An Unreasonable Man
by Steve Skrovan, Henriette Mantel
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DVD details
Actor: Andrew Egendorf, Howard Zinn, Pat Buchanan, Ralph Nader, Robert FellmethDirector: Henriette Mantel, Steve Skrovan
Brand: Genius
DVD: Region Code 1
Audio: English (Original Language), Dolby Digital 2.0 Surround
Format: Closed-captioned, Color, DVD, NTSC, Widescreen
Picture Format: 1.66:1
Running Time: 122 minutes
DVD Release Date: 2007-06-12
Audience Rating: NR (Not Rated)
Model: 80169
Studio: Ifc
Product features:
- In 1966, General Motors, the most powerful corporation in the world, sent private investigators to dig up dirt on an obscure thirty-two year old public interest lawyer named Ralph Nader, who had written a book critical of one of their cars, the Corvair. The scandal that ensued after the smear campaign was revealed launched Ralph Nader into national prominence and established him as one of the most
DVD Reviews of An Unreasonable Man
DVD Review: A fair and balanced look at one of the most important figures of the day, and a frightening portrayal of US politics today
Summary: 4 Stars
In "An Unreasonable Man" directors Henriette Mantel and Steve Skrovan present a fair and balanced look at the legendary consumer advocate turned pariah. Most people today only know of Nader as the nutty independent candidate who may have cost Al Gore his election. But, as the movie makes clear, Nader has had an incredible legacy above and beyond this: Nader and his followers were responsible for seat belts, air bags, product (including cigarette, toys, etc) labeling, whistle-blower protection, occupational safety, bike helmets, and on and on and on.
Nader, the son of Arab immigrants, grew up in Winstead Connecticut, where he and his two sisters attended town hall meetings, and were grilled at the dinner table on community issues such as 'how can we solve that parking problem." Things really began in 1966, when Nader, an unknown public-interest lawyer, wrote a book "Unsafe at Any Speed" about the Corvair, a GM automobile, skewering its safety record. GM tried to squash him anyway it could, from sending private investigators to dig up dirt on him to sending babes after him in supermarkets to seduce him. All methods failed, a congressional investigation ensued, validating Nader. The modern consumer movement was born.
Since that time, it seems that Nader pretty much worked about 18 hours a day on the modern consumer movement (never having a family, or, it seems, any other interests). He and his associates, "Nader's Raiders" were rock-stars in the 60s and 70s, pushing congress and government official, establishing safety regulations, and muck-racking corporations.
Things started going down-hill in the 1980s, when the Reagan Administration started tearing government regulations, and kept doing down from there. The 1980s was also when Democrats decided to start accepting political contributions from corporations - following a time-honored practice of Republicans. From that point on, Nader strongly believed that the Democratic position became seriously compromised. After all, how can an elected government official work on consumer issues, and community affairs if his or her election depended on funding from corporations diametrically opposed to such initiatives?
Nader states that from 1984 to 2000 election he supported the Democrats, trying gamely to support the party he believed was still interested (although less and less so) in his issues. By 2000, he had had enough of "the folly of the least worst." Deciding that both parties were squarely in the hands of big business, he felt the only alternative to run for President on an independent ticket.
The movie rightfully spends a good deal of time analyzing the 2000 elections and its aftermath, giving air to both Nader supporters and detractors. Nader won around 96,000 votes, but there was only about 500 votes separating Bush and Gore, so one could argue that he 'gave' Bush the election, as his detractors state. However, one could also argue, as his supporters do, that the vote re-count should have continued, that the Democrats should have run on a stronger platform, that they should have (and should even now) get unregistered groups (such as African Americans) registered, as 90% of them would vote as democrats.
Rightly or wrongly, Nader was skewered after 2000 elections, and lost much of his supporters, including some of his closest associates (such as many of the Nader's Raiders). The former superstar had officially become a pariah - he was accused of egomania, blamed for the Iraq war, called expletives, and had pie thrown on his face.
However, Nader, as stubborn as ever, refuses to give up. Former associates fret about his legacy - but, Nader does not care. His concern is to make sure that justice is served, that people are safe, and corporations are put in their place. He will do whatever he can to make this happen - regardless of what others (including his closest associates), and history, may say about him.
I was a Nader supporter before this film, and became much more so after it. Yet, I worry about the future of America. Nader tellingly said around 1965 (during the Covair debacle) "I don't want to have a climate in the country where one has to have an ascetic existence and steely determination in order to speak truthfully, candidly and critically of American industry." Unfortunately, it seems America has become a place today where only ascetics and those with a steely determination are able to speak power to corporations - but we have reached a point where even these people don't seem to have any effect. They are ignored, labeled as 'the fringe' or as nuts. These people of integrity (Nader, Ron Paul, Dennis Kucinich) are systematically excluded from the electoral process, leaving us candidates who are willing to toe the corporate line - ie, who are approved of by the corporations.
Patrick Buchanan - the ultra-conservative republican who admits he worked in 1980s to tear down gains made by Nader and his colleagues- makes an incredible statement in this film: "Our Democracy is a Fraud. A Consumer Fraud."
Is he correct? If so, what are the ramifications of this? How can we possibly get our democracy back? One can only hope that things turn around, that Nader, and others who are willing to speak truth to power, will be vindicated in history. Perhaps one day, people following their ideals can even become President of the United States.
Description of An Unreasonable Man
Many things we take for granted like seat belts & product labeling are largely due to the efforts of ralph nadar. Yet when most people hear his name they think of the man who cost the democrats the 2000 election. This traces the life & career of one of the most controversial political figures of our time. Studio: Genius Products Inc Release Date: 06/12/2007 Starring: Ralph Nadar Howard Zinn Run time: 122 minutes Rating: NrBestsellers in DVD
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