Documentaries are some of my very favorite types of film.
"Crumb" and "Hoop Dreams" stand out as two
of the very best that genre has had to offer in recent years,
and it will take one hell of an informative, emotional, and
powerful documentary to top them, especially one coming from
the same Cable network that brought the less than brilliant
"Telling
Nicholas". Alas, "Jouneys with
George" turned out to be one of the most enjoyable
documentaries I have seen this year, a candid and
thought-provoking look at a man given way too much flack for a
job he is doing to the best of his ability.
"Journeys with George" was written, directed, and
produced by Alexandra Pelosi, a reporter who spent 18 months
on plane, train, and automobile with George W. Bush, back when
he was just former Governor Bush. We see Bush as,
essentially, a nice guy--your typical gentleman with charm,
wit, and even--if you can believe this--political savvy and
grace. Pelosi is a registered Democrat and makes no
attempt to hide this fact. We see her sitting with Bush
in one scene, after she receives her ballot for the primary.
She is asking Bush why she should vote for him, and he
comically whips back, "Because if you don't you'll be out
of a job", followed by his trademark chuckle. He
continues campaigning for her vote for a couple minutes and
then leaves her be. Next, we see a close-up of her
ballot and watch her check the name Bill Bradley. Why?
Not because she considers George W. Bush to be an unfit
candidate, but because she is a registered Democrat. In
"Journeys with George", was see how political
affiliation can affect emotions or genuine feelings for a
candidate, and we see how inconsiderate and ruthless reporters
can be. They spend months on the same plane with this
man, and then jump at the opportunity to watch him stumble.
The highlights of this film are the scenes with Bush, since
this is a documentary based on his bid for the Presidency.
Alas, we also see Bush from the eyes of many different
reporters, all eating turkey sandwiches and hearing the same
recycled speeches day after day. Some of them are Bush
supporters, while some are Gore advocates. The blend is
nice in that, even though this is a film about Bush, we see
the sides of those who are against Bush also. Director
Alexandra Pelosi does a fine job of interweaving segments from
her journey with press snippets, churning out a very
informative and entertaining documentary.
The film ends with the election, of course. It doesn't
deal too much with the recounts and Supreme Court decision,
because this film is about the journey towards the point, not
the point itself. We do however, manage to hear Bush's
inaugural address and get to watch as the reporters say
goodbye to him for the last time. And what, might you
ask, is the one thing he asks them? "Did you vote
for me?" That is the type of person we see Bush as
in this film. This is pre-election, pre-September 11,
and pre-Iraq conflict. This is Bush when he was more of
what he still is--a nice guy.
