Based on a true series of incidents which transpired in Skokie, IL over the summer of 1977, this powerful TV-movie stars the late Danny Kaye as Max Feldman, a Holocaust survivor who is propelled into action when a Chicago-based Neo-Nazi group announces its intentions to march through the streets of Skokie in full uniform and regalia. While Kaye delivers an impassioned performance, the interpersonal relations amongst himself, his terrified wife, and his confused and sheltered daughter, are quickly subsumed by the larger issue at stake: the First Amendment. With it's large Jewish population, many of them survivors of concentration camps, Skokie successfully wins a lower court injunction against the Neo-Nazi's--a decision which brings in the ACLU. Initially responding with a knee-jerk defense of "free speech for all," regardless of political platform, the Chicago ACLU officials are shocked when resignations start pouring in from their constituents. The interesting twist here is that the young ACLU lawyer (John Rubinstein) is Jewish--an irony that the Skokie citizens find particularly repugnant. As the case moves upwards through the courts, and tempers escalate on all sides, Skokie emerges as an extremely thought-provoking examination of the First Amendment. Because of the unusual circumstances surrounding the case, viewers will find themselves vacillating between positions--as do the protagonists in the film. With fine supporting performances by Eli Wallach, Brian Dennehy, Kim Hunter, and Carl Reiner, Skokie is as relevant today (perhaps more so) in the wake of increasing First Amendment litigation, as it was a decade ago. Highly recommended. (R. Pitman)
Skokie
(1981) 121 min. PG. $89.95. Academy Home Entertainment. Library Journal
Skokie
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