Reiner's Hillary spot
Two random thoughts about Rob Reiner's somewhat messy but passionate online ad for Hillary Clinton, which was sent around today.
One, Reiner has cast himself in the spot, and seems very much of an amusingly hyper, judgmental live-wire type. (More so than he's ever seemed to me during junket round tables.) So much so that you can't help but wonder, "How could such a hyper, judgmental live-wire type make such cautious, edgeless movies like Rumor Has it, The Story of Us, Alex & Emma , North and Ghosts fo Mississippi for the last ten to twelve years?" Reiner doesn't seem to have put himself into these films. At all.
And two, the central statement in Reiner's spot comes when he advises a Hillary volunteer to tell people she's calling that she's "100% convinced that she's the only candidate who can actually change things." This, of course, is code for "she's the only Democratic candidate likely to win" but is she? And given Clinton's polarizing profile and temperamental nature, is it all that likely she'll actually change things, or will she mainly agitate and enrage?
Posted by Jeffrey Wells on October 9, 2007 at 1:07 PM
comment #1
Ian Sinclair
says ...
Worked for me. I signed up for team Clinton today. My goodie bag is on its way. Need a Hillary beanie cap, Jeff?
Posted by Ian Sinclair
at October 9, 2007 1:34 PM
comment #2
MilkMan
says ...
Listen, I know this goes without saying, but please, just in case you didn't already know this, please don't listen to anything Rob Reiner has to say about anything or take anything he has to say seriously. If you want someone's political opinion, go ask your father or your co-worker or your best friend or anyone who has a clue what it is like to live in the civilian world most of us inhabit. This guy is just another rich douche who is looking out for him and his own kind. Rob Reiner doesn't care about you or your life or how hard it is to make rent or get health insurance. None of these things mean anything to him. All he is concerned about is acquiring power for himself and making himself feel important. This fat face has never had to worry about anything other than whose ass he had to lick at a given moment, or what his legacy was, or is, and the sneaking suspicion that he is nowhere near as funny as his father.
Posted by MilkMan
at October 9, 2007 1:36 PM
comment #3
Josh Massey
says ...
I'd like to think the closest Reiner has ever come to playing himself was in Primary Colors.
Posted by Josh Massey
at October 9, 2007 1:40 PM
comment #4
JD
says ...
Jeff, it's really bizarre that you feel this need to jump on the GOP's anti-Hillary bandwagon, in order to campaign for Obama. If Hilary turns out to be the Democrat nominee, you will have aided the anti-Hillary/pro-Republican machine. In the grand scheme of things, is that really a wise choice?
Posted by JD
at October 9, 2007 1:41 PM
comment #5
royfromage
says ...
Ghosts fo Mississippi? Fo sho!
Posted by royfromage
at October 9, 2007 1:42 PM
comment #6
le corbeau
says ...
She's got that rich aging Baby Boomer Hollywood Jew group sewn up, now she just needs... about 50 million other people.
Posted by le corbeau
at October 9, 2007 1:45 PM
comment #7
MilkMan
says ...
It doesn't make a difference who is elected. Any of you think if Hilary's elected that anything is going to be different in three years? When does anything ever change? Same people, different clothes, regularly scheduled outcome. Every politician is a corporate shill. They don't represent you, they represent Glaxo, Du Pont, GE, blah, blah, blah. They're all businessmen, not philosopher-kings. Do people really still buy the whole one voice/one vote bullshit? It's called the American dream for a reason. Who said that? I don't know.
Posted by MilkMan
at October 9, 2007 1:47 PM
comment #8
BNick
says ...
More and more anti-Hillary Democrats are feeling the need to jump on her because her opponents, especially Obama, have failed to do so!
I don't think anything the AHDs (Anti-Hillary Democrats) are saying about her now will hurt her in the general election. In fact, they might help her:
"She won't pull all our troops out right away!"
"Her health care plan isn't ambitious enough!"
"She shouldn't have voted for the Iran resolution!"
All neutral to positive things, to the average Ohio swing voter.
Posted by BNick
at October 9, 2007 1:48 PM
comment #9
Crow T Robot
says ...
Funny to see Wells' political point of view come from his movie sense. Hillary Clinton is, for all intents and purposes, a sequel... another aging franchise with the same old ideas slickly marketed as new ones (Pirates 3). While Obama is a true original (more like say Ratatouille)... one that requires a little more work to get the word out on, but yields the biggest creative rewards.
Unfortunately as last summer indicated, America has a soft sport for turning sequels into hits. Especially shitty ones. Must be a comfort zone thing.
Posted by Crow T Robot
at October 9, 2007 1:54 PM
comment #10
jeffmcm
says ...
"She's got that rich aging Baby Boomer Hollywood Jew group sewn up"
Do you really want these words out there with your name on them? Okay.
Posted by jeffmcm
at October 9, 2007 1:57 PM
comment #11
shepherd12345
says ...
The guy's been an utter fucking nightmare ever since his politics took over his filmmaking, but honestly, how many comic filmmakers match his trifecta of SPINAL TAP - PRINCESS BRIDE - WHEN HARRY MET SALLY?
allow me to be heretical and say i'd rather watch these three films than anything from woody's "early, funny" period any day of the week, and i'll bet i'll think the same in 20 years.
seriously, who tops that run? put aside chaplin and the silents. i'd definitely take those three over PRODUCERS-YOUNG FRANKENSTEIN-BLAZING SADDLES.
i think you have to go back to billy wilder, or maybe even preston sturges. i don't think wilder's comic stuff has aged as well as his dramatic stuff.
Posted by shepherd12345
at October 9, 2007 2:01 PM
comment #12
Derby
says ...
I just don’t think I could bring myself to vote for the candidate who is endorsed by the person who directed "Rumor Has It…."
Posted by Derby
at October 9, 2007 2:47 PM
comment #13
bmcintire
says ...
Off topic, but am I alone in thinking the color-scheme in the banner ads for SLEUTH make it look like Jude Law is wearing a shoulder-length blonde wig?
Posted by bmcintire
at October 9, 2007 2:49 PM
comment #14
hanimal
says ...
of topic number 2:
just saw Lars and the Real Girl and me like it VERY MUCH!
ryan gosling should be pushed to THAT CATEGORY again!
Posted by hanimal
at October 9, 2007 2:55 PM
comment #15
hanimal
says ...
off topic number 2:
just saw Lars and the Real Girl and me like it VERY MUCH!
ryan gosling should be pushed to THAT CATEGORY again!
Posted by hanimal
at October 9, 2007 2:55 PM
comment #16
christian
says ...
WHEN HARRY MET SALLY?
Without Woody Allen or ANNIE HALL that film would not exist. That's not a trifecta at all. Just three films in a row...
Posted by christian
at October 9, 2007 2:57 PM
comment #17
Gus Petch
says ...
Seriously, who tops that run?
I don't know about tops it, but I'd put the Coens in the running. Pick three from Raising Arizona, The Big Lebowski, O Brother, Where Art Thou?, and Intolerable Cruelty (The Hudsucker Proxy might belong there as well, but I still haven't seen it.)
Posted by Gus Petch
at October 9, 2007 2:58 PM
comment #18
mizerock
says ...
"This person disagrees with my viewpoint, so I'll slander their entire (group / profession) as (traitors / out-of-touch elites / lazy) by making an ad hominem attack."
Democrats and Republicans alike are adept at making decisions without letting the facts get in the way, a new study shows.
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/11009379/
Posted by mizerock
at October 9, 2007 3:02 PM
comment #19
christian
says ...
LOVE AND DEATH; ANNIE HALL; MANHATTAN.
Reiner comes nowhere close. Few do.
Posted by christian
at October 9, 2007 3:02 PM
comment #20
le corbeau
says ...
"Do you really want these words out there with your name on them? Okay."
Like the pathetolibs here could possibly think any worse of me. Hell, most of you probably have a sneaking admiration for Ron Paul's antisemitism, I figure it can only make me more popular.
Posted by le corbeau
at October 9, 2007 3:02 PM
comment #21
christian
says ...
"Hell, most of you probably have a sneaking admiration for Ron Paul's antisemitism, I figure it can only make me more popular."
Because Hollywood Jews are so self-loathing?
Yet I voted for Paul in 1988 when he was the libertarian candidate. I was young and under the thrall of Ayn Rand.
Posted by christian
at October 9, 2007 3:05 PM
comment #22
T. Holly
says ...
Would Edwards take a VP shot with Barack?
Posted by T. Holly
at October 9, 2007 3:22 PM
comment #23
Nan
says ...
"And given Clinton's polarizing profile and temperamental nature,"
You have really bought all that bs from the Right Wing Noise Machine, haven't you.
Hillary Clinton has been demonized, slandered, smeared for 15 years by the Right Wing Noise Machine. She is still standing tall and fighting.
How do you think your guy Obama would fare under such a sustained assault? The GOP would eat him alive and spit out his bones. He wouldn't survive the ordeal.
Posted by Nan
at October 9, 2007 3:40 PM
comment #24
D.Z.
says ...
The ad feels like an infomercial featuring, and catering to, moderate Dems who prefer to play it safe by repeating weak catch-phrases, rather than giving me a sense of any real change.
JD: "If Hilary turns out to be the Democrat nominee, you will have aided the anti-Hillary/pro-Republican machine. In the grand scheme of things, is that really a wise choice?"
Hillary's been helping the Republicans on her own for a while now without Jeff. Anyway, that's the same argument softie Dems were making against voting for Nader, and he ended up being right about them not being any better or different.
shepherd: Spinal Tap was bland, and Princess Bride is overrated. I haven't seen When Harry Met Sally, but it's probably dumb, too.
The Producers is hit-and-miss, but it does have its moments. Blazing Saddles was amusing, but Young Frankenstein was admittedly dull, but charming. I'd say Brooks and Allen take more chances than Reiner, who doesn't go for cheap laughs, but who doesn't go for challenging laughs, either.
bmc: The banner ads for Sleuth make me think it's the Brit answer to Brokeback Mountain.
Posted by D.Z.
at October 9, 2007 3:44 PM
comment #25
Caustic712
says ...
1) I sort of enjoy Reiner getting animated for a change, whether it's a conscious self-parody or not. But this is really just a gloss on Sydney Pollack's "turn off your cell phone" PSA:
http://blip.tv/file/163613/?skin=popup
2) The core message here seems to be "Get more passionate, core campaign supporters! Stop treating this like pointless drudgery!" Is that supposed to be a sign of confidence? (Maybe this is just doublethink -- make the challengers think the machine isn't so powerful after all.)
Posted by Caustic712
at October 9, 2007 4:15 PM
comment #26
T. Holly
says ...
It is drudgery. Hillbilly's being propped up by Ron Burkle and Stephen Bing because they chase tail with Bill. Reiner's probably racist. Maybe Hillbilly could have a health scare. Obama's good medicine.
Posted by T. Holly
at October 9, 2007 4:24 PM
comment #27
jeffmcm
says ...
"Like the pathetolibs here could possibly think any worse of me."
Well, I have more respect for you than I do for DZ, although probably only marginally.
Posted by jeffmcm
at October 9, 2007 5:19 PM
comment #28
le corbeau
says ...
I refuse to accept that.
Posted by le corbeau
at October 9, 2007 5:29 PM
comment #29
Jay T.
says ...
"It doesn't make a difference who is elected. Any of you think if Hilary's elected that anything is going to be different in three years? When does anything ever change?"
Uhhh............................. Think of what was in the news on your average day in 2000 and what's in the news today -- things have changed a hell of a lot over the past seven years.
Posted by Jay T.
at October 9, 2007 5:45 PM
comment #30
Walter Sobchak
says ...
"If Hilary turns out to be the Democrat nominee, you will have aided the anti-Hillary/pro-Republican machine."
"You have really bought all that bs from the Right Wing Noise Machine, haven't you."
Again with the "machines". Of course, pay no attention to me. I'm just part of the Conservative Movie Forum Posting Machine.
Posted by Walter Sobchak
at October 9, 2007 6:24 PM
comment #31
Walter Sobchak
says ...
I'll give that left-wing loon christian this... he sticks to his principles... and I admire that... seriously...
How anyone calling themselves a serious liberal could support Hillary is about as laughable as that same person supporting Bill Clinton.
I don't blame them a bit for holding their noses and voting for them when the only alternative is a Republican, but please. Nixon was more liberal than either of them.
Of course the problem with Hillary is we don't know if she's conservative or liberal... she's where ever the polls take her...
Posted by Walter Sobchak
at October 9, 2007 6:29 PM
comment #32
BurmaShave
says ...
"Spinal Tap was bland, and Princess Bride is overrated. I haven't seen When Harry Met Sally, but it's probably dumb, too."
I stand in awe of the thought process at work.
Posted by BurmaShave
at October 10, 2007 1:21 AM
comment #33
Josh Massey
says ...
You think Reiner is looking at a box of Krispy Kremes in the photo?
Posted by Josh Massey
at October 10, 2007 10:37 AM
comment #34
rocco
says ...
The problem today is that most people don't really understand what it means to be liberal vs. conservative, republican vs. democrat. Put a goddamn (D) or (R) next to supporters will rationalize and delude themselves into believing their polician has their best interests at heart. Ron Paul may be an "fringe" candidate, but it's a shame so many will simply disregard his simple, honest, libertarian (something Jeff also claims to be) platform solely because he's running as a (R). All this talk about change and then all the emphasize on the least inspiring people. It's hypocritical, disheartening, and myopic...or as Jackie Chiles might say...ourageous, egregious, preposterous.
Posted by rocco
at October 11, 2007 6:59 PM