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Atlas Shrugged Movie Review
Making Sense ^ | May 4, 2011 | Rob W. Case

Posted on 05/04/2011 9:42:04 PM PDT by Making_Sense [Rob W. Case]

It is a movie that Hollywood refused to produce and distribute. It is a movie that many pundits within the media have been advising people not to bother with. This movie is the film portrayal of Ayn Rand’s bestselling novel Atlas Shrugged.

This film is the first of a three part story that revolves around three main characters representing three main bodies of ideas. Henry Rearden, who owns a major steel company, Dagny Taggart, a railroad executive who believes in Rearden’s product so much, that she decides to use it to build her mainline railroad, and Paul Wyatt, an innovative entrepreneur of the oil industry whose business interests rest on the success of the other two.

Amidst their strides to innovate, and unite their resources and know-how to bring about innovative progress to the community, they all become saddled with intimidating pressure from political groups, government officials, and big labor groups, who are more concerned about getting their own cut of the profits at the expense of the innovators and workers that produce the services of that society possible. Meanwhile, a man wearing black hat and trench coat goes around and offers many of the most influential contributors to society a way out of the society they are subjected to. And as such, producers that truly make that society flourish begin “missing,” leaving everything behind to crumble and fall without them.

Who is John Galt?

Throughout the story, a question penetrates through the minds of many. Who is John Galt? To some, he is a mystery. To others, he is their ticket out. And to those who went missing, he is of significant importance.

I really enjoyed this film. And one of the main reasons why I enjoyed it is because it makes you think, while at the same time, it chronicles the overall true nature of business and government from an inside perspective. What makes the whole “Atlas Shrugged” phenomenon so significant is that it was written in 1957, by a woman who lived in a Communist society, and came to America, only to see the very things she left behind in their early stages of development here. And while her book was written back in 1957, the very elements that her story addresses are very alive, and current, as we speak, even some 29 years after her death.

Out of 4 starts, I would have to give this movie 3. The film is rated PG-13 and runs 1 hour and 37 minutes.


TOPICS: Miscellaneous; Politics; TV/Movies
KEYWORDS: atlasshrugged; aynrand; conservative; libertarian
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To: Making_Sense [Rob W. Case]; iowamark; PoplarBluffian; FarRightFanatic

I knew I could count on Freepers! Thank you ever so much.

It will be a 100 mile round trip drive, but I’ll be going tomorrow to a matinee.


21 posted on 05/05/2011 12:10:51 AM PDT by SatinDoll (NOT FOREIGN NATIONALS AS OUR PRESIDENT)
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To: SatinDoll

You’re welcome! Freepers are a family, right?

Hey, at least if you go to the matinee, you’ll save a few bucks to compensate for all that gas you’ll be paying for — haha!

We plan to see it this weekend. If all goes well and feel it’s a good fit for a few of our older kids, they will be seeing it the following weekend.


22 posted on 05/05/2011 12:28:22 AM PDT by FarRightFanatic (It wasn't an election. It was a socialist coup.)
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To: Making_Sense [Rob W. Case]
I just saw the movie. It was terrible, but I enjoyed it. The characters are a faithful depiction of the wooden characters in the book. Luckily I had low expectations and sort of laughed through the tortured parts of the movie. Still, I would give it a qualified recommendation.

- 2 out of 4 stars.

23 posted on 05/05/2011 12:38:15 AM PDT by davidwendell
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To: iowamark

And you are?


24 posted on 05/05/2011 1:07:21 AM PDT by fish hawk (Obama = "low-level socialist organizer". Allen West)
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To: pbmaltzman

It’s okay to nit pick once but twice is just too much. LOL


25 posted on 05/05/2011 1:09:44 AM PDT by fish hawk (Obama = "low-level socialist organizer". Allen West)
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To: LiteKeeper

I am going to see it for the second time this Saturday...this time with my students.

I think that is great but be careful because if you can take your students to this movie, you can’t complain when a liberal teacher takes her students or shows her students in class a liberal movie. That is the only problem I have when teachers get political with their students. It really leaves you no ability to fight the other view.


26 posted on 05/05/2011 1:24:54 AM PDT by napscoordinator
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To: Making_Sense [Rob W. Case]

Haven’t seen the movie (not sure where it’s released here down under). I have, however, been tempted to read the book. Not the worst book I have read (that distinction must go to Battlefield Earth), but readable nonetheless despite the quite two dimensional characters. I’m 2% of the way through - let’s see how far I get.


27 posted on 05/05/2011 5:11:04 AM PDT by Figure11 (There's nothing an agnostic can't do if he doesn't know whether he believes in it or not.)
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To: Making_Sense [Rob W. Case]

You really should read the Book first,most of the power is lost in the Movie,i read a good description of it as a cliff notes version of the book and that is true.
My daughter and i have read the book and my wife and my daughters boyfriend had not and both of them liked the movie but it was the same theme to them that they have seen before,BUSINESS MAN GREEDY AND POLITICIANS BAD.The whole character development was missing and all the back stories with each Character. Sadly I understand why the Producer had to rush it out or lose the rights to make the Movie but it really ,in my opinion, does a disservice to the POWER of the Book by leaving out so much


28 posted on 05/05/2011 12:49:56 PM PDT by ballplayer
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To: SatinDoll
You can go to the Atlas Shrugged website and Demand Atlas

I already plugged in a few of my email addresses to demand it in my local area. I'm in zip code 19382, and for anyone that already has seen it or it's already playing in your area, please feel free to plug in my zip and demand it.
Thank you for yer support
29 posted on 05/05/2011 4:32:34 PM PDT by domeika
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To: fish hawk

Guess I stuttered again!


30 posted on 05/05/2011 4:34:27 PM PDT by pbmaltzman
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To: tlb

Sure would have been nice if it were promoted even a little. I didn’t even know it was out until I read a piece by a libtard mocking the low box office draw.


31 posted on 05/05/2011 4:37:05 PM PDT by domeika
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To: pbmaltzman

or your mouse has a hair trigger.


32 posted on 05/05/2011 4:47:28 PM PDT by fish hawk (Obama = "low-level socialist organizer". Allen West)
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To: domeika

Thanks for the link!

The movie is playing “in my area”, but I have to drive 100 miles round trip. With gas nearing $5 a gal in my area, my vehicle a gaz guzzler, and I have to pay a sitter it is prohibitive.

Meanwhile, really junky movies are playing in the three local cinemas. Yuck!


33 posted on 05/05/2011 5:36:04 PM PDT by SatinDoll (NOT FOREIGN NATIONALS AS OUR PRESIDENT)
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To: tlb
Movies that bomb commercially this badly don’t stay in theaters long. I’m surprised it can still be found at all.

No, but it'll do great in DVD sales!

34 posted on 05/09/2011 4:48:14 PM PDT by Taggart_D
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To: tlb
Movies that bomb commercially this badly don’t stay in theaters long. I’m surprised it can still be found at all.

No, but it'll do great in DVD sales!

35 posted on 05/09/2011 4:48:28 PM PDT by Taggart_D
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To: Making_Sense [Rob W. Case]

I saw it on On Demand. I was hoping it would be much better than it was. Characters cut from cardboard. Painfully tendentious storyline and dialogue. The novel wasn’t bad, I guess. The film was terrible.


36 posted on 11/20/2011 3:52:47 PM PST by Gluteus Maximus
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To: Making_Sense [Rob W. Case]

To Verizon FIOS customers: Atlas Shrugged is available via pay per view.

It's not in their featured section, but do a search and you'll find it...I found it by accident.
37 posted on 12/20/2011 5:34:03 AM PST by domeika
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To: Making_Sense [Rob W. Case]

Spoiler alert:

When they finally tracked down where all the factories had gone, it turned out all the machines and factories had been given to the communist Chinese, and all the Americans who worked on the machines have been fired.

They all lived unemployed ever after. And voted for Obama, because they no longer had jobs.


38 posted on 12/20/2011 5:38:22 AM PST by Cringing Negativism Network ("FREE TRADERS": Self-loathing Americans)
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