With God on Our Side: George W Bush & The Rise of [DVD] [2004] [Region 1] [US Import] [NTSC]

Whether you're on the side of the Christian right or suspicious of it, this film successfully gives nothing more than the facts about the conservative/fundamentalist's political agenda and its influence on the U.S. political scene over the last several decades. It never resorts to taking a stand. Those on the right will find nothing to disdain, and those on the opposite side will perhaps be more informed about what they fear. The movie gives the entire scenario, much of which I've either forgotten, or perhaps never was aware of, regarding the Rev. Billy Graham's unfortunate support of Nixon, President Reagen's Supreme Court nomination of Sandra Day O'Connor and her "disappointing" track record (to those on the right), the presidential bid of Pat Robertson and his scarey jump start in the early primaries, and how conservatives feel that George W. is finally, definitely their man. All very interesting and informative.

Fabulous doco...

Explores various religious aspects across more than a quarter of a century.

The documentary discusses the importance of religion in modern politics and its place as a modern campaigning tool - using rare footage from Carter onward.

The other focus of the program is on the president and his personal embrace of religion. Though some are cynical, the program enables a better understanding for those unfamiliar with some of the personal history of Dubya.

WGOOS is an examination of the rise of conservative Christians (especially the Moral Majority) as a political force in America over the last 40 years. It uses interviews with some of the movement's heavy hitters -- Jerry Falwell, Pat Robertson, Chuck Colson, Ralph Reed and others -- to discuss the movement's ups, downs and political maturation. The film seems intended as a critique of the movement. In this it fails, depicting these men (and they are all men!) on their turf, with no agenda other than to bring Christ to the nation. But there's little examination that the "Christ" they are talking about is pro-American, pro-capitalism and pro-conservative. If there's a lack of balance in the film, it's that there is almost no voice to oppose the self-sanctifying stories these men tell of themselves. It would have been helpful to the ordinary viewer, for instance, had voices from the religious center or left be added to challenge the conservative interpretation of Jesus and the gospels. It would have been helpful too had the film shown more clips from the TV shows these men run. Falwell's claim that the ACLU and lesbians (among others) were to blame for 9/11 was included, but little other spectacular and disturbing material. As it is, the men seem quaint and passionate about their faith, but little more.

The second part of the movie focused on the rise of George W. Bush as the latest hope of religious right to push their agenda. The movie makes a strong case for Bush's sincerity as a believing Christian. After seeing Bush praying and preaching and talking about God, it's hard to believe him to be completely cynical on the subject. The film buttresses the case for Bush the believer, but fails to note behaviors or positions at odds with that image. Bush's consistent support for tax cuts for the wealthy, for instance, ought to strike Christians as a bit out of the gospel mainstream. Indeed, the film is so careful about the topic that it comes across as almost worshipful - inadvertently providing us with an idyll to George W. Bush as God's choice for America.

The film was strongest when it put the viewer inside the mind of conservatives as they watched the parade of recent presidents. It was painful to watch Jimmy Carter, a man of strong morals and deep evangelical convictions, try to support a woman's right to choose. With religious conservatives equating abortion with murder, his embrace of this party's pro-choice plank must have seemed positively scandalous. The footage of Ronald Reagan with beaming conservative religious leaders showed their giddiness at having achieved power -- just before they realized that while Reagan used them to get elected, he would follow his own path. The film also scored when it portrayed the bewilderment of the media establishment when faced with a longstanding movement they knew nothing about. It was hilarious to see anchor John Chancellor talk about evangelicals as though they were a newly-discovered tribe of headhunters from the mountains of Borneo.

All in all, WGOOS provided interesting insights into a movement that has done much to shape the political debate in the United States. Its greatest blunder is to allow the movement's own leaders to define the film without adequately depicting the context in which the movement exists. Its greatest missed opportunity was to neglect a discussion of the brand of Christianity that informs these men, to ask why it is so popular, and to discuss why people of good will might disagree.