a fun film! George W. Bush, the snarky third generation of an important political family, as filmed by Alexandra Pelosi, the snarky third generation of an important political family. It's interesting to watch the movie keeping that element in mind. Who was Bush at her age, and who will she be at his? In a time when the public side of politics is so vicious, it was refreshing to see the personable side of the President, and the playful side of the child of one of his loudest critics. Neither of them is an automaton, or stupid, or thoughtless; it's hard to imagine that family gatherings in either the Bush household or the Pelosi one are anything but rowdy, open, and a blast. Left or right, these come off as good, non-strange people who might not do everything right, but probably don't set out to do wrong.

I saw this film on HBO, and I felt like I just watched a 1-1/2-hour Leftist propaganda piece. It doesn't feel real for some reason. It looks like it was made only to slam Bush and Republicans as much as possible, rather than to entertain or enlighten. Every character (real person) is irritated, as well as irritating (including the Governor-cum-President Bush, who has to stick his eye into the camera lens every other scene). If the press corps is so uncomfortable with their assignment, QUIT and go to the other side!!!! (I'm sure the Gore campaign was a hell of a lot more bearable for people like this, but I digress). Smarmy and condescending; unpatriotic to a fault. I feel like s**t for being an American because of this presentation. It did, however, show a lot about how much power the press has in shaping public opinion. Scary.