The Reverend Will the Thrill Presents the Film of the Week!

This week's film contribution comes to you through a confluence of seemingly randomn events--a new documentary that I would like to see (no, that's not the film in question), another documentary airing on CNN this very evening (not it either), both of which are being released in an election year.

A new documentary called Super/Man about the late Christopher Reeve has just been released.  Having grown up on his Superman films, I was a fan.  I even really enjoyed his work in Somewhere in Time.  I kind of want to see it.  I have what, for a long time, I thought was the last film he made before his tragic accident--I have since discovered that I was incorrect in that information.  The film is celebrating its thirtieth anniversary this year and being the dork that I am, I thought it might be fun to watch it again.

The film was inspired by the relationship and subsequent marriage of James Carville (the subject of that second documentary which is airing as I write this) and Mary Matalin.  Carville is a well-known political consultant and strategist who worked prominently on Bill Clinton's 1992 Democratic presidential campaign.  Matalin was also a well-known political consultant and campaign director for President George H.W. Bush.  She continued to serve as an assistant and consultant for a number of high-ranking Republicans including President George W. Bush and Vice President Dick Cheney.

In the film, Michael Keaton and Geena Davis star as speechwriters for opposing Senatorial candidates.  Of course, this is a movie, so they don't realize until after a rather passionate meet-cute that they aren't supposed to be fraternizing with each other.

 

Directed by Ron Underwood, this movie features a tremendous cast of mostly underappreciated character actors including Ernie Hudson, Charles Martin Smith, Mitchell Ryan, Willie Garson, Steven Wright, and Harry Shearer.  The film also stars the great Bonnie Bedelia as Michael Keaton's ex-wife and Christopher Reeve as Geena Davis's boyfriend/fiancé Bob Freed--a.k.a. "Baghdad Bob," a Gulf War reporter who's never seen without a flak jacket and I assume was modeled on Arthur "the Scud Stud" Kent (if you're under 30, you can look him up).

So to commemorate the film's anniversary, its inspiration, and our ongoing political elections, this week I'm recommending 1994's Speechless.

Until next week, stay safe, be good to your neighbours, and please remember that if at first you don't succeed, then skydiving definitely isn't for you.

Yours in peace, love, and rock and roll!

The Reverend Will the Thrill