I Knew There Was a Reason I Liked This Guy
According to SlashFilm, a website dedicated to movie news, Barack Obama's favorite films are The Godfather, Parts I and II and...wait for it...Lawrence of Arabia -- quite simply the greatest move ever made, in my...our humble opinion.
posted by Brandon at 7:23 AM
10 Comments:
"If people find that controversial then I would just refer them to the Sermon on the Mount, which I think is, in my mind, for my faith, more central than an obscure passage in Romans."
Aside from this embarrassingly ignorant interpretation of the bible, where is the public outcry fearing another evangelical ruling the country and forcing his morality on the rest of us.
Last I checked, this was a fun lil' post about movies.
Brandon,
Touché. In my defense, if I had posted this comment on an earlier post it would not have been read. I truly wanted to see the opinions of Obama supporters regarding this statement.
You don't know how irked I was to hear that Obama's three favorite movies were the same movies that obsessed me in my early 20s. (I still count Lawrence of Arabia as one of my three all-time favorites ... along with The Purple Rose of Cairo and The Family Way.)
Of course, more important than which films a person picks, arguably, is why a person picks them. It would be interesting to hear Obama explain why he likes those three films. (I don't suppose he's written any film reviews? :) )
Because they're so hopeful. :-)
Ha!
Actually, if I had to speculate, I might say it's because Obama has "daddy issues" and both films are deeply concerned with "daddy issues" and the broader issues of cultural identification related to those issues. The two Godfather films begin with a seemingly assimilated and Americanized man whose father is decidedly Old World; on a certain level, particularly with regard to Vito's plans for Michael, the two films are about Italians trying to pass for Anglo. Meanwhile, Lawrence of Arabia concerns a man whose feelings of being caught between two cultures are exacerbated by the fact that his own birth was "illegitimate"; on a certain level, it's about an Anglo trying to pass for Arabic.
Compare this however you like to the fact that Obama is a half-white, half-black man who was raised by his white mother after his black father (who already had another family elsewhere, just like Lawrence's father!) abandoned them, and who has spent much of his life trying to "identify" with black culture and shunning relatives of his who are not as obsessed with racial identity as he is.
Just for the record, both of my parents immigrated to Canada -- one from England via Zambia, the other from Ukraine via Paraguay -- so no doubt one of the reasons I like these films is because I, too, have "issues" with regard to cultural duality and assimilation.
@Chris:
Without knowing the context of the quote you provided it is a bit hard to make an educated response to your question.
That being said there is a fair bit of difference from expressing faith and forcing that faith/morality on others. Especially when said person in question has not made his faith a cornerstone of his argument in regards to legitimacy in the presidential race (something none of the republican candidates can claim)
But back on topic: Some twisted part of me would have loved if one of the movies Obama listed was Pootie Tang.
Michael: My father's no different than any other powerful man (Kay laughs), any man who's responsible for other people. Like a senator or a president.
Kay: You know how naive you sound?
Michael: Why?
Kay: Senators and presidents don't have men killed.
Michael: Oh, who's being naive, Kay?
Grinth,
"So to say that men and women should not inject their "personal morality" into public policy debates is a practical absurdity."
Barack Obama
June 28, 2006
This quote was taken from his
"Call to Renewal" speech. If you would like to see this quote in context you can find it a transcript of this speech at http://www.barackobama.com/2006/06/28/call_to_renewal_keynote_address.php
Confession:
I only just this past week saw all three of the Godfather movies, which I borrowed from the library. Though a bit long, they were fantastic and evenings well spent into the wee hours despite the cost of being tired at work the next day.
Interesting Freudian analysis on the daddy issues and cultural identity issues. Very interesting indeed.
Lawrence was long but good too.
Paul
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