The Reagan Presidency

At a time of economic and political malaise, Ronald Reagan entered the White House as President in 1981 with a vision of hope and optimism, coupled with an unswerving faith in conservative principles. Certainly, Reagan arrived with a varied resume: broadcaster, movie star, TV pitchman, and governor of California. Filmmaker Chip Duncan's three-part PBS-aired documentary presents an evenhanded look at the triumphs and setbacks of the Reagan years, including the controversial "Reaganomics"—a package of tax cuts and deregulation that was meant to tame inflation and promote growth but also resulted in huge deficits. Reagan's term in office was almost cut short by an assassination attempt in 1981, but his rapid recovery was a big boost to his popularity, while his nomination of Sandra Day O'Connor as a U.S. Supreme Court justice became a milestone in the women's rights movement. On the other hand, Reagan was denounced as being too slow to respond to the AIDS crisis, and for being callous to the needs of the poor and homeless. On the foreign front, the Reagan presidency marked the end of the Cold War and the beginning of the War on Terror. The Reagan era was noted for proxy wars, shifting alliances, and Reagan's firm belief that communism shouldn't be contained, but instead consigned to "the ash heap of history." Reagan never made much progress on knotty Middle East problems, and a peacekeeping mission in Lebanon resulted in the disastrous 1983 barracks terror bombing which killed several hundred U.S. Marines. The biggest crisis Reagan faced was the Iran-Contra affair, a convoluted scheme to free American hostages that involved selling arms to Iran, and then diverting funds to Contras fighting a leftist government in Nicaragua. Although Reagan's famous "tear down this Wall!" speech in Berlin didn't bring down the wall (the Germans—East and West—were responsible for that), the eventual destruction of the infamous barrier was a major milestone for 20th-century Europe. Combining archival footage with interview clips of White House insiders, reporters, and critics, who weigh in on Reagan's legacy, DVD extras include an interview with the director. Highly recommended. Aud: H, C, P. (S. Rees)