Our Nixon

Last updated

Our Nixon
Our Nixon film poster.jpg
Theatrical release poster.
Directed by Penny Lane
Produced by Brian L. Frye
Penny Lane
Starring Richard Nixon
H.R. Haldeman
John Ehrlichman
Dwight Chapin
Henry Kissinger
Ron Ziegler
Larry Higby
Cinematography H.R. Haldeman, John Ehrlichman, Dwight Chapin
Edited byFrancisco Bello
Music by Hrishikesh Hirway
Production
company
Dipper Films
Distributed by CNN Films and Cinedigm
Release dates
  • March 9, 2013 (2013-03-09)(SXSW Festival)
  • August 1, 2013 (2013-08-01)(CNN Television)
Running time
85 minutes
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish

Our Nixon is an all-archival documentary providing a view of the Nixon presidency through the use of Super-8 format home movies filmed by top Nixon aides H.R. Haldeman, Dwight Chapin and John Ehrlichman, combined with other historical material such as interviews, oral histories and news clips. It was directed by Penny Lane. [1]

Contents

Background

Throughout the Richard Nixon presidency (1969–1974) three of his top White House aides—chief of staff H. R. Haldeman, domestic affairs adviser John Ehrlichman, and special assistant Dwight Chapin—extensively documented their experiences with Super 8 home movie cameras, creating a visual record of over 500 reels. These films were seized by the FBI during the Watergate investigation, then filed away for almost 40 years. Our Nixon is an all-archival documentary presenting these home movies together with other material, including excerpts from the secretly recorded Nixon White House tapes, contemporary news reports, and later interviews with the three staffers.

Release

Penny Lane and Francisco Bello at the International Film Festival of Rotterdam 2013 to promote Our Nixon IFFR 095 - Penny Lane.JPG
Penny Lane and Francisco Bello at the International Film Festival of Rotterdam 2013 to promote Our Nixon

Our Nixon appeared at the 42nd International Film Festival Rotterdam. [2] The film has subsequently screened at notable film festivals, including, among others, AFI DOCS in Washington, DC, the Los Angeles Film Festival, [3] the 39th Annual Seattle International Film Festival, where Our Nixon won the 2013 Grand Jury award for Best Documentary Film, [4] the 51st Ann Arbor Film Festival, where it won the Ken Burns Award for Best of the Festival, [5] the 11th Annual Independent Film Festival of Boston, where it won the Karen Schmeer Award for Excellence in Documentary Editing, [6] the 19th Annual Nantucket Film Festival, where it won the Adrienne Shelly Award for Excellence in Filmmaking, [7] and the 9th Annual Traverse City Film Festival, where it won the Founders Prize for Best Documentary. [8]

Our Nixon was also chosen as the closing night film for the Film Society of Lincoln Center and Museum of Modern Art New Directors/New Films Festival in New York City. [9] [10]

Our Nixon made its United States television premiere on CNN on August 1, 2013, and was released theatrically by Cinedigm on August 30, 2013. [11] [12]

Reception

The film received positive reviews from critics. On review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes, the film has an approval rating of 91% based on 43 reviews, with an average rating of 7.5/10. The site's critics' consensus reads: "Our Nixon offers a privileged personal perspective on a White House soon to be derailed by scandal, giving viewers an intimate look at the people behind the political legend." [13] On Metacritic, the film holds an aggregated score of 72 out of 100 based on 14 reviews, indicating "generally favorable reviews". [14]

Stanley Kauffmann of The New Republic wrote that "[ Penny Lane] states that the film was produced entirely from previously extant material, which makes it especially interesting", and concluded: "So we have here a capably done account of a presidential career that was wrecked by a crime that was unnecessary." [15] John Hartl, writing for The Seattle Times , gave the film a score of 3 stars out of 4, and said that "The result is maudlin beyond belief, especially Nixon’s farewell to the aides he’s in the process of firing, but other moments simply register as shockingly out of touch." [16]

Matt Zoller Seitz of RogerEbert.com gave the film a score of 3 stars out of 4, writing that the film "often plays like a mortifying companion to the Nixon-period sitcom "The Wonder Years"", and said that the film's best quality was "its willingness to paint its key players as people, not villains or types. Rather than excuse or soft-pedal their bad deeds, this approach makes them seem more comprehensible and real—like people we might know, but with power." He concluded that the film "charts changing times and generational attitudes simply by showing us particular moments." [17]

David Hinckley, writing for the New York Daily News , was more critical in his review of the film, writing: "For a while, it looks like "Our Nixon" will give us a different perspective on one of the most documented men in modern history, the late President Richard M. Nixon. Right around the time it hits Watergate, though, it falls onto a familiar path, concluding he planted the seeds of his presidency's own doom. We sort of knew that." [18] Peter Howell of the Toronto Star wrote: "Our Nixon shows that while the stooges were good at scheming (up until Watergate, at least) they sucked as filmmakers." [19]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Watergate scandal</span> Political scandal in the United States

The Watergate scandal was a major political scandal in the United States involving the administration of President Richard Nixon from 1972 to 1974 that led to Nixon's resignation. The scandal stemmed from the Nixon administration's attempts to cover up its involvement in the June 17, 1972, break-in of the Democratic National Committee headquarters in Washington, D.C., at the Watergate Office Building.

<i>All the Presidents Men</i> 1974 nonfiction book by Carl Bernstein and Bob Woodward

All the President's Men is a 1974 non-fiction book by Carl Bernstein and Bob Woodward, two of the journalists who investigated the June 1972 break-in at the Watergate Office Building and the resultant political scandal for The Washington Post. The book chronicles the investigative reporting of Woodward and Bernstein from Woodward's initial report on the Watergate break-in through the resignations of Nixon Administration officials H. R. Haldeman and John Ehrlichman in April 1973, and the revelation of the Oval Office Watergate tapes by Alexander Butterfield three months later. It relates the events behind the major stories the duo wrote for the Post, naming some sources who had previously refused to be identified for their initial articles, notably Hugh Sloan. It also gives detailed accounts of Woodward's secret meetings with his source Deep Throat, whose identity was kept hidden for over 30 years. Gene Roberts, the former executive editor of The Philadelphia Inquirer and former managing editor of The New York Times, has called the work of Woodward and Bernstein "maybe the single greatest reporting effort of all time."

<span class="mw-page-title-main">H. R. Haldeman</span> American political aide implicated in the Watergate Scandal

Harry Robbins "Bob" Haldeman was an American political aide and businessman, best known for his service as White House Chief of Staff to President Richard Nixon and his consequent involvement in the Watergate scandal.

<i>Nixon</i> (film) 1995 biographical film directed by Oliver Stone

Nixon is a 1995 American epic historical drama film directed by Oliver Stone, produced by Clayton Townsend, Stone, and Andrew G. Vajna. The film was written by Stone, Christopher Wilkinson, and Stephen J. Rievele, with significant contributions from "project consultants" Christopher Scheer and Robert Scheer. The film tells the story of the political and personal life of former U.S. President Richard Nixon, played by Anthony Hopkins.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Committee for the Re-Election of the President</span> Richard Nixon reelection campaign group (c. 1972)

The Committee for the Re-election of the President, abbreviated CRP, but often mocked by the acronym CREEP, was, officially, a fundraising organization of United States President Richard Nixon's 1972 re-election campaign during the Watergate scandal. In addition to fundraising, the organization also engaged in political sabotage against Nixon's opponents, the various Democratic politicians running in the election.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">John Ehrlichman</span> American lawyer, Watergate co-conspirator, and writer (1925–1999)

John Daniel Ehrlichman was an American political aide who served as the White House Counsel and Assistant to the President for Domestic Affairs under President Richard Nixon. Ehrlichman was an important influence on Nixon's domestic policy, coaching him on issues and enlisting his support for environmental initiatives.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ron Ziegler</span> American politician; Press secretary for the Nixon administration

Ronald Louis Ziegler was the 13th White House Press Secretary and Assistant to the President, serving during United States President Richard Nixon's administration.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">White House Plumbers</span> 1971 U.S. government covert group responding to the Pentagon Papers leak

The White House Plumbers, sometimes simply called the Plumbers, the Room 16 Project, or more officially, the White House Special Investigations Unit, was a covert White House Special Investigations Unit, established within a week of the publication of the Pentagon Papers in June 1971, during the presidency of Richard Nixon. Its task was to stop and/or respond to the leaking of classified information, such as the Pentagon Papers, to the news media. The work of the unit "tapered off" after the bungled "Ellsberg break-in" but some of its former operatives branched into illegal activities while still employed at the White House together with managers of the Committee to Re-elect the President, including the Watergate break-in and the ensuing Watergate scandal. The group has been described as Nixon's "fixers".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Alexander Butterfield</span> American retired military officer, public servant, and businessman

Alexander Porter Butterfield is a retired United States Air Force officer, public servant, and businessman. He served as the deputy assistant to President Richard Nixon from 1969 to 1973. He revealed the White House taping system's existence on July 13, 1973, during the Watergate investigation but had no other involvement in the scandal. From 1973 to 1975, he served as administrator of the Federal Aviation Administration.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Richard Kleindienst</span> United States Attorney General (1972 to 1973)

Richard Gordon Kleindienst was an American lawyer, politician, and U.S. Attorney General during the early stages of Watergate political scandal.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Timeline of the Watergate scandal</span>

The Watergate scandal refers to the burglary and illegal wiretapping of the headquarters of the Democratic National Committee, in the Watergate complex by members of President Richard Nixon's re-election campaign, and the subsequent cover-up of the break-in resulting in Nixon's resignation on August 9, 1974, as well as other abuses of power by the Nixon White House that were discovered during the course of the scandal.

<i>All the Presidents Men</i> (film) 1976 film by Alan J. Pakula

All the President's Men is a 1976 American biographical political drama thriller film about the Watergate scandal that brought down the presidency of Richard Nixon. Directed by Alan J. Pakula with a screenplay by William Goldman, it is based on the 1974 non-fiction book of the same name by Carl Bernstein and Bob Woodward, the two journalists investigating the scandal for The Washington Post.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Donald Nixon</span> Brother of US President Richard Nixon

Francis Donald Nixon was a younger brother of U.S. President Richard Nixon.

A limited hangout or partial hangout is a tactic used in media relations, perception management, politics, and information management. The tactic originated as a technique in the espionage trade.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Operation Sandwedge</span> 1971 proposed American intelligence-gathering operation

Operation Sandwedge was a proposed clandestine intelligence-gathering operation against the political enemies of U.S. President Richard Nixon's administration. The proposals were put together by Nixon's Chief of Staff H. R. Haldeman, domestic affairs assistant John Ehrlichman and staffer Jack Caulfield in 1971. Caulfield, a former police officer, created a plan to target the Democratic Party and the anti-Vietnam War movement, inspired by what he believed to be the Democratic Party's employment of a private investigation firm.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Norma Percy</span> American film producer

Norma Percy is an American-born, documentary film maker and producer. The documentaries she has produced in collaboration with Brian Lapping have covered many of the crises of the 20th Century. In 2010, she was awarded the Orwell Prize Special Prize for Lifetime Achievement.

Cable News Network Films is a motion picture division of CNN under Warner Bros. Pictures, originally launched in 2012. Its first film, Girl Rising premiered in spring 2013 in the United States.

Watergate is a documentary series co-produced by the BBC and Discovery, broadcast in 1994. It was based on the book Watergate: The Corruption and Fall of Richard Nixon, by Fred Emery. The series was directed by Mick Gold and produced by Paul Mitchell and Norma Percy.

<i>Washington: Behind Closed Doors</i> 1977 American TV miniseries

Washington: Behind Closed Doors is a 1977 American television miniseries produced by Paramount Television, that was broadcast in six parts, airing across six consecutive nights on ABC, between September 6 to September 11, 1977.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Penny Lane (filmmaker)</span> American independent filmmaker (born 1978)

Penny Lane is an American independent filmmaker, known for her documentary films. Her humor and unconventional approach to the documentary form, including the use of archival Super 8 footage and YouTube videos, have earned her critical acclaim.

References

  1. "'Our Nixon' Director Penny Lane on Kickstarter's Early Days and Doc Trends She Hates | Tribeca" . Retrieved August 28, 2016.
  2. Harris, Brandon, In Rotterdam, a Strong Crop of American Indies Filmmaker Magazine (Jan. 30, 2013).
  3. "Our Nixon". L. A. Film Fest. Retrieved January 19, 2014.
  4. "Festival Award Winnders". SIFF. Retrieved January 19, 2014.
  5. McKee, Jenn (March 25, 2013). "Ann Arbor Film Festival announces 2013 award winners". The Ann Arbor News. Retrieved January 19, 2014.
  6. Mark, Bell (May 1, 2013). "2013 INDEPENDENT FILM FESTIVAL BOSTON ANNOUNCES AWARD WINNERS". Film Threat. Retrieved January 19, 2014.
  7. "Awards". Nantucket Film Festival. Retrieved January 19, 2014.
  8. "Traverse City Film Festival 2013 Awards!". Traverse City Film Festival. August 4, 2013. Retrieved January 19, 2014.
  9. Discover: Penny Lane Connects the Dots Into a Tender “Our Nixon” Brian Brooks, Film Society of Lincoln Center Blog (Mar 27, 2013).
  10. Nixon documentary focuses on the other secret White House tapes: Home movies Holly Bailly, Yahoo! News (Mar. 27, 2013).
  11. CNN Films and Cinedigm Acquire 'Our Nixon' For a Theatrical Release and TV Broadcast IndieWire (Jul. 2, 2013), CNN Films acquires SXSW doc Our Nixon to air on the network in August Los Angeles Times (Apr. 24, 2013)
  12. Exclusive: Our Nixon Trailer TIME Entertainment (Jul. 15, 2013).
  13. "Our Nixon (2013)". Rotten Tomatoes . Retrieved July 18, 2021.
  14. "Our Nixon Reviews". Metacritic . Retrieved July 18, 2021.
  15. Kauffmann, Stanley (August 2, 2013). "Real life, revisited". The New Republic . ISSN   0028-6583 . Retrieved July 17, 2021.
  16. Hartl, John (September 26, 2013). "'Our Nixon': The Watergate years on candid camera". The Seattle Times . Retrieved July 18, 2021.
  17. Seitz, Matt Zoller (August 30, 2013). "Our Nixon movie review & film summary (2013) | Roger Ebert". RogerEbert.com . Retrieved July 17, 2021.
  18. Hinckley, David (August 1, 2013). "'Our Nixon': TV review". New York Daily News . Retrieved July 18, 2021.
  19. Howell, Peter (August 29, 2013). "Tricky Dick's dull home movies: Our Nixon review". The Toronto Star. ISSN   0319-0781 . Retrieved February 15, 2022.