The Hunting of the President

Based on Joe Conason and Gene Lyons' bestseller of the same name, The Hunting of the President offers a possible explanation of how and why President Bill Clinton wound up facing impeachment. Directed by Harry Thomason and Nickolas Perry and narrated by Morgan Freeman, the documentary comes across as Michael Moore-lite, combining playful interviews, graphics, and stock footage to enhance its central thesis that a right-wing group of old-school politicians (the so-called "elves," which included Ann Coulter and Dick Cheney), who saw Clinton as a godless threat to their established way of doing business and to the nation's morals, arranged for a heavily biased independent counsel, Ken Starr, to investigate Clinton's past and find some dirt. Little of this is new, but the film highlights the badgering of Susan McDougal, who was imprisoned with child murderers because she wouldn't lie about the Clintons, and--more disturbingly--explores the ways in which the American media slowly gave in to pressure from right-wing interest groups and began reporting the news with a definite bias. Despite an obvious bias of its own, The Hunting of the President is a highly effective and powerful film that should find an appreciative audience. Recommended. [Note: DVD extras include a speech by President Bill Clinton--who received a standing ovation--after the premiere screening that also features filmmaker Harry Thomason (43 min.), and a trailer. Bottom line: a small extras package for a smart documentary.] (J. M. Anderson)