No other American president in recent history has had as significant a public profile after leaving office as Jimmy Carter, but public profile isn’t all good--as Jimmy Carter, Man from Plains demonstrates. This documentary, directed by Jonathan Demme (The Silence of the Lambs, Philadelphia), captures the blaze of controversy that followed publication of Carter's book Palestine: Peace Not Apartheid. As Carter launches his book tour, the rounds of interviews make clear that much of the hubbub was sparked simply by the use of the word "apartheid" in the title. But Man from Plains isn't just a series of media debates, it's also a portrait of Carter--a man lauded for his fundamental decency and criticized for his deep-rooted stubbornness--and a glancing but not simplified discussion of the Palestinian occupation itself. Most of the movie tracks the former president as he travels from city to city, but scenes at events in Plains and footage from Carter's tenure in office give the depiction of Carter some scope. Demme captures Carter's generosity, his earnest spirituality, and--undeniably--his ego, which (as with anyone who's risen to public office) is not small, despite Carter's sense of humility. This well-rounded documentary is essential viewing for anyone who yearns for the day when our elected officials had integrity. --Bret Fetzer
No other American president in recent history has had as significant a public profile after leaving ...
