Charlie vs. Goliath 2017
Distributed by Collective Eye Films, 1315 SE 20th Ave. #3, Portland OR 97214; 971-236-2056
Produced by Reed Lindsay, Nicolas Rossier, and Kim Borba
Directed by Reed Lindsay
Streaming, 78 mins
High School - General Adult
Politics; Social Sciences
Date Entered: 08/05/2020
Reviewed by Jessica Brangiel, Electronic Resources Management Librarian, Swarthmore CollegeCharlie vs. Goliath is a feature-length documentary about former Catholic priest Charlie Hardy’s 2014 run for U.S. Senate. Born and raised in Cheyenne, Wyoming, the son of Austrian immigrants, Hardy decides at a young age that a happy life comes from serving others leading him to the priesthood. After spending a decade serving those in deep poverty in Venezuela, Hardy returns to Wyoming only to see similar struggles including poverty, hunger and homelessness among his neighbors. In a state of 500,000 people with two Senators and a Representative, constituents of Wyoming at one time were able to meet and connect personally with their elected officials. However, overtime and with the growing influence of special interest money Hardy feels Wyoming's politicians have lost touch with the voters and the issues that are important to “regular people.”
Disillusioned by the influence of corporate and PAC money in politics, Hardy decides to run for U.S. Senate and wins the Democratic Party’s nomination. Determined only to accept donations from individuals Hardy has an uphill battle in his race against the three term Republican incumbent. The film demonstrates the impact one man, committed to serving the people, can make through deep and personal connections with individual voters. Charlie vs. Goliath restores hope and humanity to politics and is well-suited for a variety of audiences from older high school students to adult viewers.
Awards:
Official Selection of the 2017 Big Sky Documentary Film Festival and Buffalo International Film Festival