POPCORN REEL OCTOBER POLITICAL FILM FOCUS
A
MAN FOR ALL POLITICAL SEASONS: ROBIN WILLIAMS IN "MAN OF THE YEAR"
Robin
Williams as Tom Dobbs, and comedian Lewis Black in "Man of The Year", the new
film from Barry Levinson, which opens this Friday. (Photo: Universal
Pictures)
published October 10, 2006
Barry Levinson has directed many films including
"Avalon", "Disclosure", and "Wag The Dog", each containing a degree of politics
that resonates in post-film discussions by audiences who see them. If
October is the month where in the United States a "Surprise" occurs that
normally spells the downfall of a politician (see recent political news
headlines), Mr. Levinson won't be fooling too many people with his latest film,
"Man of The Year" about a comedian who decides to run for president of the
United States -- and wins. Several American comedians have become
political satirists and involved themselves in spirited debates about the state
of the world. Some, such as Al Franken, who started out as a comedian
before honing skills as a quick-witted political satirist and as a policy wonk,
may decide to run for political office in the U.S. city of Minnesota for senator
in 2008.
"Man of The Year" reunites Levinson with Robin Williams, whom he last directed
almost 20 years ago in "Good Morning Vietnam" (1987). Williams plays Tom
Dobbs, a late-night talk show comedian who is encouraged to run for the top
political office in America. What happens when he wins? You will
have to wait and see when the film opens this Friday in North America. In
a recent interview with Universal Pictures, Mr. Williams, who also started out
as a comedian before becoming an Oscar-winning actor, spoke about the trend of
comedians turned political satirists and their influence on the news media in
the U.S. "Right now, most people get their news [in America] from
political satire shows, Bill Maher*, Jon Stewart* -- everyone's watching those,"
Williams said. Add to that Al Franken's Air America Radio show and even
Jerry Springer's syndicated radio show -- although Springer actually began in
politics as the mayor of Cincinnati, Ohio before doing the clowning circus of
the highly-popular television talk show that he recently retired from -- and you
have a list which also includes to a lesser extent, Dennis Miller --- whose show
was cancelled a couple of years ago on the U.S. cable network that carried it.
[Former sports news anchors are also weighing in on the American political arena
-- Keith Olbermann, the former ESPN Sportscenter anchor has thrived with
audiences with his
outspoken criticisms of current U.S. president George W. Bush and his administration on
Olbermann's
cable television show "Countdown".]
Maher, Stewart and Franken are highly popular in the United States and are all
taken seriously even as they provoke viewers with laughter and food for thought.
Similarly, Williams is open to comedians in the White House -- and some cynics
and haters of the current U.S. president may argue that a comedian sits in the
Oval Office today.
As for genuine stand-up comics: "I like the idea of a
comic running for office, or a comedian," Williams tells Universal. "We've
had a wrestler, we've had a spokesmodel . . . we've had pretty much everything .
. . except a comedian. We've had clowns, but we haven't had a comedian."
Williams credits Levinson for his talent to develop the movement of the new film
and the character of Tom Dobbs -- "because he [Levinson] was a comic he can set
something up so well as a director . . ." In the film there are moments
when the debating politicians have to think on their feet. Williams
analogizes some of the moments that occur in the film to those in the British
parliament. "It's an open forum -- it forces a politician to be able to answer
questions put to him that moment . . . it forces a politician to have a mind,
prepared to deal in the moment . . . and that's what Barry's great at." He
waxes on poetically during the Universal interview, launching into impromptu
impressions of his "Man" co-stars Christopher Walken and comedian Lewis
Black. Williams has kind words for the leading lady of "Man". "She's
magnificent because she's such a great actress . . . she can play silly and can
play wounded, and she's so funny," he says of Laura Linney.
At one point, Williams returns to the notion of political satirists possibly
running for office. "Could Jon [Stewart] run? Yeah. Does he
want to? No, because he's more effective and has more value making fun of
the [political] process. Could [Stephen] Colbert run? Sure!
Could he run on a false ticket? Easily . . . but I think he has much more
value now by making fun of the process . . . with his making fun of the process,
maybe he can get people stirred up and get them thinking. . .".
Finally,
Williams talks about what "Man of The Year" crystallizes and what the American political
news media scene has become today. "[The film] it's about democracy . . . what
has it become . . .[political news media] is about talking heads, two people
dueling -- short attention span politics."
feature story written by Omar P.L. Moore
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*Bill Maher's show on HBO cable is "Real Time With Bill Maher".
*Jon Stewart, who hosted this year's Oscars, continues to do his "The Daily
Show" on cable channel Comedy Central. Stewart made news in October of
2004 when he took on both Paul Begala and Tucker Carlson on their own show "Crossfire", on CNN cable, criticizing and ridiculing their show for its
"not honest", pugnacious and "theatrical" attitude toward political debate. Soon
after Stewart ripped into the two hosts, "Crossfire" was abruptly cancelled.