Ackland Film Forum – Politics on Film
A Face in the Crowd (1957) | Tuesday, October 1 | 7:30 p.m.
Introduced by Michelle Robinson, Associate Professor of American Studies
The film debut of North Carolina’s own Andy Griffith, Elia Kazan’s A Face in the Crowd tells the
story of Arkansas drifter Larry “Lonesome” Rhodes, who rises to national attention after radio
journalist Marcia Jeffries (Patricia Neal) gives him a stint on the air. A brutal critique of celebrity
populism, Kazan’s film portrays how the shrewd Rhodes exploits a folksy persona to secure
political influence and gain a foothold in presidential politics.
Medium Cool (1969) | Tuesday, October 8 | 7:30 p.m.
Renowned cinematographer Haskell Wexler (Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf (1966); In the Heat of
the Night (1967)) directed this film about a cynical Chicago TV news reporter (Robert Forster).
Wexler anticipated the protests and riots outside the 1968 Democratic National Convention and
wrote them into the script, resulting in a startling fusion of documentary and fiction in this
portrait of a pivotal moment in American politics.
Being There (1979) | Tuesday, October 15 | 7:30 p.m.
Introduced by Rick Warner, Associate Professor of English and Comparative Literature and
Director of Film Studies
Chance, an unworldly gardener mistaken for a genius of political policy, is one of the most
curious characters in American cinema. Director Hal Ashby’s film features a tour de force
performance by actor Peter Sellers, with the excellent Shirley MacLaine and Melvin Douglas as
supporting cast.
Election (1999) | Tuesday, October 23 | 7:30 p.m.
Introduced by Jonathan Albrite, Department of English and Comparative Literature
Alexander Payne directed this adaptation of Tom Perotta’s 1998 novel on dirty politics in a high
school election, which was inspired in part by the 1992 presidential race where George H. Bush,
Bill Clinton and Ross Perot vied for the U.S. presidency. Sabotage, vandalism, ballot
irregularities–all feature in this disturbing and hilarious portrait of Tracy Flick (Reese
Witherspoon), who will do anything to become student government president at Carver High
School in Omaha, Nebraska, and Jim McAllister (Matthew Broderick), the social studies teacher
determined to stop her.
Chisholm ’72: Unbought and Unbossed| Tuesday, October 30 | 7:30 p.m.
Introduced by Tony Royle, Department of American Studies
Shola Lynch’s remarkable documentary on Brooklyn Congresswoman Shirley Chisholm’s 1972
campaign to become the Democratic Party’s presidential nominee never felt more relevant.
Energetic and celebratory, this film tells the story of the first Black woman to be elected to the
U.S. House of Representatives and her mission: to transform American politics as a candidate of
the people.
Ackland Film Forum – Politics on Film
All films will be screened at 7:30 p.m. at the Varsity Theatre (123 E. Franklin Street).
Tickets are free but must be reserved on the Ackland’s website. UNC-Chapel Hill
students can receive CLE credit for attending by scanning the QR code at the event.
Ackland Film Forum |
