Holiday Movies

It took a while for me to find a space in the parking garage while Jim found tickets on Christmas day, but it all worked out. The theater was nearly full so I was in the third row looking up toward the screen, while he got a soda. I now know more about Frank Langella’s face as Nixon than I ever wanted.

Yes, the little ones (others’, not ours) were scattered seeing all their new releases so we opted for an R-rated movie (for language) and something that’s been out for a couple of weeks. Frost/Nixon is worth seeing. The key actors are incredible. Those who prefer car chases and things blowing up, stay away.

I was young and disinterested but not completely clueless during Watergate. When I’d come home from school, Mom was incessantly ironing while watching the Senate hearings. Mom never watched TV during the day. I’ll bet she cleaned and ironed all our curtains more than twice to watch the impeachment hearings. It was a heartfelt moment for me to watch her shake Senator Sam Ervin’s hand a few years later.

All The President’s Men was a primer as to the mechanics of the scandal. That was the “gotcha” phase as a prelude to the “gotcha phrase” of David Frost’s interview but here one may see more of the man. His daughters might not agree. His wife was largely absent in the film, perhaps in his life? I’ve not read the books, nor do I wish to. One can only be a specialist in certain areas.

As I said, I had more important things in my life than politics and living history. Like hanging out with friend Julie who always had an oboe reed in her mouth and marched in the 1972 Nixon Inaugural Parade, playing a flute. Yes, we were the team that TC Williams Titans took down the year before I moved into the neighborhood. Applause for all they did at the time, but all I remember is buses with bars and lots of security whenever TC was in town. That scared me, coming from a small town where people don’t lock cars or doors. But it was unwarranted as nothing ever happened. It was just me going to a big city.

Ironically I ended up in politics, thinking it was policy. I learned a great deal about issues, people and power. The power of the President is penultimate, the opportunity to intimidate visitors is vast yet it seems that certain leaders resorted to the most crass form of insult. LBJ calling in staffers to his bathroom and berating them when he was on the toilet. Nixon trying to put a reporter off guard by asking about his bedroom or whether his shoes are OK for real men.

Not that the reporter seemed to have any better qualities. No, I’m not a movie reporter. I was a kid here during the Vietnam War, Watergate and don’t know much about either except for Walter Cronkite. I remember he tolled the dead every day. We watched his news every evening and believed him, as I don’t believe reporters today. I need at least three sources of print/cable/internet news to even think that anything is true. When Mr. Cronkite said it, it was fact.

Give a try to Frost/Nixon but don’t sit in the third row.

Ten years from now, there will be an expose movie about President Clinton. Just like Watergate, it may focus on one thing. Let’s hope it doesn’t. Nixon had China.