Two conservative activists plotted and succeeded in bringing down a well-established, volunteer-based organization committed to helping the poor and marginalized. That is the gist of Reuben Atlas and Sam Pollard’s intense documentary, which focuses on the sting operation undertaken by a pair of right-wing provocateurs, James O’Keefe and Hannah Giles, against ACORN (the Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now) in 2009. While acknowledging the inappropriateness of some of the advice given by low-level volunteers to O’Keefe and Giles, who were posing as a pimp and prostitute, respectively, the film is decidedly sympathetic to ACORN, sketching its history of grassroots achievements from its founding in 1970 by Wade Rathke in Arkansas as a group demanding change for citizens forgotten by both political parties. Questions about ACORN’s voter registration drives occasioned criticism of then-candidate Barack Obama for his connections to the group during the presidential campaign of 2008, and allegations of financial irregularities by its governing board soon followed, but it was the release of the O’Keefe-Giles tapes that ultimately led to ACORN’s federal defunding and bankruptcy. Using excerpts from depositions, the film questions the accuracy of the heavily-edited O’Keefe-Giles videos and emphasizes that investigations cleared the organization of legal wrongdoing, although the damage had already been done. Interviews with Giles and Bertha Lewis, a committed volunteer who rose to become ACORN’s CEO, crystallize the fundamental differences in attitude between the right and the left, which are unlikely to be overcome in today’s poisonous political climate. Recommended. Aud: C, P. (F. Swietek)
Acorn and the Firestorm
(2017) 84 min. DVD: $19.95. First Run Features (avail. from most distributors). Volume 33, Issue 4
Acorn and the Firestorm
Star Ratings
As of March 2022, Video Librarian has changed from a four-star rating system to a five-star one. This change allows our reviewers to have a wider range of critical viewpoints, as well as to synchronize with Google’s rating structure. This change affects all reviews from March 2022 onwards. All reviews from before this period will still retain their original rating. Future film submissions will be considered our new 1-5 star criteria.
Order From Your Favorite Distributor Today: