RECOUNT Apparently, there was some debate over the outcome of the 2000 Presidential election. Recount- a new addition to the HBO Films’ roster (and currently playing on the various HBO channels)- takes an in-depth look at the chaotic nightmare that resulted in GW Bush proudly stealing the title of Commander in Chief. OK, ok, you’re right, that’s not fair, I shouldn’t point all the blame on that good ole’ boy, especially with his mental retardation and all. Besides, my roommate voted for him in 2000. Seriously; his rationale was that, since GW had done coke throughout his college years, he would be reluctant to throw his buddies (who naturally became imbedded in various high-status positions in the government and beyond) in jail when the “war on drugs" escalated, being that drugs are an issue in this country primarily as a result of the U.S. Government. That is why this dude voted for Bush. And he hated Tipper Gore. But chances are, you know how the “election" ended: lunacy and despair for 36 angry days, ending in a “victory" for the GOP that brought this country into its darkest days since we gained independence from those scurvy Redcoats. Or at least since JFK was killed. The film starts off on that crazy night in November, 2000, when the news stations first told the world that Al Gore had won the election...only to recant a few hours later, giving Florida to GW, which mathematically gave Bush the Presidency, even if Gore had the popular vote nailed. We see in the inside reactions of both camps, watching each side react to the mayhem accordingly, which ends up in a political street fight between the Democrats and Republicans. What makes Recount so important is, rather than simply calling the GOP a bunch of cocksuckers, it is an examination of how twisted and bizarre presidential elections in this country really are. In the end, it’s not so much the American voters who decide the President, but rather a bunch of lobbyists and lawyers, with the decision based on whoever presents the most convincing argument. We are run by a backward and corrupt system. Indeed, when the Supreme Court ruled on the 2000 election, they ruled that Bush vs. Gore only counts in the current circumstance, meaning their decision only applies to that particular election, and not any other events from that point forward. Isn’t the point of the Supreme Court to set precedence for which the lower courts follow from that point forward? Then again, nobody raised much of an argument in 2004, when Ken Blackwell gave the state of Ohio to Bush illegally...nor did anybody bat an eye when the Democratic Party illegally sued Ralph Nader’s campaign in almost every state, in a low-as-the-GOP effort to keep him from “spoiling" Kerry’s chances of being Top Dog. My point is, Recount is an important reminder of what’s really at stake come Election Day, and how ugly American politics has become. It’s an exciting glimpse at what became a landmark in the decline of this once great nation. Kevin Spacey stars as Ron Klain, Gore’s former chief of staff who ended up taking charge of the Democrats’ fight. Dennis Leary plays Michael Whouley, national field director for the Gore campaign. Bob Balaban shines as a vicious Ben Ginsberg, national counsel to the Bush-Cheney campaign. Tom Wilkinson is spot-on as James Baker III, who ran the fight for the Republicans. And Laura Dern is awesome as Katherine Harris, that ditzy Secretary of State of Florida who did everything she could to give GW her state. [Tommy Digital] |