Man of the Year (2006)

Tom Dobbs dressed like George Washington addressing the U.S. Congress. [From the movie Man of the Year]

Barry Levinson, the director of the movie, said:

It costs too much to run for office so the good people don’t really get a great shot, because they can’t raise money that easily. It’s all about money. It’s all about money. And so that’s really the main issue behind it all. As long as we want to play this game, that you’re going to go and raise $250 million to be the President and think this President is going to be free enough to go do what he thinks is correct without maximum amount of influence to all the people he’s beholden to, it’s just not realistic.

– Barry Levinson, Director, Man of the Year, in an interview with Rebecca Murray on About.com

For the full interview: http://movies.about.com/od/manoftheyear/a/manyear021507.htm

This is a beautiful comedy; one with a purpose. It isn’t just for laughs, and Robin Williams makes another amazing performance. The movie is about the corrupt U.S. electoral system, which depends on campaign contributions made in millions by industry for the sole purpose of having a representative on Capitol Hill. The movie also touches on the effects of television on the minds of its viewers.

 A few quotes:

Look, if we’re going to be that beholden to special interest groups, then let’s be up front about it. You can be in the Senate and we’ll be like NASCAR and on our suits we’ll just wear [sponsor] patches. Then you’d know, ‘Oh, okay, he’s involved with the pharmaceuticals. I see. That’s why he’s taking that position. I get it.’

If everything seems credible then nothing seems credible. You know, TV puts everybody in those boxes, side-by-side. On one side, there’s this certifiable lunatic who says the Holocaust never happened. And next to him is this noted, honored historian who knows all about the Holocaust. And now, there they sit, side-by-side, they look like equals! Everything they say seems to be credible. And so, as it goes on, nothing seems credible anymore! We just stopped listening!

More about the movie: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Man_of_the_Year_%282006_film%29