ROCK THE VOTE!!!!!!!

The Election is in exactly one week.  So the point of this post is quite simple... VOTE!  Get out and make your voice heard.  It does not matter if you believe your state is going to go one way or another.  Just do it.  Fight for what you believe in.  And whatever you do don't follow these guy's advice....

The Films I love: JFK

Oliver Stone is probably one of the most controversial directors to ever live and JFK is his most controversial film.  It is a study of the John F. Kennedy assassination and the film paints a compelling argument that there was indeed a conspiracy behind the president's murder. One can only imagine the shit storm that came down on the film back in 1991 with several newspapers slamming the film months before release and claiming that it was a complete fabrication with no basis on facts.  And while JFK certainly does a lot of guess work and paranoid speculation it also presents a case with some undeniably sound arguments.  Oliver Stone is a smart man and the amount of research and time spent on this film is nothing short of astounding.  In the end what makes JFK so thought provoking and rewarding is it's message to continue searching for the truth in all facets of life.  It is probably one of the most patriotic films ever made even while it is condemning the American government for acts of treason.

If I had to name the three best films of the 1990's it would probably go in this order - Schindler's List (1993), Unforgiven (1992), and JFK (1991).  JFK surprisingly made a strong showing at the Academy Awards that year, but lost in most of its categories including Best Picture, Best Director, and Best Screenplay which it so plainly deserved.  The recreation of the assassination alone is one of the most exhilarating pieces of directing ever placed on the screen and it cost Stone several million dollars to get it up there.  But JFK was too controversial and it was up against an unlikely juggernaut that year - The Silence of the Lambs, which would take all three of JFK's top awards for which it was nominated.  Lambs is in my top 10 films of the 1990's, but it simply cannot compare to the artistry that is on display within JFK.  The film did win two Oscars, which it justly deserved including Best Cinematography and Best Editing.  Any film student studying the art of editing should be required to view JFK as it has some of the most complex editing ever committed to film as it switches between real stock footage, recreations, scripted dialogue, and speculative footage all within the same scene.  It was probably the one award that no one could argue with no matter how controversial the film may have been.

The acting in JFK was largely ignored, though Tommy Lee Jones did score an unlikely nomination for playing a homosexual business man who had ties to the CIA, Cubans and Mob underworld- Clay Shaw.  I'm not a huge Jones fan but he really sells this character and it's one of his more daring performances without being overstated and stereotypical.  There are tons of cameo performances in the film from the likes of Donald Sutherland, Jack Lemmon, Walter Matheau, Joe Pesci, and John Candy.  But the real heart stirring performance of the film that was largely overlooked come awards time was Kevin Costner playing New Orleans DA Jim Garrsion who made it his life's work to find out the truth about the Kennedy Assassination.  Costner gives one of his most honest and vulnerable screen performances in JFK.  The Costner edge is largely missing from the part and instead he gives himself completely over to the quest.  Costner's final speech in the courtroom is emotional because of the honesty of this man's convictions.  Garrison was a patriot who dared to stand up to his country and his government and ask the questions that too many were unwilling to ask.  If more had stood by his cause perhaps there would be more answers about the slaying of the president and more of the files on the assassination would be on public record.  

JFK makes a lot of claims, some of which it cannot fully back-up.  It's biggest accusation is that Lyndon B. Johnson was somehow involved in the assassination.  It's a huge claim and scary one, but the film makes an intriguing case that the government was highly responsible for the President's death.  The truth of the matter is we still don't know.  The likely hood that Lee Harvey Oswald killed Kennedy alone is very slim as evidence in both the film and history suggests.  What JFK argues is that Oswald really was just the patsy and never fired one bullet, though he may have been involved in another way - as the fall guy.  But even after all the conspiracy theories are thrown out the film has another agenda up it's sleeves - it wants to inspire Americans to stand up for themselves and their rights.  It wants America's citizens to question their government and take more responsibility for themselves.  What JFK argues that hits closest to the bone is that Kennedy's assassination may have been more of the public's fault than anyone elses because of our complacency.  If nothing else JFK serves as a warning of what can happen to our great nation when we no longer stand up for ourselves.  

John F. Kennedy and his brother Bobby Kennedy were both murdered in cold blood because they sought to change this country and to invigorate the American people.  They were extremely progressive leaders who fought for what they believed including civil rights and an end to needless bloodshed.  Kennedy prevented us from going into a nuclear war and maintained "friendly" boundaries with the Soviets.  For this he was branded a traitor and a communist by many in America.  But to others he was a hero and ultimately he died for it.  What Kennedy stood for is oddly representative of what is currently happening in our political climate this election season.  And as we head into the final week of this election we should be reminding ourselves to do exactly what the film JFK asks us to do - 

"Tennyson wrote, Authority forgets a dying king... and this was never more true than for John F. Kennedy, whose murder was probably one the most terrible moments in the history of our country. You, the people, the jury system sitting in judgment on Clay Shaw, represent the hope of humanity against government power. In discharging your duty, in bringing the first conviction in this house of cards against Clay Shaw. Ask not what your country can do for you, but what you can do for your country.... Do not forget your dying king. Show this world that this is still a government of the people, for the people, and by the people. Nothing as long as you live will ever be more important.... It's up to you"

In other words - stand up for yourself, be a true citizen, make your voice heard and vote for the change you believe the country needs whatever that may be.  Remember your dying king.  Remember what John Kennedy fought for.  That's what the film JFK is really about.  It may be controversial, but it's also one of the most patriotic and one of the greatest American films of all time.  Oliver Stone should be very proud of his achievement.

JFK (1991)

Dir. Oliver Stone

Academy Awards Nominations: Best Picture, Best Director, Best Supporting Actor, Best Adapted Screenplay, Best Sound, Best Original Score

Academy Award Wins: Best Cinematography, Best Editing

Note of Interest:  Oliver Stone's Nixon serves as an unofficial sequel to JFK and it is equally fascinating in parts and even suggests that Nixon may have been inadvertantly involved in the assassination.  It also features a great performance by Anthony Hopkins as Richard Nixon.

A little off topic, but then again it is my blog...

Tonight I switched on the Democratic National Convention coverage on CNN, curious to see what all would take place.  The first few hours were a little dull with not much to write home about, but then Teddy Kennedy gave an emotional and passionate speech where he swore that he would be on the senate floor in January to continue his fight despite being diagnosed recently with brain cancer.  He also had strong words about why he believed that the democrats needed to elect Barack Obama as president.  But the speech that really got to me was that of Obama's wife, Michelle.  To be blunt, the speech was moving and inspiring and made me cry because it struck home.  It was the perfect way to end the evening and it represents why I believe in this campaign and why I will be voting for Barack Obama in November.  I promise not to get political often on this blog, but this was something I felt I needed to share.  It's the kind of speech that is inspiring because of it's honesty and integrity.  Obama and his family are just like us in so many ways and they are patriotic Americans who have had to struggle during their lives to get to where they are.  They are Americans and though I am probably the most cynical American I know, this is a moment where I was proud to be an American and be a democrat.  Different people have different beliefs and this is a monumentally important election for both parties.  I want everyone I know to vote in this election.  Fundamentally it does not matter to me who you vote for as long as you make your voice heard and stand up for what you believe in.  I may not agree with you, but I can respect you.  I believe in Barack Obama and his vision for where he wants to take this country.  And I look forward to the day when I may be able to call him my President.  Here is Michelle Obama's extraordinary speech - 

"As you might imagine, for Barack, running for President is nothing compared to that first game of basketball with my brother Craig.

I can't tell you how much it means to have Craig and my mom here tonight. Like Craig, I can feel my dad looking down on us, just as I've felt his presence in every grace-filled moment of my life.

At six-foot-six, I've often felt like Craig was looking down on me too…literally. But the truth is, both when we were kids and today, he wasn't looking down on me. He was watching over me.

And he's been there for me every step of the way since that clear February day 19 months ago, when – with little more than our faith in each other and a hunger for change – we joined my husband, Barack Obama, on the improbable journey that's brought us to this moment.

But each of us also comes here tonight by way of our own improbable journey.

I come here tonight as a sister, blessed with a brother who is my mentor, my protector and my lifelong friend.

I come here as a wife who loves my husband and believes he will be an extraordinary president.

I come here as a Mom whose girls are the heart of my heart and the center of my world – they're the first thing I think about when I wake up in the morning, and the last thing I think about when I go to bed at night. Their future – and all our children's future – is my stake in this election.

And I come here as a daughter – raised on the South Side of Chicago by a father who was a blue-collar city worker and a mother who stayed at home with my brother and me. My mother's love has always been a sustaining force for our family, and one of my greatest joys is seeing her integrity, her compassion, and her intelligence reflected in my own daughters.

My Dad was our rock. Although he was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis in his early thirties, he was our provider, our champion, our hero. As he got sicker, it got harder for him to walk, it took him longer to get dressed in the morning. But if he was in pain, he never let on. He never stopped smiling and laughing – even while struggling to button his shirt, even while using two canes to get himself across the room to give my Mom a kiss. He just woke up a little earlier and worked a little harder.

He and my mom poured everything they had into me and Craig. It was the greatest gift a child can receive: never doubting for a single minute that you're loved, and cherished, and have a place in this world. And thanks to their faith and hard work, we both were able to go on to college. So I know firsthand from their lives – and mine – that the American Dream endures.

And you know, what struck me when I first met Barack was that even though he had this funny name, even though he'd grown up all the way across the continent in Hawaii, his family was so much like mine. He was raised by grandparents who were working class folks just like my parents, and by a single mother who struggled to pay the bills just like we did. Like my family, they scrimped and saved so that he could have opportunities they never had themselves. And Barack and I were raised with so many of the same values: that you work hard for what you want in life; that your word is your bond and you do what you say you're going to do; that you treat people with dignity and respect, even if you don't know them, and even if you don't agree with them.

And Barack and I set out to build lives guided by these values, and pass them on to the next generation. Because we want our children – and all children in this nation – to know that the only limit to the height of your achievements is the reach of your dreams and your willingness to work for them.

And as our friendship grew, and I learned more about Barack, he introduced me to the work he'd done when he first moved to Chicago after college. Instead of heading to Wall Street, Barack had gone to work in neighborhoods devastated when steel plants shut down, and jobs dried up. And he'd been invited back to speak to people from those neighborhoods about how to rebuild their community.

The people gathered together that day were ordinary folks doing the best they could to build a good life. They were parents living paycheck to paycheck; grandparents trying to get by on a fixed income; men frustrated that they couldn't support their families after their jobs disappeared. Those folks weren't asking for a handout or a shortcut. They were ready to work – they wanted to contribute. They believed – like you and I believe – that America should be a place where you can make it if you try.

Barack stood up that day, and spoke words that have stayed with me ever since. He talked about "The world as it is" and "The world as it should be." And he said that all too often, we accept the distance between the two, and settle for the world as it is – even when it doesn't reflect our values and aspirations. But he reminded us that we know what our world should look like. We know what fairness and justice and opportunity look like. And he urged us to believe in ourselves – to find the strength within ourselves to strive for the world as it should be. And isn't that the great American story?

It's the story of men and women gathered in churches and union halls, in town squares and high school gyms – people who stood up and marched and risked everything they had – refusing to settle, determined to mold our future into the shape of our ideals.

It is because of their will and determination that this week, we celebrate two anniversaries: the 88th anniversary of women winning the right to vote, and the 45th anniversary of that hot summer day when Dr. King lifted our sights and our hearts with his dream for our nation.

I stand here today at the crosscurrents of that history – knowing that my piece of the American Dream is a blessing hard won by those who came before me. All of them driven by the same conviction that drove my dad to get up an hour early each day to painstakingly dress himself for work. The same conviction that drives the men and women I've met all across this country:

People who work the day shift, kiss their kids goodnight, and head out for the night shift – without disappointment, without regret – that goodnight kiss a reminder of everything they're working for.

The military families who say grace each night with an empty seat at the table. The servicemen and women who love this country so much, they leave those they love most to defend it.

The young people across America serving our communities – teaching children, cleaning up neighborhoods, caring for the least among us each and every day.

People like Hillary Clinton, who put those 18 million cracks in the glass ceiling, so that our daughters – and sons – can dream a little bigger and aim a little higher.

People like Joe Biden, who's never forgotten where he came from, and never stopped fighting for folks who work long hours and face long odds and need someone on their side again.

All of us driven by a simple belief that the world as it is just won't do – that we have an obligation to fight for the world as it should be.

That is the thread that connects our hearts. That is the thread that runs through my journey and Barack's journey and so many other improbable journeys that have brought us here tonight, where the current of history meets this new tide of hope.

That is why I love this country.

And in my own life, in my own small way, I've tried to give back to this country that has given me so much. That's why I left a job at a law firm for a career in public service, working to empower young people to volunteer in their communities. Because I believe that each of us – no matter what our age or background or walk of life – each of us has something to contribute to the life of this nation.

It's a belief Barack shares – a belief at the heart of his life's work.

It's what he did all those years ago, on the streets of Chicago, setting up job training to get people back to work and afterschool programs to keep kids safe – working block by block to help people lift up their families.

It's what he did in the Illinois Senate, moving people from welfare to jobs, passing tax cuts for hard working families, and making sure women get equal pay for equal work.

It's what he's done in the United States Senate, fighting to ensure the men and women who serve this country are welcomed home not just with medals and parades, but with good jobs and benefits and health care – including mental health care.

That's why he's running – to end the war in Iraq responsibly, to build an economy that lifts every family, to make health care available for every American, and to make sure every child in this nation gets a world class education all the way from preschool to college. That's what Barack Obama will do as President of the United States of America.

He'll achieve these goals the same way he always has – by bringing us together and reminding us how much we share and how alike we really are. You see, Barack doesn't care where you're from, or what your background is, or what party – if any – you belong to. That's not how he sees the world. He knows that thread that connects us – our belief in America's promise, our commitment to our children's future – is strong enough to hold us together as one nation even when we disagree.

It was strong enough to bring hope to those neighborhoods in Chicago.

It was strong enough to bring hope to the mother he met worried about her child in Iraq; hope to the man who's unemployed, but can't afford gas to find a job; hope to the student working nights to pay for her sister's health care, sleeping just a few hours a day.

And it was strong enough to bring hope to people who came out on a cold Iowa night and became the first voices in this chorus for change that's been echoed by millions of Americans from every corner of this nation.

Millions of Americans who know that Barack understands their dreams; that Barack will fight for people like them; and that Barack will finally bring the change we need.

And in the end, after all that's happened these past 19 months, the Barack Obama I know today is the same man I fell in love with 19 years ago. He's the same man who drove me and our new baby daughter home from the hospital ten years ago this summer, inching along at a snail's pace, peering anxiously at us in the rearview mirror, feeling the whole weight of her future in his hands, determined to give her everything he'd struggled so hard for himself, determined to give her what he never had: the affirming embrace of a father's love.

And as I tuck that little girl and her little sister into bed at night, I think about how one day, they'll have families of their own. And one day, they – and your sons and daughters – will tell their own children about what we did together in this election. They'll tell them how this time, we listened to our hopes, instead of our fears. How this time, we decided to stop doubting and to start dreaming. How this time, in this great country – where a girl from the South Side of Chicago can go to college and law school, and the son of a single mother from Hawaii can go all the way to the White House – we committed ourselves to building the world as it should be.

So tonight, in honor of my father's memory and my daughters' future – out of gratitude to those whose triumphs we mark this week, and those whose everyday sacrifices have brought us to this moment – let us devote ourselves to finishing their work; let us work together to fulfill their hopes; and let us stand together to elect Barack Obama President of the United States of America.

Thank you, God bless you, and God bless America."

If you want to see her speech for yourself (and you should) go to cnn.com. 

Obama/Biden 08