'Raise Hell: The Life & Times of Molly Ivins' Film Review: Vital, Hilarious Texas Pundit Remembered in Vivacious Documentary
There might be a lot of talking heads, but few heads talked as wittily or wisely as this legendary political columnist
Alonso Duralde | September 4, 2019 @ 9:20 AM
Columnist, humorist and author Molly Ivins died in 2007, but the new documentary "Raise Hell: The Life & Times of Molly Ivins" reminds us that her particular brand of perspicacity is as vital and as necessary now as it was when she covered the 1968 Democratic Convention or watched George W. Bush rocket from the Texas governor's mansion to the White House.
Her trenchant observations about corrupt, lazy or flat-out stupid politicians was must reading then, and timeless in our current era. When one of the film's many interview clips has her noting that the political spectrum in this country doesn't run left to right, but rather top to bottom, it's as relevant as anything in tomorrow's newspaper.
Newspapers, incidentally, play a significant role in Ivins' life story, as it's told by director Janice Engel, making her theatrical feature debut. We follow the writer from gawky adolescent (she was six feet tall at the age of 12) in Houston and her collegiate travels to France before a whirlwind career. At the Minneapolis Tribune, her imposing stature allowed her to be the paper's first female crime-beat reporter, and her coverage of police brutality made the local cops name their mascot, a pig, after her.
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From there she was off to the Texas Observer, a rare liberal publication in the Lone Star State in the 1970s, and then The New York Times, which hired her for her singularly florid prose and then constantly tamped it down to fit Old Grey Lady style.
Her career really took off when she was given complete editorial freedom at the Dallas Times Herald. (Full disclosure: My first real newspaper job was at this now-shuttered publication; I once sent Ivins an intra-office fan memo.)
Her witty take-downs of the Texas legislature reached a national audience via syndication and several best-selling collections of her columns. And the timing gave her a front-row seat for the rise of W, who became the subject of two books she wrote with Lou Dubose, "Shrub" and "Bushwhacked." (Having witnessed Bush in action for years, Ivins was less inclined than most to buy into his rosy descriptions of the Iraq War and its aftermath.)
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But "Raise Hell" isn't just about the work, as great as the work was. Friends and family paint a fairly rich portrait of an intelligent and occasionally conflicted woman with a strong will and even stronger sense of humor. Later in her life, she would battle both alcoholism and breast cancer, and she would occasionally be let down by the rare politicians she respected.
(Always a defender of society's most vulnerable, Ivins took Bill Clinton's welfare reform as a deeply painful betrayal.)
Engel's subjects reminisce frankly about Ivins — this is a celebration but never a hagiography — and the requisite big names contribute interesting analysis regarding the writer as a Texan (Cecile Richards), a media powerhouse (Rachel Maddow) and both (Dan Rather). Formally speaking, the film isn't breaking much new ground; the period-setting pop music and montage-friendly stock footage appear pretty much exactly where you'd expect. But Ivins herself was such a great raconteur, engaging speaker and drily witty interviewee that the plethora of old TV clips are themselves reason enough for the film to exist.
As even web outlets find themselves bleeding staff, and journalism becomes an increasingly precarious commodity, "Raise Hell" reminds us of the never-ending importance of those skilled observers with the ability to speak truth to power. And if, like Ivins, they can make us laugh while doing so, then they're all the more essential.
15 Buzziest Sundance Movies: From Shia LaBeouf's 'Honey Boy' to 'Leaving Neverland' (Photos)
Park City, Utah, is about to be flush with cash -- and we're not talking about buying apres ski gear. Here are the most buzzed-about titles of the 2019 Sundance Film Festival. (Note: some already have distributors).
"After the Wedding"
Filmmaker Bart Freundlich has enlisted esteemed actresses Julianne Moore and Michelle Williams to lead this adaptation of Danish director Susanne Bier's Oscar-winning film of the same name. After being invited to the wedding of Theresa's (Moore) daughter, Isabel (Williams) discovers a connection to Theresa that takes her on an unexpected journey into her own past.
"Clemency"
Alfre Woodard stars as the warden of a maximum-security prison, who, after striking up a bond with an inmate, is confronted with the complex and often contradictory relationship between good intentions and unrequited desires.
"Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil and Vile"
Almost two years in the making, Joe Berlinger's take on the notorious serial killer Ted Bundy is finally hitting the big screen. Zac Efron stars as Bundy, and the film will be told from the perspective of Bundy's longtime girlfriend, Elizabeth, who went years denying the accusations against him, but ultimately turned him into the police. Lily Collins plays Elizabeth. The film also stars Jim Parsons, Haley Joel Osment and Kaya Scodelario.
"Honey Boy"
Shia LaBeouf wrote the screenplay for this film, based on his childhood and his relationship with his father. Directed by Alma Har'el, "Honey Boy" also stars Lucas Hedges, FKA Twigs and Noah Jupe.
"Imaginary Order"
If you want to feel uncomfortable yet completely fascinated by a film, "Imaginary Order" is the one for you. It follows a suburban mom, played by Wendi McLendon-Covey, who makes mistake after mistake and her psyche crumbles in the aftermath.
"Knock Down the House"
Documentaries continue to be huge, and this one details the struggles and meteoric rise of young Puerto Rican bartender Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez from the Bronx to toppling incumbents in an electric primary race for Congress.
"Leaving Neverland"
Described as gut-wrenching, this documentary uses interviews with the now-adult men and their families of those who have accused Michael Jackson of sexual abuse to craft a portrait of one of the world's most celebrated icons. HBO will release this doc in the spring.
"Native Son"
Renowned African-American history and culture visual artist Rashid Johnson and Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright Suzan-Lori Parks craft a contemporary reworking of Richard Wright's 1940 novel, bringing its interrogation of fear, violence, race and circumstance into a critical modern context. A24 is the distributor.
"The Great Hack"
In 2018, Facebook came under fire many times for its use and misuse of users' personal data. That was never more apparent than the explosive Cambridge Analytica/Facebook data breach that this doc explores. Netflix will distribute this documentary.
"The Report"
Hot off his awards run for "BlacKkKlansman," Adam Driver is back in "The Report" alongside Jon Hamm, Jennifer Morrison and Maura Tierney. The film, directed by Scott Z. Burns, follows CIA agents and their interrogation tactics in the quest to find those behind the 9/11 attacks.
"Untouchable"
Harvey Weinstein, both in his rise and in his monstrous fall, changed Hollywood forever. "Untouchable" explores how he acquired and deployed his formidable power over the course of decades.
"Velvet Buzzsaw"
"Nightcrawler" director Dan Gilroy reunited with Jake Gyllenhaal for the high-art thriller "Velvet Buzzsaw," which also stars Rene Russo, Toni Collette and Natalia Dyer. Netflix will distribute this movie.
"The Farewell"
Awkwafina, one of the breakout stars of 2018, stars in this film about a family that opts not to tell their beloved matriarch about her lung cancer diagnosis, instead scheduling an impromptu wedding-reunion back in China. The film is based on director Lulu Wang's true story she told on NPR's popular podcast, "This American Life."
"Luce"
This psychological drama stars Kelvin Harrison Jr., Octavia Spencer and Naomi Watts. It follows a couple that is forced to reevaluate the image of their adopted son after his high school teacher finds something alarming in his locker.
"Brittany Runs a Marathon"
Jillian Bell leads the cast of this comedy that follows a young New Yorker who discovers she has elevated blood pressure and a high heart rate. Soon, she starts running, and increases her distance by a mile a day. Buyers have expressed interest in this inspirational yet entertaining tale.
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Alonso Duralde
Alonso Duralde, TheWrap's reviews editor, has written about film for Movieline, Salon, MSNBC.com. He also co-hosts the "Linoleum Knife," "Maximum Film!," "Breakfast All Day" and "A Film and A Movie" podcasts. Duralde has appeared on TCM and was a regular contributor to FilmStruck and to "The Rotten Tomatoes Show" on Current. He is the author of two books, "Have Yourself a Movie Little Christmas" (Limelight Editions) and "101 Must-See Movies for Gay Men" (Advocate Books), and the co-author of "I'll Be Home for Christmas Movies" (Running Press).