"Jimmy Carter Man From Plains"

 

Seen on: February 8, 2008

The players: Director: Jonathan Demme, Writer: Jonathan Demme, Cast: James Earl Carter Jr

Facts of interest: Won three awards at the 2007 Venice Film Festival.

The plot: Jonathan Demme's documentary follows former president Jimmy Carter on his exhausting promotional tour for his latest book "Palestine: Peace Not Apartheid."

Our thoughts: Jonathan Demme’s “Jimmy Carter Man From Plains” is not a film about the life and political legacy of Jimmy Carter. Instead, this fascinating documentary follows the 39th president of the United States on his recent promotional tour for his controversial new book “Palestine: Peace Not Apartheid,” which has drawn big praise and heavy criticism among readers, politicians and several ethnic groups.

Although the movie clocks in at 120 minutes, and mostly accompanies Carter from interview to interview around the whole nation, “Man From Plains” also offers an intriguing portrait of an extremely active 83-year-old man who stands by his principles and political opinion, always agreeing to challenge everybody who dares to oppose him.

With his hand-held camera, Demme closely followed Carter on his exhausting book tour in late 2006. Key scenes in the film include compelling footage from Carter’s TV interview on “The Situation Room” with CNN’s Wolf Blitzer, his appearance on Jay Leno’s “The Tonight Show,” and several radio interviews, book signings and lectures at major universities.

Many people attacked Carter for using the word “apartheid” in the title of his book, claiming he prefers to side with Palestinians. Consequently, the most suspenseful sequences in the film focus on how Carter reacts and responds to this criticism. Some of his answers to challenging questions by reporters or opponents are indeed quite interesting to follow more closely.

As I already pointed out earlier, “Man From Plains” is not a film about the life or political career of Jimmy Carter. It is rather a film about several weeks in the life of a respected former U.S. president. Demme briefly touches on Carter’s success in negotiating between Egyptian President Anwar Sadat and Israeli Prime Minister Menachem Begin, but for the most part, spectators will also learn about Jimmy Carter as a man and husband.

In what are the movie’s more emotional sequences, Carter tells his viewers a little more about his relationship with his wife, his love for the land he owns, and his pride for his Nobel Prize. If you were not around during his political career, or do not really know what to think of Jimmy Carter, this film will help you assemble a pretty good picture of what kind of man he really is.

Demme’s documentary is also one of those films in which the director refuses to intervene and add a voice-over. Demme prefers to stay behind the camera and let his main characters do the talking. The result, of course, is insightful and entertaining. Watching countless interviews and briefings with Carter’s publisher may seem boring at first, but if you’re considering to learn more about the conflict in Gaza, Carter’s book, or his successful tour, the film is definitely a must-see.

Freaky quote: "This is a disgrace to our country and I think we need to make sure everybody knows that not enough is being done." - Jimmy Carter

The final word: Demme, who has solid experience making documentary films (he also directed “Neil Young: Heart of Gold”), uses a wonderful soundtrack to go along with his simple cinematography. With “Man From Plains,” he scores another important film that digs deep inside the mind of an influential man who over the years helped change the lives of millions of people.