PALEY CENTER FOR MEDIA PUBLIC PROGRAMS SERIES, THE: THE RETURN OF THE WAR ROOM {LONG VERSION}
Summary
One in a series of evenings and special screenings presented by The Paley Center for Media. Held at The Paley Center for Media in New York, this evening features the premiere of "Return of the War Room," a sequel to "The War Room," the 1993 documentary about the strategists who helped engineer Bill Clinton's successful run for the White House. The follow-up production revisits the principal players from the '92 presidential campaign and addresses subsequent changes to the political landscape.
Ron Simon (television curator, The Paley Center for Media) offers opening remarks before introducing Laura Michalchyshyn (executive vice president, Sundance Channel). Michalchyshyn offers her own comments before introducing the filmmakers: D.A. Pennebaker and Chris Hegedus. Pennebaker and Hegedus set up the film, which is screened in its entirety. (For synopsis and credits, see B:93412).
After the screening, the evening's moderator, David Edelstein (film critic, New York Magazine), introduces the panelists: Hegedus; Pennebaker; Mark Miller (journalist, Newsweek Magazine); Dee Dee Myers (former Clinton press secretary); and James Carville (Democratic political consultant).
The panelists discuss topics which include: the endurance of the 1992 “War Room” and how that film broke ground by revealing the inner workings of a political campaign; Clinton's reaction to the book "Quest for the Presidency 1992," which Miller co-authored with six Newsweek colleagues; why the eponymous “war room” was formed; Carville's political work in Bolivia as detailed in the documentary “Our Brand is Crisis”; the decreasing levels of transparency in presidential campaigns since “The War Room;” if Sarah Palin failed in her 2008 vice-president debates by adhering to a style popularized in 1992; if "The War Room" was the inspiration for Aaron Sorkin's "The West Wing"; the changing scenario for publicly available political information; Carville's feelings on Clinton’s personality and charisma; why Hegedus and Pennebaker eschewed their usual style of filmmaking for an "interview film" in "Return"; the reactions of Carville, Myers, and Miller on seeing "Return" for the first time; and what the modern "war room" would look like.
Questions from the audience then lead to a discussion of the following topics: Hegedus and Pennebaker's "limited window" to film George Stephanopoulos for "Return" after he became an ABC morning-show anchor; Carville’s take on Barack Obama’s presidential campaign tactics; how the "war room" would have handled 527 organizations and their directive to sway elections; how America's supposedly objective journalism compares to foreign political journalism; and if "The War Room" reflects the "lost idealism" of the democratic process.
Details
- NETWORK: N/A
- DATE: October 6, 2008 7:00 PM
- RUNNING TIME: 2:23:26
- COLOR/B&W: Color
- CATALOG ID: B:93366
- GENRE: Seminars
- SUBJECT HEADING: N/A
- SERIES RUN: N/A
- COMMERCIALS: N/A
CREDITS
- Ron Simon … Host
- David Edelstein … Moderator
- D.A. Pennebaker … Panelist
- Chris Hegedus … Panelist
- James Carville … Panelist
- Dee Dee Myers … Panelist
- Mark Miller … Panelist
- Laura Michalchyshyn … Guest
- Bill Clinton
- Barack Obama
- Sarah Palin
- Aaron Sorkin
- George Stephanopoulos