PBS airs my movie tonight.

[GumboYaYa]

The film I co-wrote and co-produced, Can Mr. Smith Get to Washington Anymore?, airs nationwide on PBS tonight as part of the Independent Lens Documentary Series (www.pbs.org). The show times and dates in some cases vary based on locations, so check your local listings.

Skinner attended the world premiere in D.C. this year and wrote this review: http://journals.democraticunderground.com/Skinner/111

"In fact, it's not just safe for viewing; It's actually really good.

"Can Mr. Smith Get to Washington Anymore?" tells the story of Jeff Smith, a 29-year-old progressive idealist with no political experience who decides to run in the 2004 Democratic primary for the Missouri congressional seat vacated by Dick Gephardt. Among the large field of Democratic contenders, Smith is such an unknown that he shows up as an asterisk in early polls. What's worse, among those opponents is one Russ Carnahan, son of (you guessed it) former Missouri Governor Mel Carnahan and former Senator Jean Carnahan, who is seen by almost everyone in the Missouri and Washington Political/Media Establishment as a virtual shoo-in. Russ appears to be (in this movie, at least) an uninspiring and unimpressive candidate whose high name recognition and front-runner status seem to be based entirely on his family name (not unlike a certain current occupant of the White House). In stark contrast, Jeff Smith comes off as intelligent, idealistic, hard-working, and likable (as is befitting the hero of our movie), despite the fact that he is short, speaks with a lisp, and has zero political experience.

While Carnahan seems to skate by on his name and family connections (and presumably on the easy money that they make possible), former-asterisk-guy Jeff Smith succeeds in making the race competitive by just plain out-hustling the other guy. He puts on a virtual clinic on grassroots campaigning: Door knocking, face-to-face contact, lawn signs, coffees. Any candidate running for local office would do well to watch this film.

This is a classic campaign documentary, which reminded me of other campaign documentaries like "The War Room" or "A Perfect Candidate," albeit on a much smaller scale. While those other documentaries give you an insider view of a high-level, national campaign run by seasoned professionals, "Mr. Smith" gives you a very different insider view of what it's like on a small-time dark-horse local campaign that's got more heart than cash. Watching this movie made me nostalgic for the old days when I used to make a living on political campaigns, putting in 18 hour days for candidates I actually cared about, fueled by youthful idealism and day-old pizza. The inexperienced, naive kids running Jeff Smith's campaign reminded me of so many of the people with whom I spent my early-to-mid-twenties."

We will start selling DVDs from our website (www.mrsmithmovie.com) as early as today and no later than tomorrow. If there is one thing people can do to help independent filmmakers more than anything, it is to buy there products directly from the artists off of the artist's website. When we sell off of Amazon.com or other retail outlets, we make virtually nothing. The MAN gets all of the proceeds. When you buy direct from the artist's website, the artists makes a good return and can afford to make more music, films, paintings etc.

If you get a chance watch the movie on PBS, and please help us spread the word to people about purchasing direct from us and other artists.

Thanks DU!

[AllegroRondo]

1. St Louis newspaper had it under "recommended TV watching"

for tonight. Should be a good show!
and much better than American Idol.

[1gobluedem]

2. Congratulations

I'll try to tune in.

[GumboYaYa]

3. If you guys watch it, come back tomorrow and tell me what you thought

of it.

I am really interested to see what DUers think.