Jimmy Carter Man From Plains

NEW YORK (CNS) -- "Jimmy Carter Man From Plains" (Participant) is a thoughtful documentary about one man and one word.

The man, of course, is the 39th president of the United States. The word? Apartheid. In 2006, the former president and prolific author chose to title his 21st book "Palestine: Peace Not Apartheid." Doing so initiated a controversy that would dog his steps throughout the publicity tour for the volume, a multicity, cross-country journey recorded in this film.

Versatile director Jonathan Demme uses the ordeal of the trip as an entryway, not only into his subject's character, but into larger social and political themes, such as the frenzy-prone contemporary media and the ongoing search for peace with justice in the Middle East.

We follow Carter from one interview to the next while reporters -- some openly hostile -- question the fairness, accuracy and originality of his work. Interwoven with these scenes are more relaxed events like a church service or a barbecue back in Plains, Ga.

When further interspersed with footage of Carter's inauguration and the historic Camp David summit he hosted, this material adds up to a detailed, though largely uncritical portrait. Indeed, Demme is an unapologetic admirer of the man from Plains, and his film is an example of unabashed hero worship.

There is a great deal to honor in the ex-president's life.

A loyal son and a husband of more than 60 years' standing, Carter is also a high-profile champion of Habitat for Humanity, a charity that constructs housing for the homeless. He is seen here lending a hand in post-Katrina New Orleans. Underlying Carter's achievements is his sincere religious commitment. A Sunday school teacher since his days at the U.S. Naval Academy, he and former first lady Rosalynn Carter read together from the Bible daily.

Demme does strive for some balance, interviewing the highly critical Harvard Law School professor Alan Dershowitz and showing the aftermath of a suicide bombing in Israel, along with the bulldozing of Palestinian homes. But, as the film approaches its climax -- an address to students at Brandeis University -- there's little doubt about Demme's mind-set.

An in-depth chronological biography could easily be sustained over the film's two full hours, but the narrow focus on a series of publicity events and book signings inevitably leads to repetition. And do we really need two sequences of Carter doing laps in a hotel pool?

Despite these limitations, the documentary offers viewers the chance to spend time with an 82-year-old Nobel laureate who is on the move more than 16 hours a day, a veteran politician still unafraid to cause a stir and, arguably, one of the most effective ex-presidents in U.S. history.

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The film contains scenes of people wounded and killed in a bombing. The USCCB Office for Film & Broadcasting classification is A-II -- adults and adolescents. The Motion Picture Association of America rating is PG -- parental guidance suggested. Some material may not be suitable for children.

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Copyright (c) 2007 Catholic News Service/U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops