LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WHAS11) -- Does our divided country need a “Popcorn Summit”?
As we head into Academy Awards weekend, we began wondering about the favorite political movies of your elected officials.
Here was the premise: At a time in which our nation is divided over politics, can we agree upon one thing? Can we agree upon a good movie?
Two of the most powerful lawmakers from Kentucky used to work closely together, but US Congressman John Yarmuth and US Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell have well-publicized differences these days.
We asked Rep. Yarmuth and Sen. McConnell the same question we asked several other Kentucky lawmakers, what is your favorite political movie and why?
We did not reveal answers to legislators until after they answered the question first.
When we got to Mr. McConnell and Mr. Yarmuth, we found that both men shared something in common.
Both men not only named the 1972 Robert Redford movie “The Candidate.” But not only did they declare that the movie was their favorite, they both quoted the film’s final line. Below are their responses as well as the answers from many of the other lawmakers who took part in our quest to see whether we could all agree upon a good movie.
Rep. Jim Wayne, (D) Kentucky House Dist. 35: "The most important influential movie in my life, for political life, would be ‘Amazing Grace’ which came out several years ago and it tells the tale of the legislative process in Great Britain to abolish slavery in the early 1800's. And particularly it tells the tale of the individual legislator who was torn between a quiet, reserved poetic life and a life of public service. And I often feel that myself, I'd rather escape under a tree and read poetry some days than be down here but it's very important to be down here and try to do the right thing.”
Rep. Jason Nemes, (R) Kentucky House District 33: "My favorite political movie is ‘Mr. Smith Goes to Washington’ and the reason is, I'm a freshman legislator and so I still have a lot of idealism and I'm starting to kind of buck up against the system. I find some strength from the memory of that movie."
Rep. Kim King, (R) Kentucky House Dist. 55: "’Mr. Smith Goes to Washington.’ I think it's very timely in the political climate we're in now and he didn't give up and that's definitely my favorite political movie.”
Rep. Brandon Reed, (R) Kentucky House Dist. 24: "’Mr. Smith Goes to Washington’, 1939, Jimmy Stewart. It's just a typical story of a patriot going to Washington, trying to make a difference. And, when he gets there and, he see the involvement all sorts of politics but he perseveres through, has a filibuster on the floor. I mean, it's an old black and white but I love it and every time I watch it I just get that passion in my heart."
Sen. Julie Raque Adams, (R) Kentucky Senate District 36: "I have two favorite political movies, ‘Dave’ and ‘The American President’ and that's because they're both love stories.” (Chris Williams) “So Dave is a little bit goofy isn't it?” (Sen. Adams) “It is very goofy but, you know, it's not out of the realm of possibility. You could have a body double become President and be extremely successful.” (Chris) “And ‘The American President?’” (Sen. Adams) “Well that's just a really sweet story. It shows the pressures, you know, two people coming from different parts but both have political jobs and they fall in love and it's really beautiful."
Rep. McKenzie Cantrell, (D) Kentucky House Dist. 38: "My favorite political movie is ‘The American President’ with Michael Douglas and Annette Benning, two Academy Award nominated actors. Michael Douglas played Andrew Shepherd, the President of the United States who begins dating a lobbyist, Annette Benning ‘Sidney Ellen Ways.’ One of my favorite movies. It's funny, it has romance, it's political and I've seen it dozens of times. Aaron Sorkin, “The West Wing, it's just a feel good movie all around."
Rep. Mary Lou Marzian, (D) Kentucky House Dist. 34: "Oh, ‘The American President,’ or ‘American President’ because the issues that they portray in the movie are so close to my heart; jobs, justice, equality, environmental issues. So, and Annette Benning is just wonderful in the movie and Michael Douglas."
Rep. Jeff Hoover, (R) Kentucky House Speaker: “’Lincoln’”. (Chris) “Why?” (Speaker Hoover) “I just thought it did a really good job showing his humbleness and his approach to governing and bringing people together from different diverse backgrounds. I like that approach.”
Sen. Damon Thayer, (R) Kentucky Senate Dist. 17: “I haven't watched many lately. I remember watching ‘The Candidate’ with Robert Redford when I was a kid. And movies like that are classics obviously. But I would say, in recent years, my favorite movie related to politics and government is ‘Lincoln.’ And Daniel Day Lewis' portrayal of Abraham Lincoln was absolutely brilliant and it showed a lot of behind the scenes and the life of Lincoln and the life in the White House and those cabinet meetings and it's fascinating. It's in my DVD collection and once every year or so I pull it out and watch it."
Rep. Al Gentry, (D) Kentucky House Dist. 46: "My favorite political movie is ‘All the President's Men’ with Robert Redford. It kind of details the Watergate scenario back in the 1970's.” (Chris) “Why?” (Rep. Gentry) “It really educated me on the process and the importance of transparency."
Andy Beshear, (D) Kentucky Attorney General: "My favorite political movie is a movie that most people might view as either a military or legal movie and it's ‘A Few Good Men.’And it's my favorite political movie because it's about speaking truth to power. It's about standing up to those more powerful when they have wronged those that have been harmed. That's the type of thing we do every single day in the Attorney General's Office. And there are a few good objections in the movie too."
Sen. Morgan McGarvey, (D) Kentucky Senate District 19: "This is the toughest question I'm easily going to be asked in Frankfort this week. I can't give you one, I'm going to have to give you two. Non-fiction, “All the President's Men”. Fiction, I love the movie “Dave”. You know, if you're going to look at politics, you might as well laugh a little bit so I love that movie because it's fun. “All the President's Men”, I think, does a really good job chronicling a true event in our nation's history and it's a pretty fascinating watch.”
Rep. Attica Scott, (D) Kentucky House Dist. 41: "’Fruitvale Station’ because it's timely. It talks about what we are addressing right now in this country with police violence and shooting of unarmed black men. So “Fruitvale Station” is a movie that I would encourage folks to watch.”
Rep. John Yarmuth, (D) KY US House Dist. 3: "Well, my favorite political movie is ‘The Candidate’ starring Robert Redford and it was released in the early 70's but what it does is explain, I think, very, very well the pressures that are on candidates and politicians to compromise their principals and how tough it is sometimes to resist whether it's money or voter pressure. And, as you know, the final line of that movie was when he was elected to the Senate. Robert Redford said, ‘What do we do now’ because he had lost total touch with all of his principals."
Sen. Mitch McConnell, (R) US Senate Majority Leader: "Well, I think ‘The Candidate’ with Robert Redford. He was a self-funder who won a Senate race. And the last scene he turns to his campaign manager after winning the race and says, ‘What do we do now?’"
Sen. Rand Paul, (R) KY-US Senate: "Well, I would say, ‘Enemy of the State’ because it's a great movie. It's action packed but it also depicts sort of a government run amuck looking at all of our stuff you know as far as NSA kind of spying on its own citizens. Will Smith is great in the movie and it also has a Kentucky connection because Jerry Bruckheimer is the producer and he has a place here in Kentucky."
Rep. Reginald Meeks, (D) Kentucky House District 42: "This is gonna knock your socks off! My favorite political movie is ‘Bulworth.’ It takes away all the veneer, all the frontage that we as elected officials sometimes put up to create an image, takes it all away. It looks at politics from the very unique perspective. It brings in a very modern take on politics in terms of hip-hop music and that lifestyle, it just breaks it down and I just thoroughly enjoyed it.”
Sen. Dan Seum, (R) Kentucky Senate District 38: "Well, I always like the movie ‘Patton.’ You know what a great guy General Patton was and you know, if you're going to be a general of an army, you have to be a pretty good politician. So he's a real take-charge kind of guy and that was one of my favorite movies."