George H.W. Bush

Originally broadcast on the PBS-aired American Experience series, this two-part, three-hour hagiographical portrait attempts to revitalize the tarnished reputation of the 41st President of the United States. A tall order, considering the fact that George H.W. Bush's reputation has not measurably increased since he was voted out of office in 1992 by a nation weary of his disconnection to problems facing the country. To its credit, this handsomely produced documentary from writer-director Austin Hoyt employs rarely seen home movies, family photographs, and old TV news footage to provide as much depth and scope as possible, buttressed by flattering comments from Bush's wife Barbara, former aides, and even former Soviet premier Mikhail Gorbachev. George H.W. Bush makes it clear that Bush Sr. didn't have to work very hard—thanks to financial support from his wealthy family and friends that helped boost him into the post-WWII oil business, and later politics in the 1960s. Bush crassly embraced Goldwater-style Republicanism in 1964, despite personally abhorring the Arizona conservative's ideology, and later allied himself with Ronald Reagan, who chose Bush as a running mate. The film tries to repaint Bush's single presidential term as the knockout blow to the Cold War, something which few credible historians would acknowledge, while suggesting that it was actually the voting public that was out of touch with Bush's accomplishments in 1992. Unfortunately, Bush himself is not interviewed here, which creates a bit of a void. Not one of the best entries in the American Experience profiles of presidents, this one should still be considered a strong optional purchase. Aud: H, C, P. (P. Hall)