ANN RICHARDS' TEXAS {DOCUMENTARY FILM}
Summary
A documentary film about former governor of Texas Ann Richards' political style and career, as related by her friends, family, associates, and admirers. Ann Richards, born in heavily conservative central Texas, works as a schoolteacher during a time when the United States is caught in an anti-Communism frenzy. She becomes interested in politics and goes to work for the Kennedy administration, although many Texans are critical of the president and believe he is in league with Communists. The reaction of Texans in Dallas his assassination prompts Richards to take her family and move to Austin, which at the time is a center for activism and social movements such as the Civil Rights Movement. Richards, a liberal, is motivated by Kennedy's death to try to continue his vision for America. While there, Richards gets her first taste of politics by managing the campaign of Sarah Weddington, the lawyer who successfully argued the case of Roe vs. Wade before the Supreme Court, for the state legislature. Her efforts unite a large number of women and ensure Weddington's victory. This experience inspires Richards to make her own bid for public office. In 1976, Richards runs for the position of county commissioner. By this time she has established herself as a recognizable member of the community, and she easily wins the position. A woman serving in the influential commissioner's court is significant and unprecedented. Soon afterwards she starts gaining media attention not only in the state of Texas but nationwide, owing to her incisive wit, tough demeanor, and unique hairstyle. Afterwards she runs for the position of state treasurer after the current treasurer, Warren G. Harding, leaves the race after being investigated for improper use of campaign funding. She wins, becoming the first woman to hold a state public office in Texas in fifty years. Her direct approach to policy-making, ability to speak directly to the middle class, and her willingness to allow women and minorities to become a part of the political process helps Richards in turning the Texan economy around, saving over 1.7 billion dollars in interest. In 1988, Michael Dukakis asks Richards to deliver the keynote address at that year's Democratic National Convention. There is an argument between the campaign organizers and the news media over the question of the stage's lighting; the organizers want to dim the house lights during Richards' speech, since they are concerned that the networks will cut to the crowd instead of focusing on her. The environment of the convention is described as chaotic as anticipation builds towards Richards' address. Richards makes several resonant points during the address: she calls for more women to be involved in politics; she denounces the intense partisan attitudes between the two parties in the legislature; her more humorous remarks work to better communicate the meaning behind a number of important issues. Most famously, she levels criticism against then-vice-president George H. W. Bush for being seemingly out of touch with the problems of American citizens, remarking that he was "born with a silver foot in his mouth." The keynote address earns Richards national acclaim for her humor and candor. As a result of the speech, many ask that Richards run for governor of Texas, and soon thereafter she announces her candidacy for the 1990 gubernatorial election. Her opponents in the primary are Jim Mattox, the Texas Attorney General and a former friend of hers', and former governor Mark White. The primary proves to be a difficult challenge for Richards, and all sides level a great deal of vitriol against each other during the course of campaigning. Mattox launches a series of advertisements and public statements where he accuses Richards of having a drug problem, particularly with cocaine. Richards retaliates by leveling accusations against Mattox of accepting bribes, and she accuses White of benefiting financially from public funding. The campaign grows so intense that Mattox and White each broadcast advertisements wherein each of them claims to have executed the most people via the death penalty. Eventually Richards wins the primary, pitting her against her Republican opponent: multi-millionaire rancher Clayton Williams. Williams is perceived by many to be a "macho" cowboy-type personality, known for being colorful and at times provocative. His numerous controversial statements, including one in particular about rape victims, cause many women to flock to Richards. Despite this, early polls reveal that Richards is lagging far behind Williams. However, Williams' political inexperience soon proves to be disastrous for his campaign. On October 11th, 1990, Richards and Williams meet at a luncheon where she is scheduled to speak. News cameras capture the two as Richards offers him a handshake and he refuses. This has the effect of characterizing Williams to many as a "sexist oaf." Richards is able to capitalize on incidents such as these and mount a comeback in the final weeks of the campaign. In particular she makes repeated requests for Williams to make his tax return forms public. This results in a devastating gaffe by Williams when he accidentally publicly reveals that he did not pay his income tax in 1986. All of these events contribute to Richards' victory over Williams, making her governor of Texas. 1991 sees Richards begin her term as governor of Texas, which she calls "the first day of the new Texas." Upon assuming office, she makes a number of large changes to the state's system of government. She hits upon the idea of selecting officials who would be affected by the board they are overseeing, such as making a woman who was the victim of a violent crime the head of the Texas criminal justice board. Her hiring policies also bring a number of minorities, particularly African-American women, into the Texas political hierarchy. She correctly predicts that by the year 2007, the population of Texas will be largely composed of minorities. One of her first major initiatives involves reforming the Texas prison system, which she describes as a "revolving door." Believing that drug abuse is at the root of many criminal acts, Richards institutes drug rehabilitation programs in prisons across the state. Drawing upon her own experiences as an alcoholic, she oversees the development of these programs, including sitting in and speaking at meetings of Alcoholics Anonymous. Her programs lead to a steady decrease in crime rates across the state. Her experiences as a teacher contribute to Richards' contributions to the younger generation; she urges children to stay in school and attend college, and she attempts to get the state to pass education finance reform. In present-day, the Ann Richards School for Young Women Leaders continues her mission, operating as a school for underprivileged girls and young women with the aim of getting them into college. Many of the students go on to be the first members of their family to attend university. In 1992, Queen Elizabeth II of England visits Texas, as she views Richards as being "the future of the country." Many Texans consider Richards to be the "Queen of Texas," and Richards herself is excited and honored by the Queen's visit. Also in 1992, Texas lawmakers argue over a worker's compensation bill which would deny workers the right to a trial before a jury over their right to compensation. Controversy stirs up when fried chicken mogul Bo Pilgrim visits the Texas congress and hands out blank ten thousand-dollar bills in an attempt to sway votes in his favor. Richards is appalled at the apparent lack of ethics, and works to reduce the influence of lobbyists and big business in the Texas legislature. To help achieve this goal, she appoints a consumer representative to the Texas board of insurance to monitor their prices. Previously, the insurance companies collaborated with each other to ensure maximum profit and increase their premiums, exempt from state antitrust laws. Richards manages to get the state's antitrust laws changed to include the insurance companies, but they are still protected by federal antitrust laws. However, Richards creates a new law requiring the insurance companies to submit requests for rate increases to the board of insurance in order to wait for approval. Insurance executives balk at these new restrictions, earning Richards their enmity. Richards is viewed as embracing a populist philosophy, more concerned with serving the public good than assisting corporate interests. When the time comes for the next gubernatorial race in 1994, Richards seems undefeatable, but George W. Bush and his strategist Karl Rove conceive of a skillful campaign to oust her. At that time, Bush is seen as being charismatic and articulate, and unlike Williams he treats Richards with respect. Bush and Rove use Richards' association with then-president Bill Clinton as ammunition against her, and exploit "residual prejudice" against women in power amongst Texans to their advantage. Richards campaigns hard against Bush, mockingly referring to him as "Shrub." Bush receives enormous support from the church, as well as the business lobbies whom Richards had confrontations with. Despite her high approval rating, Richards loses the election to Bush. Those close to her say that Richards anticipated that she would be unable to defeat him. Saddened by her loss, Richards remains out of the public eye for two months afterwards. The film ends with Richards expressing her views on her "vision" for Texas in terms of politics, culture, and social reformation.
Details
- NETWORK: N/A
- DATE: October 19, 2012 PM
- RUNNING TIME: 1:30:02
- COLOR/B&W: Color
- CATALOG ID: 108862
- GENRE: Public affairs/Documentaries
- SUBJECT HEADING: Public affairs/documentaries
- SERIES RUN: N/A
- COMMERCIALS: N/A
CREDITS
- Robert E. Jones … Executive Producer
- Jordan Cooper … Executive Producer
- Susan Altrui … Executive Producer
- Margy Niel … Executive Producer
- Amber Mostyn … Executive Producer
- Diana Espitia … Executive Producer
- Erin Vilardi … Executive Producer
- Adam Harris … Executive Producer
- Keith Patterson … Producer, Director, Writer
- Jack Lofton … Producer, Director
- Curry Glassell … Producer
- Adam Fowler … Co-Producer
- Eric Wilson … Co-Producer
- Charlie Canfield … Animation
- Liz Brown … Researcher
- Lee Robinson … Researcher
- Dolly Parton … Music by
- Jack Abramoff … Guest
- Paul Begala … Guest
- Cathy Bonner … Guest
- Tom Brokaw … Guest
- Jack Burkman … Guest
- Gary Cartwright … Guest
- Henry Cisneros … Guest
- Bill Clinton … Guest
- Suzanne Coleman … Guest
- Michael Dukakis … Guest
- Rodney Ellis … Guest
- Sissy Farenthold … Guest
- Vanessa Gilmore … Guest
- Jeanne Goka-Dubose … Guest
- Jane Hickie … Guest
- Ronald Kirk … Guest
- Claire Korioth … Guest
- Alison Leland … Guest
- Ted Lyon … Guest
- Mark McKinnon … Guest
- Dave McNeely … Guest
- Marc Morial … Guest
- Amber Mostyn … Guest
- Richard Murray … Guest
- Willie Nelson … Guest
- Dolly Parton … Guest
- Nancy Pelosi … Guest
- Jack Rains … Guest
- Dan Rather … Guest
- Cecile Richards … Guest
- David Richards … Guest
- Robert Riggs … Guest
- Mary Beth Rogers … Guest
- Wayne Slater … Guest
- Martha Smiley … Guest
- Glenn Smith … Guest
- Lily Tomlin … Guest
- Sarah Weddington … Guest
- George H. W. Bush
- George W. Bush
- Queen Elizabeth II
- Warren G. Harding
- Jim Mattox
- Bo Pilgrim
- Ann Richards
- Karl Rove
- Mark White
- Clayton Williams