Global American

Our Movies Are Dark, But Presidential Race Is America at Its Best

By Michael Fjetland

[February 25, 2008]  What a contrast between America at its worst and best. Our movies are so dark the directors should be submitting to psyche tests. Yet our history-making presidential race involving a woman and an African-American is America at its best.

Over the weekend I saw "Vantage Point," a sort of "Groundhog Day From the View of Everyone Including the Groundhog" about a presidential assassination. Before the movie I saw all the previews. Every one was dark, violent and downright vapid. Even Oscar has been dumbed down.

It's no wonder Osama bin Laden thinks we are a soulless bunch. Even the ad "not to be rude in the theater" was rude, strange and verbally violent. It started with a scene of a woman putting her kid to bed; then "famous" director Martin Scorsese walks on the set and starts talking trash that was violent, twisted nothingness. It wasn't smart. It wasn't clever. It was not anything brilliant or remotely intelligent.

Maybe it is just like the times we have been living in -- neither brilliant nor intelligent. I saw "There Will Be Blood" and saw nothing deserving of an Oscar other than the Marfa countryside -- but that wasn't worth three hours of watching a greedy jerk cheat and kill people. It was a total waste of a beautiful weekend afternoon.

So, forget the Oscars -- until Hollywood starts making films worth watching. The only one people seem to like is "Juno," but I'm about 40 years too old to relate to it.

So I have been making phone calls for Mr. Obama and have discovered some fascinating things. I'm finding Republican ladies voting Democratic. I called a lady last night who told me she was a Christian Republican -- and she was trying to choose between Hillary and Obama!

She did say that she didn't think any candidate was addressing her on a religious basis, not even McCain (she didn't even mention Huckabee). After our call, she's now going to vote for Obama.

I'm trying to figure out Hillary. One day it’s nice Jekyll. The next it’s the raging Hyde. Then it’s back to Jekyll. It's making folks dizzy.

What a weird, fascinating and wonderful presidential year. The race is the only "movie" worth watching.

[Text from file received from Global American on behalf of Michael Fjetland]

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