Imagine that, when the Academy Awards season rolls around and the Best Documentary nominees are announced, somehow Michael Moore isn’t the most controversial figure nominated. It looks like that’s completely possible with a new “unashamedly partisian” documentary about the war in Iraq and the folly of it coming from the most unlikely of sources: Phil Donahue.
Yes, Phil Donahue, that bastion of daytime talk shows, at least until Oprah and Dr. Phil double-teamed him. Now he’s turned to producing the documentary Body of War which follows a wounded soldier as he returns home and has to readjust to life as a veteran with disabilities. The film allegedly incriminates Democrats such as Hillary Clinton, for approving the war and spouting White House rhetoric. Clinton is not the only Democrat involved, although apparently only Senator Robert Byrd stands as the exception in the film’s eyes.
According to Variety, Body of War is slated to appear at one of the larger film festivals coming up, either Venice or Toronto, although which is unknown. Apparently Donahue has been inviting several distribution executives to his Upper East Side penthouse for private screenings of the film. Those who have seen the documentary say they could see a small theatrical run, although they seem to be looking more towards television as the main venue for distribution. Donahue and his sales agent are hoping for a wider theatrical release, however, hoping the film’s “star power” will help sell the picture.
Star power? Does this mean the targets like Clinton, or those behind the scenes like Donahue, who doesn’t actually appear in the film, and songwriter Eddie Vedder, who created music for the movie? It sounds to me like Donahue might have an inflated opinion of his own product, or perhaps its because war documentaries typically don’t fare well on television, so he’s hoping to find a means of distribution that will allow people to see it.
Is America ready for another war documentary, even one from such a big name as Phil Donahue, or has the subject been beaten into the ground already?
