Movie Review: Mitt

When I started this blog, I promised myself that I would  purposely keep it non-political; there’s enough of that in plenty of other places.  With this writing, I will endeavor to keep that promise and simply do a movie review.  

With that said, Mitt isn't about politics. It’s about a family man, Mitt Romney, trying to successfully complete the most time-intensive, expensive, and grueling job interview in the country.

In this fly-on-the-wall documentary,  produced by One Potato Productions for Netflix, director  Greg Whiteley  gives us an inside look at the family life of a presidential candidate. We on the outside see only the glamour---the lights, cameras, and private planes. But behind all that is a long running string of take-out food, hotel rooms, and sleeping in buses.

The film follows Romney, the former governor of Massachusetts who first came to national prominence after taking over leadership of the 2002 Salt Lake City Winter Olympics, on both of his presidential campaigns. We also meet his wife Anne, sons, and daughters-in-law. Various campaign workers and others make cameos.

Family means everything to the Romneys. The entire clan is in on almost every decision from deciding to run through writing concession speeches.  Mitt owes it all to his father, George. While looking over Romney's notes for the first debate with President Obama, eldest son Tagg asks why he writes 'Dad' at the top of the page. "It's to remind me of my father, " Mitt answers. "Where I came from. Dad grew up poor but worked up to own a car company and then governor [of Michigan].  I have to remember that."

Whiteley does very little interviewing, he just lets the raw footage speak for itself. One interview, however, results in one of several comedic moments in the film.  During a South Carolina campaign stop in 2008, the hotel desk clerk is asked if they knew which candidate was staying in their hotel. He and a co-worker look through the records and eventually figure out it’s Romney. “I never heard of him,” he says.

Another funny scene takes place the night of  the  2012 Correspondent's Dinner, the annual tuxedo-and-ball gown Washington tradition where all the politicians and other Washington elite gather to make fun of themselves and the press. First, Romney tries to iron his tuxedo shirt cuff----while he's wearing it. Then, at dinner, he gets a big laugh: "You wear many outfits on the campaign trail, " he says. "Maybe jeans in the morning, a suit in the afternoon. But it's nice that Anne and I get a chance tonight to wear what we wear around the house."

After the good times of the dinner, we cut to Election Night 2012. Things are looking good, but then they look bad. Mitt and family watch as one state after the next is called for the president. And so it goes late into the night. Romney is getting nervous.

Although the West Coast polls are still open, they realize that statistically, it all comes down to Ohio. A few minutes later, the news comes in......Ohio is lost. The family is both relieved and disappointed--relieved that it's over; disappointed that Dad lost....again.

After writing the concession speech, there's only one decision left to make:  What to do about the Secret Service. It is decided that they will drive Mitt and Anne home, and that's it. "I wouldn't feel comfortable with them doing any more after that." Mitt says.  And so the film ends. Anne and Mitt carry their own bags into the house, and Mitt goes into the living room, a man alone with the rest of his life ahead of him.

The film won't change any minds on the politics of Romney, you either love him or hate him. But it is a very well done documentary.  It is an unprecedented look at what life is like on the campaign trail through the eyes of not just the candidate, but his family.  It's a very select group that gets to have such an experience, and thanks to  Whiteley and his crew, we get to experience it too.