It sounds like it might be a bit sympathetic of George W. And it was shot by the daughter of Nancy Pelosi, the DEMO congresscritter from Califonia!
[size=4]Filmmaker Debuts Bush Documentary[/size=4]
AUSTIN, Texas (AP) - Alexandra Pelosi came to the Texas capital as an NBC News producer to cover Gov. George W. Bush's bid for the White House in 1999. This week, she returned as a documentary filmmaker with ``Journeys with George.''
The 77-minute movie, debuting Friday at the South by Southwest film festival, shows a silly side of the man who would become president. Some Bush aides have been apprehensive it might make him look unpresidential.
``Stop filming me. You're like a head cold,'' an irritated but smiling Bush tells Pelosi in one scene. ``This is going to be a lousy documentary.''
By the end of the movie, though, Bush has grown into a more comfortable, confident candidate. During one heart-to-heart, Pelosi asks how the 18-month campaign has changed him.
``I started as a cowboy,'' Bush says. ``I'm now a statesman.''
Pelosi, the 31-year-old daughter of House Minority Whip Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., said she hopes the movie gives people an uncensored look at the president's personality, the crafting of a campaign and the molding of the media.
``What it reveals is how we elect our presidents, and George Bush just happens to be the character,'' she said.
``He was a great person to go on a road trip with. He was a lot of fun. I certainly would not have been able to pull this off if I were covering Al Gore.''
After the election, Pelosi quit her job, formed Purple Monkey Productions and, with editor Aaron Lubarsky, used a home computer to edit the film in her Manhattan apartment.
``Journeys with George'' - Bush himself suggested the title - captures a relaxed bologna- and Cheetos-eating candidate who often joked with reporters, even after primary losses.
He makes funny faces, blindly walks around the plane wearing large, dark aviator-style glasses, rolls oranges down the aisle and models what he calls real Texas fashion: long-tailed shirts, cowboy boots and a big belt buckle.
The movie also shows a well-funded, well-orchestrated operation that ensured that every stop featured plenty of supporters waving hand-painted signs provided by the campaign.
``This is really, really homegrown, behind-the-scenes stuff,'' Lubarsky said. ``I was pleasantly surprised by the camaraderie that existed and by the charm and intelligence of Gov. Bush. I was also disappointed by some things that I saw, too - the staging of a lot of the rallies.''
The film features some weary journalists forced to listen repeatedly to the same speech and eat the same turkey sandwiches.
At a snowy stop in Dubuque, Iowa, Houston Chronicle reporter R.G. Ratcliffe shivers as he waits for Bush.
``This is insane. The only reason we are out here is in case Bush comes out and slips on the ice and falls down,'' he says. ``We're vicious predators.''
Other scenes show off-duty reporters dancing and drinking margaritas at back-of-the-plane parties. One grew too loud for Pelosi, who complained to Bush.
``These are my people,'' Bush replies, holding a nonalcoholic beer.
- continued -