A Snapshot, Not a Portrait
Jimmy Carter is an impressive man. He has set the standard for a productive post-presidency, and the time is ripe for a reassessment of the difficult but often wise decisions he made in office.
Unfortunately, this Jonathan Demme film focuses almost entirely on Carter's 2006 tour promoting his book "Palestine: Peace Not Apartheid" and the uproar it spurred. Carter comes across as courageous, principled and (usually) very patient in the face of the same questions asked over and over again by modestly informed interviewers. The controversy offers plenty of insight into Carter's character and beliefs, but it's only one aspect of his career.
Demme fills a lot of space with scenes of Carter getting on and off planes, riding in cars, carrying his suitcase, getting makeup applied for interviews, etc. Comparatively little use is made of archival footage, except for a brief but engaging segment on the Camp David negotiations. I would have liked less of the former and...
Don't Criticize It If You Haven't Seen It
Anyone who had access to television news in 2006 will remember the storm of controversy following the publication of former President Jimmy Carter's book, "Palestine: Peace, Not Apartheid." This film recalls those days in great detail and reminds us that many of the book's critics had not even bothered to read it before denouncing it.
I predict that many of the same critics of that book and Carter's even-handed position on the Israeli/Palestinian conflict will return to denounce Jonathan Demme's film without ever bothering to see it. They will continue to assert that Israel is completely innocent of creating anything that could be considered an apartheid situation. Their hope is that people will ignore Carter's simple request that everyone take the time to look at the facts on the ground before automatically taking the Israeli side in this long-standing dispute. Anyone who does so can at least then agree that the walls constructed by Israel encroach in many places onto...
Great man being lost on partisan times
Having read a lot on Jimmy Carter, including books by people who helped create Delta Force and their interactions with President Carter and why they have always voted republican their entire life except for Jimmy Carter due to his selfless action of taking 100% credit for the failed Iranian mission. A time when everyone in the operation was ashamed and saddened for having let Carter down when he gave them full operational and strategic control. Carter refused to let any of his generals or special ops take the fall and insisted on 100% blame and was a major factor that cost him his presidency.
He was and still is a great man, following him through his tour of the US was interesting, I am still amazed that such a great and moral person who actually cares for people and isn't blinded by race or religion ever got elected.
I actually felt a bit saddened watching a man freak out on Carter, love him or hate him you can't help but respect him and all that he has...
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