Rage Against The Minivan

Jimmy Carter : Man from Plains

I love a good documentary. I feel like I can learn more from a well-made documentary than I ever can from watching hours of American news media. I especially love movies that expose injustice, cultural issues, or a side of humanity that is misunderstood or under-represented.

Last night, we watched Jimmy Carter: Man from Plains. I thought this would be a movie that documented the life of Jimmy Carter (which it did, and he is my new hero). But what I really learned about from the film was the ongoing struggle between Israel and Palestine. I’ve been aware of this conflict, but never really fully understood all the implications. This movie was so informative and I feel like I have a new compassion for both sides caught up in this struggle. Check it out – your thinking will be changed.

Here are some other documentaries that have inspired or enlightened me:

Born into Brothels – a photographer teaches a group of children born to prostitues in Indian brothels

Darfur Now – hard to watch, this follow 6 people trying to end the conflict in Sudan

Sicko – a scathing report of the state of health insurance, watching might just make you sick

Devil’s Playground – follows a handful of Amish teenagers as they break from their past and experiment with drinking, drugs, and driving. the Amish girls gone wild.

Stevie – this was a heartbreaking story of where the fostercare system can lead

The Business of Being Born – an exploration of the “business” aspects of maternity wards

Super Size Me – I’ve got some bad news about your Happy Meals… brace yourself

Lost Boys of Sudan – follows several young Sudanese refugees trying to start a life in the US

Control Room – just what is truth in the Iraqi war? This movie juxtaposes Al Jazeera’s reporting, vs. the American military’s reporting.

Jesus Camp – a look into a modern-day church camp

My Kid Could Paint That – is 5-year-old Marla really a painting genius?? if you see it, tell me what you think

Who Killed the Electric Car? – how big oil companies squashed a greener option for transportation

Why We Fight – some of the reasons we really go to war

Hell House – Christians stage a “haunted house” as a scary witnessing technique

The Fog of War: Eleven Lessons from the Life of Robert S. McNamara – an interesting interview where parellels are made between our past and current mistakes

The Lost Children of Rockdale County – what happens when teenagers are ignored. every parent should see this.

Eyes of Tammy Faye – a fascinating look at a misunderstood woman who finds amazing redemption at the end of her life

Dixie Chicks: Shut Up & Sing – middle America isn’t really this dumb. Right? RIGHT?

Sound and Fury – a look into the life of the deaf community

and who can forget:

The Endless Summer – the ultimate carpe diem surfing movie, and my husband’s all-time favorite!

Comments

  2. Anonymous says

    Oooh, I likes me a good documentary. I haven’t seen most of these. Many of them are going on my list. I’m scared to watch Jesus Camp, but I hear it’s really good. Another I want to see is Lord Save Me From Your Followers. I love to watch a good documentary and then see it’s counter-opined sister (i.e. Fahrenheit 911 and Celsius 41.11 – a little boring, but interesting for its opposing perspective). Another really BEAUTIFULLY done documentary which I really enjoyed was Searching for the Wrong Eyed Jesus. Off to netflix to update my queue.

  3. Lisa Davis says

    Since we live in TN, GA neighbor, we have on occasion visited the Peach state where it is always a debate do we go to Plains to Jimmy Carter’s Sunday School class or not? Well I’m sad to report that we have NOT taken advantage of this once in a lifetime experience. I do have a girlfriend that has and does recommend such experience. Your entry once again gets me thinking about the questionable former world leader, but the wonderful Nobel Prize winner and apparently remarkable Sunday School teacher. Perhaps a trip to GA is in order to fulfill this life altering event.

    Also we are obviously neighbors with KY, home to many Amish who we see on occasion and have even purchased home grown tomatoes from them….makes me wonder if anyone we saw then went “wild” after they grew organic.

  5. Diane Davis says

    i LOVE that you posted these… I’m putting them on my netflix lineup.

    another book nod for you… I’d suggest “The Lemon Tree”. It is about the middle east crisis through the eyes of an israeli jewish man and a palestinian woman. very readable.

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