LBJ

This film has some merit, but the biggest failing is not telling the TRUE STORY that LBJ was the mastermind behind the assassination of JFK. With this story untold, it comes off as phony to me, in any attempt to portray his life.

LBJ undid almost everything Kennedy stood for, and it's almost common knowledge these days that he was probably involved with the assassinations of both Kennedy brothers and Martin Luther King!

I was truly mesmerized watching this. They expertly compacted the LBJ presidency and LBJ as an iconic American into a film length piece. Not enough superlatives to describe Woody Harrelson as LBJ, definitely my favorite portrayal. Some of the other casting wasn't as great. Bill Pullman as Yarborough was squirmish and uncomfortable. Jackie Kennedy was completely forgettable. Bryan Batt and Rich Sommer had such short spots, and would have liked to have seen more of them. The overall theme of the film was LBJ as the workhorse vs. Kennedy as the visionary. LBJ realizing his purpose was to enact Kennedy's social agenda, which he massaged expertly during his short administration. LBJs ability to persuade and massage support for legislation is genius, and Woody Harrelson nailed the portrayal. If you have watched other LBJ films or documentaries, or read the biography by Doris Kearn Goodwin, add this to the top of your list. Very thought proving film.

There are three time schemes in this historical study of Lyndon Johnson, from his campaign against John Kennedy for the Democrat nomination, through Kennedy's assassination to Johnson's adoption and realization of Kennedy's civil rights platform. Two are explicit. Director Rob Reiner intercuts (i) Johnson's and Kennedy's path from rivals to partners with (ii) Kennedy's fatal 1963 visit to Dallas and Johnson's succession not just to the office but to Kennedy's civil rights cause. The effect is to keep us reading each earlier moment, action, speech, in the context of the larger tragic arc of the assassination. On this level the film dramatizes both presidents' remarkable intelligence, skills, and savvy. At first Kennedy seems to be the more idealistic, but Bobby's treatment of Johnson reduces the Kennedy family to the Lyndon level of political guile and manipulation. With Kennedy's death Johnson reveals a surprising sensitivity, generosity and understanding of his larger responsibilities. In Johnson's terms, the film celebrates the effective superiority of the humble work-horse over the show-horse. Kennedy may have initiated the civil rights act but only Johnson could have realized it. Reiner clearly intends to valorize Johnson, warts and all. We get a full taste of his vulgarity, profanity, slickness of machination, macho vanity, pragmatism and egotism. Nothing about Johnson is as pretty as the Kennedys. But he matures into the champion of democracy that the times required. He is also surprisingly knowledgeable, continually citing historic record — as well as personal anecdotes — to advance his position. However rough hewn Johnson's manner, he is neither foolish nor ignorant. Reiner frames out Johnson's own racist record, his compromised relationship with FBI director J. Edgar Hoover (especially as they undermined Martin Luther King Jr) and his misjudgments on Viet Nam, which ultimately led to his departure. In short, Reiner prefers to emphasize the civil rights champion Johnson became rather than define him by his earlier folly. It's the third time scheme that makes this film much more powerful and important than its value as a record of history. This film is implicitly but clearly about America and the presidency today. Kennedy and Johnson both stand as a reminder of what American presidents have been and must be, in implicit contrast to the present occupant of the White House. In every virtue Johnson reminds us of what Trump lacks: his knowledge, his self-discipline, his submission to the nation's highest ideals and needs, his compassion, his sensitivity to others, his political engagement and effectiveness. Reiner's Johnson is a rallying cry for the Democrats to unite to restore then nation's honour and the office's character. The film takes place only 60 years ago, but it reminds us of the huge progress the political scene has made since then. As the film tacitly reminds us, there were neither women nor African Americans in the government of Kennedy's and Johnson's day. Johnson had to fight even to get recognition due a woman judge. This, of course, represents the historic progress that Trump is determined to reverse throughout his government to make America what he perversely considers "great again."

BJ: Directed by Rob Reiner and written by Joey Hartstone This biopic comes not long after Jay Roach made his version of the LBJ with Bryan Cranston entitled All The Way. That was a much better film. It focused on one aspect of his life and his presidency rather than offering just fragments of who the man might be. This was a distracting meander through the Wikipedia page of LBJ from before he ran with Kennedy as vice president to just after he became president and addressed congress. This is also one of those movies where they use make up in an attempt to make the actor look like the real person. It doesn't work. Instead they look like wax figures come to life delivering dialogue and trying to emote through their plasticine mask. The performances are fine if you're able to ignore this insane red dot of distraction staring you right in the face. Woody Harrelson is just too much himself in this film. The way he talks is so distinctive that it is almost impossible for him to disappear inside of a character. Normally I'm okay with this but that horrendous make up job is attempting to mask his normal persona which his voice betrays. This is also a rather schmaltzy dull movie. The score swells in the areas they wish you to respond at. It didn't work for me. It usually doesn't and much like the make up, this was glaring in its shameless attempt at pandering to base emotions. This could have been really good especially if it dug deep into who LBJ was as a person outside of his public persona. It tried to do that a little bit but it isn't enough. One of my favorite movies is Nixon from Oliver Stone. That movie is so visually interesting and it moves like a bullet while still retaining the humanity of someone society views as detestable. Anthony Hopkins sounds like Nixon somewhat but he focuses more on becoming who Richard Nixon was behind the scenes. This movie needed to take pointers from this film. I know it is too late for this lesson. I'm merely shouting to the ether any cosmic filmmaking god who might be listening for future presidential biopics. Skip this one and check out Bryan Cranston in All The Way instead. I give this movie a D.

When I saw the cast for this and then saw the average rating of 6.0 I thought, there must be something terribly wrong with this movie. There isn't! The cast is good through and through and Woody Harrelson which I feel is still underrated is tremendous as LBJ. It takes a little time to get the focus of the movie but it becomes clear after about a third of the film and it all builds too a very strong ending. If you like this kind of movies, you will definitely enjoy LBJ. When you make a movie about historic events it is always hard. People will criticize it is not accurate enough or that you portrayed the person to positive or to negative depending on who it is. To sum it up, there is a lot of expectation of what a movie like LBJ should be. And people are always disappointed if they don't get what they expect. In this case I can see that people are maybe disappointed that the movie ends where LBJ's presidency begins. There is much more to tell but that was not the intend of this film so I can criticize that. From a technical standpoint, cast, direction, music, script and so on this a really good movie. If you want to see a similar take on LBJ but with a focus more on LBJ's presidency I recommend to watch "All the way" from 2016 with Bryan Cranston as LBJ.

This superficial film portrait of Lyndon Baines Johnson oozes sentimentality, as opposed to seeking to present historical truth. The film completely misses the truth that LBJ was a political opportunist, who was skillful at promoting himself at the expense of human values or the will of the American people. The film conveniently bypasses the unsavory story of LBJ's rise to power, including: (1) the way that he forced himself on the Democratic ticket through virtual blackmail, in order to become JFK's running mate in 1960; (2) the way that he changed course in his personal beliefs to support the civil rights platform in order to enhance his prestige as the architect of The Great Society. Political expediency was all that matters to LBJ. He was not an agent of social change or a humanitarian, as depicted in the film; (3) the way that he steered America into the disastrous Vietnam War. No mention is made of the disgraceful Gulf of Tonkin pretext for the war or LBJ's desperate attempt to win the war primarily out of trying to avoid being the first American president lose a war, as we learned from the Pentagon Papers. The crooked past of LBJ was completely ignored in the film, as well as the deep loathing that he felt for the Kennedy brothers. Sorensen's State of the Union speech written for LBJ identified the death of John F. Kennedy as "the foulest deed of our time." But this Hollywoodized treatment of the JFK assassination and the "accidental" presidency of Lyndon Johnson fails to present the tectonic shift of history of our nation that occurred on November22, 1963. A large portion of the shift is due to the disgraceful conduct of Lyndon Baines Johnson, one of the most despicable figures in American history.

From my viewing experience, Rob Reiner's LBJ biopic was weak. Working from a sub par script, it's a C plus at best. Reiner does not have Aaron Sorken writing for him. It shows. *Not that Reiner takes any filmmaking measures to rectify the problems. Just to give you an idea of what of we're looking at, cue the opening scene It's November 22nd, 1963. Woody Harrelson steps off the plane at Love Field, dressed in ridiculous prosthetics - looking more like Frankenstein's monster than the 36th President. Yes, he is supposed to be LBJ. However, I'm not sure if I can look at this dude's face for another minute - let alone the whole feature. Meanwhile, up ahead, we see JFK shaking hands with well wishers. While a film like JACKIE painstakingly recreates Love Field, Reiner does not to the same. I get the feeling they found a generic airport in San Jose or something, constructed and rolled camera. Nothing like watching a historical biopic, where they shoot in Winnepeg and don't try to cover it up. Do yourself a favor and look at that actual footage from 11/22/63 versus the movie. You'll see what I mean. Look, I get it. I may sound like I'm going overboard. But when a filmmaker overlooks details, he or she pulls you right out of the story. Call me nit picky but a GREAT filmmaker does not overlook this stuff - no matter where it falls within the story. That being said, I'm willing to forgive Reiner. Again, I'm a nit picker and historical junkie. Not sure if the average audience member would know or care - Unfortunately, the fake ears and noses of LBJ and Lady Bird continue to be a problem. Lady Bird (played by Jennifer Jason Leigh) sports a Wicked Witch of the West Nose. When your make up team goes too far - it hampers the audience's ability to follow the character or story or hear them talk. As if I'm trying to take the SATs on a glowing green lime paper. On a brighter note, the screenplay somewhat showcases LBJ's mastery of working the Senate to push through the Civil Rights Bill. Still, Harrelson plays LBJ over the top throughout the process - like a caricature. Trying to highlight LBJ's moments dealing with other concerns, there's a scene (taken from actual White House recordings) where Johnson requests that a clothing manufacture provide him some pants with an extra spacious crotch. Listening to the actual phone call, Johnson speaks directly, caustically. It's hilarious. In LBJ, Harrelson's imitates the phone call like he's in a Broadway play. Reiner creates the scene loudly and lusciously - when in reality, if you listen to the call you can tell - Johnson was making it privately, not surrounded by a sea of assistants. You're off, Rob. Okay. I'm harsh. You can't fault Reiner too much. You have to be entertaining; it's not a documentary. But it's hard not to compare this film to LINCOLN - which feels like it captures a more accurate tone of a President - even when in Lincoln's case, there's no footage of him. Anyway, in my opinion - all and all, LBJ isn't horrible. It's sort of watchable and mercifully short. But it's like listening to Three Doors Down instead of Pearl Jam. Or eating at McDonald's instead of In 'N Out. Gosh, I sound like a snob. But this one is not making the honor roll. If you want to see a better film on Johnson, see LBJ: ALL THE WAY on HBO. Ted's Grade: C/C plus Ted Ryan www.DirectorTedRyan.com

Lyndon Johnson gets a very sympathetic (while RFK does not) look from the most unlikely of defenders in liberal film maker Bob Reiner's LBJ. The grossly misleading title about this larger than life character however covers little of his career, deciding instead to zero in on the period around JFKs assassination, Johnson's ascendancy to the Presidency and passage of The Civil Rights Bill. It offers an interesting look at power play at the highest levels as Johnson intimidated to begin with by all the Harvard intelligentsia in the cabinet attempts to establish himself. Woody Harrellson's LBJ passably captures the crassness and incertitude but fails to deliver the man in full that as Senate Majority leader bullied and cajoled members into line. There are flashes of the famed abrasiveness but they are far out weighed with a pouting, insecure LBJ huddling with Lady Bird. Anyone familiar with this man's public career know the material Reiner had in his arsenal to make an outstanding character study. Instead he only gives us a chapter of an incredibly controversial career when we are expecting a book. LBJ shortchanges.

Really great film with stellar direction and acting. The nice thing is that it manages to balance being entertaining and funny with the more dramatic and serious moments. It sort of evolves from one movie to another as the story goes on. Great performance from Harrelson, but the entire supporting cast were all incredible. Whether you know the story of LBJ or not, this isn't just a dry history lesson. I learned a lot and was thoroughly entertained!