Barf!!! "The Man of Kennebunkport, Sentimental Journeying"

[Guy Whitey Corngood]

By ALESSANDRA STANLEY
Published: June 13, 2012

The documentary “41” opens with ocean spray fizzing up from the rocks around the shingled summer house of George Herbert Walker Bush in Kennebunkport, Me., and doesn’t move far from that idyllic spot.


This HBO film, which has its debut on Thursday, isn’t just a loving look at an elderly former president. It’s a nose-pressed-against-the-window peek at the patrician class — not the superrich, but the privileged, well-bred WASPs who inspired Booth Tarkington novels and, later, J. Crew catalogs.

Put it this way: There were more than a few crises in the life and presidency of Mr. Bush, but this account puts almost as much weight on the hurricanes that badly damaged the Kennebunkport compound as on the decision to wage the gulf war.

The documentary, produced by Jerry Weintraub (“Ocean’s Eleven”), who has a house in Kennebunkport and is a longtime friend, doesn’t pretend to be anything other than a homage to a good man who served his country well in war and peace.

http://tv.nytimes.com/2012/06/14/arts/television/41-george-h-w-bush-documentary-on-hbo.html

[Gidney N Cloyd]

1. Ugh. Here's something I posted on Poppy Friday:

The whole idea of rehabbing Poppy is astounding and shouldn't be taken lightly as merely a topic for selling books and movies.
http://www.democraticunderground.com/?com=view_post&forum=1002&pid=812262

[Guy Whitey Corngood]

3. Thanks I'd missed that. That's why we're the United states of Amnesia. nt

[bluedigger]

2. They should have filmed the whole thing in his real home.

I think it's a hotel room in Texas somewhere. Fucking tax evader.

[madamesilverspurs]

4. I remember Poppy lamenting the hurricane damage to his house,

disgusted because we all knew he wasn't going to have to pay a dime for repairs; people in his position just don't have to, someone else always picks up the tab. Couldn't say the same for all the folks who lost homes, livelihoods, loved ones; far too many of the non-privileged get to hear those lovely words, "sorry, you're not covered for that."

The disgust probably registered because the news story preceding that one involved the death of a homeless man; he died on Pennsylvania Avenue just a block or so from the White House, not that Poppy even knew about him or would have given a damn if he had.

Safe to say that I have zero interest in seeing a movie about any member of the country's most toxic family.

-

[spartan61]

5. One of the best times I had in Kennebunkport

was when George W Moran was visiting Poppy there and I marched with 6,000 of my new friends protesting the war in Iraq. Of course we didn't change anything, but it sure felt good to let the bushies know how much we detested W's un-necessary war.

[hrmjustin]

6. I don't know I kind of like him personally.

I did not agree with his policy, but I thought he was an ok guy. His son is a war criminal.

[TBF]

7. That's pretty much the consensus in Texas as well -

George HW and Barbara are both very popular, but folks change the conversation when you bring up W. Which makes sense. What else is there to say besides him being a war criminal, and a usually drunk and incompetent one at that.

[hrmjustin]

9. Same here in NYC.

41 thought of well, but 43...

[XemaSab]

8. I was there in 2004

and there were stickers everywhere that said "Kerrybunkport."

[postulater]

10. "The Man of Kennebunkport"? What? There's only one left?

That's sad. Half a town wiped out.