DVD Review: Jimmy Carter Man from Plains

I don’t care if you’re a Democrat or a Republican, a pro-Israeli or a pro-Palestinian: Jimmy Carter Man from Plains is an exceptionally unremarkable documentary. Considering Carter’s generally middling rank in the scores of historical presidential rankings, perhaps that’s appropriate.

Directed by talented filmmaker Jonathan Demme, one would expect a more engaging look into the life of the former president, especially as Carter tries to stir up a hornet’s nest of controversy over his latest book, Palestine Peace Not Apartheid, a call for Israel to end its occupation of Palestinian territories such as the Gaza Strip.

Carter, shown enjoying barbecue with friends and grasping the hand of his beloved wife Rosalynn in prayer, seems far too genial to try to provoke the kind of hullabaloo that the word "apartheid" creates. But it’s pretty clear that he knew exactly what he would generate with that word choice, and as the film chronicles his tour to promote the book, he runs into plenty of argument.

Carter’s activism is admirable, especially at his age, but there are many questions raised by his book that Demme’s film doesn’t even attempt to answer. An author claims that Carter blatantly ripped off maps in the book. Did he? Didn’t he? Who knows? Demme leaves the accusation at just that. How hard would it have been to research and find the answer?

Similarly, Carter runs into plenty of claims that he solely places the blame on Israel for
Palestine’s problems, despite Palestine’s history of terrorism against Israel. At times, Carter says both countries must work together. Other times, he places the responsibility solely on Israel’s shoulders. What does Carter really think? What does the book actually say? Did Demme even read it?

One would guess not, and it soon becomes clear that this is not anywhere near a critical documentary, just a tag-along on Carter’s book tour. That might be okay if more interesting stuff happened, by Demme captures a wealth of banality that makes this two-hour documentary seemingly drag on for eternity. Just because it’s a former president riding in a car, sitting on an airplane or eating, it’s not inherently interesting.

Article Author: Dusty Somers

Dusty Somers hails from Seattle, and is a graduate of the University of Oklahoma with a B.A. in journalism. He is a member of the Online Film Critics Society.

Visit Dusty Somers's author page — Dusty Somers's Blog