The president believes he is above the law. America hasn't been caring for its soldiers. Liberals have no clue about what makes our country great.
These are precisely the kinds of declarations you would expect to hear in the midst of the election season. Yet these arguments come not from any presidential candidate or congressional campaign but from several politically minded movies that are to arrive in theaters over the next several weeks.
The people behind these films -- which include an indictment of the CIA and its interrogation techniques and a conservative comedy lampooning a Michael Moore-like muckraker -- are betting that the presidential election season will make moviegoers more inclined to sample their topical stories.
Political movies: In an article in Sunday's Section A on upcoming Hollywood films with political themes, a photo caption referred to "W.," a film about George W. Bush directed by Oliver Stone, as a "fictional autobiography." It should have said the movie is a fictionalized biography.
"George W. Bush barely even got a mention at the Republican National Convention, and that to me is fascinating," said Oliver Stone, director of the fictionalized presidential biography "W.," due in theaters Oct. 17.
Some of the filmmakers are holding out hope that their movies might inform and change policy debates -- or even play a starring role in the cultural conversation.
If the latest box office history is a guide, however, these movies may find only a small audience, as today's moviegoers seem to prefer by a wide margin forget-your-cares escapism over intellectual engagement, especially when it comes to current events.
Recent films about war and the Middle East -- "Rendition," "Stop-Loss," "In the Valley of Elah" and the Oscar-winning documentary "Taxi to the Dark Side" among them -- failed to attract large audiences.
But rather than try to downplay their movies' political plots, several filmmakers used the just-concluded party conventions to drum up interest in their forthcoming movies.
David Zucker, director and co-writer of "An American Carol," showed his film to more than 2,000 guests at the Republican National Convention. Stuart Townsend, writer and director of "Battle in Seattle," took his drama about 1999's World Trade Organization demonstrations to both conventions. "Battle" is due Sept. 26; "Carol" is due Oct. 3.
"My intention is that when people see the film, they connect to the characters and they want to learn more," Townsend said.
In addition to "W.," "Battle in Seattle" and "An American Carol," the lineup of new movies about government, public policy, citizenship and personal beliefs includes:
