I was not a Ronald Reagan fan while he was Governor of California nor the President. It was not until after the fall of the Berlin Wall that I appreciated how much he did for the US and the world. He was part of the three person team, of Margaret Thatcher and Pope John Paul who decimated Communism. I have stood at the gates of the Gdansk Ship Yards and cried at the monument there to the courage of the workers (and the citizens of Gdansk) to bring down Communism.
So the movie, for me, was a trip down memory lane. In the 1970s, I had bounced around between the Intermountain West and the Bay Area. The 1980s found me in Salt Lake City and then Southern California. I was fortunate to go to Budapest in May, 1990 and see the hope of the people who had lived under the yoke of Communism. I had numerous other trips to Poland and the Eastern Part of Germany to witness the rebirth of these countries as they joined the capitalist world. It was during the 1990s and the early 2000s that I fully understood what Ronald Reagan had accomplished. Sadly, not while he was in office.
I had read a review of the movie in the Wall Street Journal prior to seeing it. I was a little surprised that the WSJ panned the film. Then I went to see the movie and realized that movie critics have their own opinions. And I might not agree with them. I loved the movie. And part of that might have been the nostalgia. Maybe, and maybe not. Anyway, I would recommend the film, especially to understand what made Ronald Reagan who he was (his relationship with his mother) and the support that his wife Nancy gave him. Things I did not understand or know.
Thanks Ken, as soon as I read this yesterday morning I went out and caught a matinee showing. The first vote I ever cast was for Ronald Reagan, 1976 Indiana Presidential Primary. This movie was wonderful. Critics probably slam it for a number of reasons: its lack of the depravity and cynicism and snarky pessimism which they adore; and hatred for the protagonist. And film critics of a certain age are uncomfortably reminded that they were on the 'wrong side of history' - back then, as now.
As a Reagan admirer, I haven't seen it yet, but I will. The trailer looks decent.
One interesting decision was the casting of outspoken conservative actors like Jon Voight and Robert Davi (who directed that hilariously bad Hunter Biden movie). That suggests the filmmakers were approaching the movie from a partisan perspective, which usually doesn't bode well for movies about politicians.
Also, I wouldn't give much credibility to those online audience scores. They're prone to manipulation by organized culture war campaigns. I'd put more stock in the box office returns as a true indicator of how audiences feel about the movie. So far they've been reasonably strong -- especially among older audiences in middle America, as you'd expect -- but not spectacular.
This is an interesting time to market a Reagan movie. The left never liked him, and the right has moved away from his optimism, values-based leadership, robust foreign policy, and strong stand against Russian authoritarianism.
By the way, check out The Killers from 1964, where Reagan does a great job playing a villain. The guy could act!
I definitely value Ken’s opinions over the professional movie critic, especially when it comes to history and politics. I would likely not have taken the time to see it, assuming that Hollywood was putting out another rewriting of history. Glad to hear it’s not that.
I was not a Ronald Reagan fan while he was Governor of California nor the President. It was not until after the fall of the Berlin Wall that I appreciated how much he did for the US and the world. He was part of the three person team, of Margaret Thatcher and Pope John Paul who decimated Communism. I have stood at the gates of the Gdansk Ship Yards and cried at the monument there to the courage of the workers (and the citizens of Gdansk) to bring down Communism.
So the movie, for me, was a trip down memory lane. In the 1970s, I had bounced around between the Intermountain West and the Bay Area. The 1980s found me in Salt Lake City and then Southern California. I was fortunate to go to Budapest in May, 1990 and see the hope of the people who had lived under the yoke of Communism. I had numerous other trips to Poland and the Eastern Part of Germany to witness the rebirth of these countries as they joined the capitalist world. It was during the 1990s and the early 2000s that I fully understood what Ronald Reagan had accomplished. Sadly, not while he was in office.
I had read a review of the movie in the Wall Street Journal prior to seeing it. I was a little surprised that the WSJ panned the film. Then I went to see the movie and realized that movie critics have their own opinions. And I might not agree with them. I loved the movie. And part of that might have been the nostalgia. Maybe, and maybe not. Anyway, I would recommend the film, especially to understand what made Ronald Reagan who he was (his relationship with his mother) and the support that his wife Nancy gave him. Things I did not understand or know.
Thanks Ken, as soon as I read this yesterday morning I went out and caught a matinee showing. The first vote I ever cast was for Ronald Reagan, 1976 Indiana Presidential Primary. This movie was wonderful. Critics probably slam it for a number of reasons: its lack of the depravity and cynicism and snarky pessimism which they adore; and hatred for the protagonist. And film critics of a certain age are uncomfortably reminded that they were on the 'wrong side of history' - back then, as now.
As a Reagan admirer, I haven't seen it yet, but I will. The trailer looks decent.
One interesting decision was the casting of outspoken conservative actors like Jon Voight and Robert Davi (who directed that hilariously bad Hunter Biden movie). That suggests the filmmakers were approaching the movie from a partisan perspective, which usually doesn't bode well for movies about politicians.
Also, I wouldn't give much credibility to those online audience scores. They're prone to manipulation by organized culture war campaigns. I'd put more stock in the box office returns as a true indicator of how audiences feel about the movie. So far they've been reasonably strong -- especially among older audiences in middle America, as you'd expect -- but not spectacular.
This is an interesting time to market a Reagan movie. The left never liked him, and the right has moved away from his optimism, values-based leadership, robust foreign policy, and strong stand against Russian authoritarianism.
By the way, check out The Killers from 1964, where Reagan does a great job playing a villain. The guy could act!
"The Killers" -- never heard of that!
Plan to see Reagen when streaming, needed, about time
For the ages for all to see
Saw the movie yesterday. Loved it!!!
I definitely value Ken’s opinions over the professional movie critic, especially when it comes to history and politics. I would likely not have taken the time to see it, assuming that Hollywood was putting out another rewriting of history. Glad to hear it’s not that.