LBJ (2016)

“This damn civil rights issue is gonna tear the Democrats in two. We got rival camps that are never gonna see eye to eye. But as long as they’re sitting at the table, they’re gonna need an interpreter. The Kennedys don’t speak Southern – the Southerners don’t speak Kennedy. I’m the only man who’s fluent in both languages. ” – LBJ

Number of Times Seen – 1 (6 Sep 2018)

Brief Synopsis – Biography of Lyndon Johnson who came to power as President due to circumstances beyond his control and did his best to carry out his own legacy along with the legacy of JFK.

My Take on it – I have been interested in seeing this film for some time and finally got the opportunity to do so.

As a fan of the history of the Presidency, I’m so glad to see Woody Harrelson’s take on this very controversial president who was thrust into office after JFK was assassinated.

Harrelson manages to show both the gruff and thoughtful sides of this powerful man who knew how important he was to history.

The story is portrayed quite well and we get to see many of the steps in the thought process of a man who knew that the future would look at every decision he made and decide on his greatness based on that even when those decisions were never easy ones to make.

The dialogue is superbly written and they don’t downplay or shy away from any of the matter of fact speaking powers of this man who made so many changes for the better (and for worse) during his time in office.

Bottom Line – Great look at a very controversial presidency. Harrelson is superb in the lead and he manages both the gruff and thoughtful sides of LBJ. The story is told really well and we get a clear sense of how important a figure he was yet also see that he himself realized his potential for greatness when making not so simple decisions. The dialogue is great and they don’t downplay the matter of fact speaking patterns of this straightforward politician. Recommended!

MovieRob’s Favorite Trivia – The “LBJ ordering pants” scene is taken almost verbatim from an actual audio recording of that phone call, available widely on the web. (From IMDB)

Rating – Globe Worthy (8/10)

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