Educational Media Reviews Online

This is the first feature length film of a talented young filmmaker, Chaille Stovall, whose other films include Looking for God and Little Monk. Stovall began this project at the age of ten, and for 15 months followed the 2000 presidential election, seeking to find answers to the questions of why kids should be interested in politics, and how can they get their parents to participate?

The road to the presidency is told through five stages (with a surprise sixth, given the unusual results of the Florida vote). The stages include the New Hampshire primary, the Florida primary, the Republican National Convention in Philadelphia, the Democratic National Convention in Los Angeles, and finally the televised debates between Bush and Gore. Stovall interviews a variety of people, from politicians and journalists to musicians and actors. His first interview is with then Texas governor George W. Bush, who, in the pre-9/11 conversation, shows a welcome lightness. Other interviewees include Al Gore, Steve Forbes, Larry King, Charles Gibson, Jay Leno, Maria Shriver, Jesse Jackson, and a host of other people prominent in the world of current events. Children and adults alike will enjoy seeing a different side of the interviewees as they discuss the differences between Republicans and Democrats and why politics should matter to everyone.

The technical quality of the video is very good. It should be noted that the video was filmed by a group of 11 to 16 year olds. The camera isn’t always steady, but given the immediacy of the filming (such as in a jostling crowd on the floor of a political convention), it is to be expected. This video should prove empowering to young people, motivating them to take a more active interest in politics, and also, given the young age of the filmmaker, to realize that they too can pursue a project of this type. This film is highly recommended for public and school libraries.