In the summer of 1988, a bold new political force emerged on the national scene when Texas State Treasurer Ann Richards gave a brashly amusing keynote speech during the Democratic National Convention. Richards, who had served as state treasurer since 1983, reeled off caustic putdowns of Republican nominee Vice-President George Bush, creating a happy shockwave throughout the convention and stamping her as a larger-than-life personality ready to shake up the political scene. Richards was elected governor of Texas in 1990, but despite an achievement-rich term she was soundly defeated during her 1994 re-election bid by George W. Bush. Filmmaker Keith Patterson's documentary traces the unlikely rise of Richards from a poverty-stricken childhood to the dizzying heights of the rough-and-tumble world of Texas politics, where she brought diversity and technology to the Lone Star State's long-stagnant government. Many admirers here speak warmly of Richards's wit and skills, including former President Bill Clinton, TV anchors Tom Brokaw and Dan Rather, and Michael Dukakis, the presidential nominee at the convention where Richards stole the show with her speech (notably absent here are Bush senior and junior). Richards's political star may not have burned for long (she died in 2006 from esophageal cancer), but her impact was considerable. A fine biographical portrait, this is recommended. Aud: C, P. (P. Hall)
All About Ann: Governor Richards of the Lone Star State
(2014) 82 min. DVD: $99.95: public libraries & high schools; $350: colleges & universities. The Cinema Guild. PPR. ISBN: 0-7815-1501-7. Volume 30, Issue 2
All About Ann: Governor Richards of the Lone Star State
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