"Hitchhiker" Politics - Further Reflections
Having slept on it, I want to amend -- slightly -- my earlier observations about the apparent insertion of political commentary into "The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy."
For one thing, my wife tells me I overreacted, and her counsel is not to be ignored, because she's pretty much always right. (Which can be really annoying at times, by the way.) She did see some of what I observed, but didn't think it was a big deal.
But there was something else going on that didn't register with me until I had a chance to think some more, and that was a slam on the other side of the political race...subtler, perhaps, but also more damning than even the Bush-like caricature of the movie president.
The president's political opponent, played by John Malkovich, was smarmy, condescending and ruthless. But even more telling, he was not at all what he portrayed to the voters of the galaxy. Judging by the reactions of those who finally saw him in his natural element, the citizens of the galaxy would have been in for an unpleasant surprise had he actually taken office. I'll omit the details at this point so as not to spoil the movie for those who haven't seen it.
So, in retrospect, while there was some unwelcome stereotyping and sniping going on, I believe it targeted both sides of the political spectrum.
Am I reading too much into this? Probably. I would have liked to have seen a movie that didn't try for any political relevancy at all, but if politics must be inserted, they're made more palatable by equal opportunity skewering.
As always, I welcome other observations from moviegoers.
Technorati tag: Hitchhiker's Guide
Jeff, I'm probably being way too sensitive. According to the magazine supplement in today's MRT, Sam Rockwell based his three-headed character on Elvis Presley, Freddy Mercury and Bill Clinton. So I must have channeled the wrong president. (And, btw, I could distinguish only two heads in the movie. Again, I'm obviously just not discerning enough.)
I appreciate your offer of the book, but even after seeing (and enjoying...I hope that hasn't gotten lost in all my ranting!) the movie, I still have no great desire to read it. I'm hoping to dig out my old series of Doc Savage books and read them again, if they haven't succumbed to dry rot in the attic!
With respect to your closing admonition, the movie trailer to "Chicken Little" finds itself with a wonderful placement, as it appears just before "Hitchhiker" begins. And I think the studio made up a special version of the trailer just for that placement, as it ends with a full-screen rendering of the the words, "Don't Panic"...then the "Don't" falls flat (onto a character, I believe) leaving only "Panic" showing. That had to be intentional!
Posted by: Eric at May 1, 2005 02:46 PMWOW! Doc Savage, the 'Man of Bronze.' It's been a long time. Mine, too, have probably long ago succumbed to the same dry rot, if not already turned to dust.
Haven't seen it, yet...
I did see Rockwell on CNN, and he said he used Clinton as a model. The way he put it came across as both a good and bad thing.
(sigh) I wish you hadn't said Time Bandits in the post below- as that is the only movie I've ever walked out of. 'Course I was much younger then...
I'll see THGG Thursday.
Eric, I think you are reading far too much into the movie. I thougt is was a hoot. I thought the support for intelligent design and skewering "Religious" pomposity was wonderful. In the end it's all about finding the answers.
I thought it fun, I didin't see what you did (Bush) and as a Christian brother, Lighten Up. Some things are just fun, stupid and without much plot. Gene
Posted by: Gene Redlin at May 1, 2005 09:33 PMJack, Hitchhiker is much more entertaining than Time Bandits...it just has that same proper British silliness feel to it.
Posted by: Eric at May 1, 2005 09:34 PMIn the end it's all about finding the answers.
And you're advising me to lighten up?! ;-)
But, you're right, it was fun and I'm overly sensitive. I just got finished with Anne Lamott's latest book on faith and she was much less subtle in skewering Bush. I think I was overly sensitized to the issue.
Posted by: Eric at May 1, 2005 09:38 PMEric, saw the movie earlier this week. So, what did I think? It was alright. I'm not as gushingly-enthusiastic as the carefully-selected reviews cited by the film's promoters. But neither am I as angry as some people who saw the film as nothing less than the rape of a cultural treasure. For me, the film was, 'mostly harmless.'
Jeff, I find myself enjoying the movie more and more, after the fact. Frankly, every time I think about those flyswatter things jumping up out of the ground and whacking the guys for thinking...it just cracks me up.
Of course, I went in without any baggage or expectations related to the book.
Posted by: Eric at May 6, 2005 12:59 PMAbout the publisher
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Random Thursday: The Thanksgiving Edition
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Eric, the funny thing about all this ... the scene, and your reaction ... is that it was all added to the story ... and that includes Beeblebrox meeting his opponent, and even the character of the opponent - none of which appears in the book.
If the Beeble-brox seemed 'Bush-like' (I haven't seen the film, yet, but I'll rely upon your views), then, it was something added by the filmmakers. Remember, in the real world, George Bush WANTED to be the U.S. President ... which, in Adams' book, would have disqualified him from selection as Galactic President - anybody who really wanted the job was the last person the true rulers of the galaxy wanted as President. :-)
Adams' story about the reason Beeblebrox wanted to be President, and how he concealed that desire in order to become President ... is a little more complicated and time-consuming. More than I can discuss here ... and more than can be fitted into the average film screenplay.
May I lend you my book? It's a complete compilation of Adams' Hitchhikers works, and it also includes a brief look at how the story has grown over the years from the first season of radio scripts. I think it would make great for summer reading ... just don't take it too seriously, and DON'T PANIC! :-)
Posted by: Jeff at May 1, 2005 10:21 AM