The significance of “Frost/Nixon” for January 20th
Going in to see Ron Howard’s “Frost/Nixon”, I was a little skeptical. Ron Howard has never been one of my favourite directors. He has had a historical tendency to simplify stories and sugarcoat them, as he did in “A Beautiful Mind”. So I wasn’t expecting too much from this new movie, but something was drawing me to see it.
First of all let me say that the movie is absolutely fantastic. Even if you have no affinity for Nixon at all, the script is marvelous, maintaining constant tension as the two counterpunchers attempt to get the best of each other, and their initial successes go against our preconceptions of them, and away from the way we want history to go. So when Frost (played by a fantastic Micheal Sheen, who, I am afraid, will miss out on another Oscar nomination) finally corners Nixon, there is a tremendous sense of satisfaction that ripples through the audience.
Frank Langella as Nixon is riveting to watch (and he will get the Oscar nomination). And here is why the movie is so important to watch right NOW. Langella, in his portrayal of Nixon, captures the Cheyney-esque approach to power and politics: I’m a bigwig - I deserve the fancy houses and the private golf club memberships; I’m defending what’s right, and I’ll do what it takes to win. This is the politics of fear, politics for the few and for the rich.
This portrayal of Nixon’s admission of his failures is poignant and timely as we shift to the new Obama administration on January 20th. An administration committed to hope and change where everyone can participate in the American dream, not just for a chosen few who got the golf club membership. This is an amazingly exciting time, as the world and most humans will change dramatically in 2009.
Set the right tone by watching Nixon wallow and dissolve in this fine movie. Then open a bottle of champagne and celebrate the future and stay positive through all the hiccups that change always brings about.