BIAS IN LATEST MOVIE "SEABISCUIT"

self | Feb. 7, 2004 | self

[upcountryhorseman]

Has anyone noticed The beginning of the new movie Seabiscuit? The story of Seabiscuit took place during the big depression and the viewer is given a montage of depression era souplines, "okie" camps, stockmarket wipeouts, etc. Then the venue changes and we are treated to 1930's news shots of WPA construction projects, CCC rural improvement projects and a quick shot of FDR with the commentator saying "Things are better because of FDR and the help of the government".

I was shocked by this propaganda display and feel that it had nothing to do with the story. Also, interjecting this material made the beginning of the movie very disjointed and difficult to follow. It goes without saying that FDR did not end the depression, WWII did. I liked the rest of the movie. But this exemplifies the soialist bias of many Hollywood screenwriters.

[jpsb]

[because of FDR the country got working and optimistic again.]

That is pretty much correct according to all I have read and been taught. FDR was such a popular president that he was elected to the office 4 times.

[Reelect President Dubya]

I heard that in "Miracle" there is not one mention of Carters alcoholic brother.

They overlayed some period sound clips, including Jimmah's pathetic "malaise" speech.

It all pretty much speaks for itself, especially the stuff from the worst President in the past fifty years.

And no, I don't mean Bill. Bill was the most evil President of the past fifty years. Jimmah was merely self-satisfied and incompetent.

The clips they have in there are for context, and it enhances the story more like background music than anything particularly signifant.

I am pretty sensitive to Liberal propaganda, and I really didn't sense that was its purpose.

Kurt Russell is pretty much a conservative.

And, it is a really good movie.

[Koblenz]

Go see Miracle. You'll get a montage of Carter, gas lines, Iranian embassy, Soviets in Afghanistan, and Jimmy Carter giving this horrific speech on the radio while Brooks is driving his car. Jimmy was basically saying how bad things were.

[Dr. Frank fan]

In fact I think you probably have a point. Perhaps this is why the voice-over didn't bother me much at the time. I can quibble with the American people for *making* him popular, but I can't quibble with the fact that he *was* popular... :)

[CROSSHIGHWAYMAN]

I was shocked by this propaganda display and feel that it had nothing to do with the story.

It had every thing to do with the Depression.

The story was painted on the canvas of the times, of which the Depression was IT.

I loved the movie.

It was inspirational.

It showed a businessman as a human being, not a money-grubber.

It was one of the times in our history that everyone was on the same side trying to survive.

[rwfromkansas]

It may be true, but the way he did it is not acceptable or praiseworthy.

[socal_parrot]

Let me forthrightly apologize for stating that the Government put people to work.

[Moonman62]

The montages he refers to do not simply say "there were soup lines and bread lines and work programs that were funded by the government".

What they say is something more like: because of FDR the country got working and optimistic again.

All the major characters were self-made successes, and the movie makes that clear. None of them were the result of some government program.

[mikeb704]

[because of FDR the country got working and optimistic again.]

That is pretty much correct according to all I have read and been taught.

The truth is there were more unemployed Americans after six years of FDR than the day he was inaugurated.

Michael M. Bates: My Side of the Swamp

[Ohioan]

The author of the book notes that in 1938, more was written about Seabiscuit than FDR or Hitler.

I like your association. It is actually historically correct. FDR and Hitler had a great deal in common, so much so, that German Intelligence (who were not idiots) considered Roosevelt's preference for England in 1940 to be the result of jealousy over Hitler's having been more successful with the same policy.

However to consider your whole sentence, I would add that Seabiscuit was all over and all together a more moral and ethical example of the glory of Gods Creation than either of those with whom you have linked him. (And America would have come out of the Depression sooner--as an absolute fact--had Seabiscuit, rather than Roosevelt been President. As for Germany? There were an awful lot of historic buildings, as well as many, many families, that might still be around, had Seabiscuit been the Chancellor, then Fuehrer, instead of the German Socialist.)

Of course, I am being whimsical, but certainly not untruthful.

William Flax Return Of The Gods Web Site

[Faraday]

The director/screen writer was Gary Ross. He also directed Dave and Pleasantville, movies with strong liberal biases. The soup kitchen/FDR montage was a sop thrown in at the beginning to keep Ross's liberal credentials current in Hollywood. The book was a paean to capitalism and conservative values.

[MarMema]

Seabiscuit is a wonderful movie. I found it to be about a miracle, that three men could have had their lives changed by a horse that no one thought was worth anything. And then this supposedly worthless horse could give the entire country hope and joy.

Skip the FDR stuff and focus on the ending. What were the odds against this taking place, and yet it did. It spoke for me as witness of God's love for us.

[The Radical Capitalist]

Quite apart from the bias of the commentary, I was annoyed that the producers included commentary and documentary footage throughout the film.

In a dramatic work that is a period piece, an understanding of the period should be revealed through the characters, dialogue, actions and events in the story. Using commentary is a lazy and distracting way to get your point across.

I was willing to put up with it at the very beginning of the film -- even "Casablanca" needed a narrator to set up the refugee situation in the city of Casablanca, but narration and documentary footage was repeatedly used throughout the movie, totally taking me out of the story and reminding me that, after all, this is only a movie. It ruined the dramatic quality of the work for me.

Keep narration for the History Channel - when I'm watching a drama, I don't want David McCullough lecturing me.

[jpsb]

You really should try playing the hand that was dealt to you instead of insisting on a reshuffle just cause you don't like it.

FDR, is/was/and always will be a beloved president of these United States. He got the country going again when the economies of the world collaspe in the early 30's. And that is that.

Sorry you don't like it but until you learn how to deal with it, you will be forever standing on the grassy noll wondering why no one pays any attention to you.

[mikeb704]

My post didn't address FDR's popularity. It pointed out that, contrary to all you "have read and been taught," his New Deal didn't lead to reduced unemployment.

[jpsb]

What I have read, and believe, is that there was a great fear in ruling class, that the country might turn communist. And that communism was the enemy that FDR was fighting with the work programs, etc. FDR turned to socialism to prevent communism. I can't be to hash on FDR, he did that he thought he had to do, and was successful. Now it's our turn and we need to stop the side into full blown socialism cause if we don't we will wind up with communism.

[Moonman62]

Keep narration for the History Channel - when I'm watching a drama, I don't want David McCullough lecturing me.

Here's one part of the narration that must have made McCullough choke on his bile:

In the end, it wasn't the dams, or the roads, or the bridges or the parks, or the tunnels, or the thousands of other public projects that were built in those years. It was more invisible than that. Men who were broken only a year before suddenly felt restored. Men who'd been shattered, suddenly found their voice.

For those who haven't seen the movie, the quote within context is clearly giving credit to Seabiscuit, not FDR.

[jpsb]

What is wrong with public works programs when 1 in 4 is starving and out of work?

[Siamese Princess]

I think the problem is that the narrator, David McCullough is a big government commie, and perhaps you're picking up some of those vibes from him. Of course, these days he could be a Republican.

I laughed when I read that, but, unfortunately, you may be correct. Sigh.

[frithguild]

The story of Seabiscuit took place during the big depression and the viewer is given a montage of depression era souplines, "okie" camps, stockmarket wipeouts, etc. Then the venue changes and we are treated to 1930's news shots of WPA construction projects, CCC rural improvement projects and a quick shot of FDR with the commentator saying "Things are better because of FDR and the help of the government".

I took this as an opportunity to explain to my 9 year old that policy errors cause depressions, like tight money and protectionism (Not enough money and the government makes things more expensive by higher taxes) and that policy errors can make a depression last longer (people were starving and the government threw away food to make it more expensive). She got it.