Lawrence Jackson
Want to get away from today’s stranger-than-fiction election headlines? Politically themed fiction could be exactly what the pollster ordered. The good news is, like the field of Democratic nominees, there are plenty of options out there.
Netflix's Oscar-nominated Brazilian documentary "The Edge of Democracy" explores division. "American Factory," the Academy Award-winning project from newly minted producers former President Barack and first lady Michelle Obama, however, celebrates the working middle class. The latter unashamedly landed a spot on Obama’s favorite movies of 2019, leaving us to wonder when President Donald Trump will come out with his, featuring a pre-POTUS cameo in “Home Alone 2.”
Big names and real box office appeal are easily found in Steven Spielberg’s “Lincoln,” where Daniel Day-Lewis will have you double-taking. Then there’s the classically witty and thought-provoking “Wag the Dog,” starring Robert De Niro and Dustin Hoffman, for those with a more cynical view of governmental matters. Those in need of a slightly less nostalgic look at White House responsibilities can turn to Emmy-winning “The West Wing” on Netflix, which at least predates Twitter.
Hulu holds no political punches, except for that one in “The Campaign,” the ballot-busting comedy starring Will Ferrell and Zach Galifianakis. To see more women in positions of authority, there’s Julia Louis-Dreyfus’ smart yet cruel charm in the critically acclaimed HBO comedy “Veep” and Amy Poehler’s reign over Pawnee, Indiana, on “Parks and Recreation” on Hulu — but don’t keep that one in your queue. Leslie Knope will move to NBC’s Peacock one month before elections, taking all of her small government antics with her. If we get to vote on something else this year, can it be to stop the flow of streaming services?