Missed the campaign? See the movie. One Bright Shining Moment: The Forgotten Summer of George McGovern, now playing at the Bell Auditorium, details the 1972 underdog presidential campaign of the liberal senator from South Dakota. McGovern’s loss to Nixon has gone down in history as an example of what not to do when running for president. But filmmaker Stephen Vittoria turns this assumption on its head. Runs Saturdays and Sundays through November 3. (Hear McGovern discuss the film with MPR’s Tom Crann.)
What Would McGovern Do?
Oct 24 2005 — 2:00am
4 Reader Comments
3:57 pm
Wish I could have caught him at the Bell yesterday. There’s too much going on in October!!!
7:00 pm
I was at the opening when he spoke (btw, so was one R.T. Rybak) — the dignity and fairness of this man are inspiring. The one downer of the evening: the $9 UMN event parking fee.
12:48 pm
I was there in 1972, and i have not forgotten it. i voted for mcgovern, who is an honorable man. But i would like to suggest that his efforts hardly constitute “one bright shining moment.”
isn’t that the term used and song played on tv every year to inspire us after the ncaa basketball tournament? the athletes give it the old college try… winning is joyous, and losing is sad, but noble, too.
i think the title is inapt. mcgovern didn’t even make his layups during the campaign. he failed to compete. and because the stakes were so high, his feeble campaign was a national disaster.
how about this for a title: “nice man fails to play hard, loses championship; bad guys celebrate”
4:53 pm
Chuck
First of all, McGovern began the campaign as a little-known candidate, his poll numbers hovering at 3% for a long time – he won 11 primaries (4 years before, Humphrey won the nomination and didn’t win one primary) – the McGovern for President campaign was a political juggernaut for well over a year, motivating and energizing millions. So much for not making lay-ups…
And the title is not about wins or losses but rather the approach and experience. McGovern for President was one of those rare occasions when peace and justice were suggested as instruments of government rather than the commonplace offering of violence and lies.
That’s what the movie is about.