America's Heart & Soul (2004)

America’s Heart u0026 Soul: Directed by Louie Schwartzberg. With George Woodard, Charles Jimmie Sr., The Vasquez Brothers, Frank Pino. Filmmaker Louis Schwartzberg hits the road to capture America’s people and its natural beauty.

“The dictionary defines u0026quot;jingoisticu0026quot; as:u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eu0026quot;Extreme nationalism characterized especially by a belligerent foreign policy; chauvinistic patriotismu0026quot;u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eThere isnu0026#39;t one nationalist statement made in this entire movie. No one talks about u0026quot;this great country of oursu0026quot;, or u0026quot;arenu0026#39;t we blessed to live in the best gosh-darned place on the planetu0026quot;. It is simply snatches of moments showing the lives of various people around the country; some corn-ball, some silly, some serious. Yes, there are some u0026quot;whitebreadu0026quot; people presented (as one reviewer described them), backwoods types who play the banjo, sing old songs, raise their families and donu0026#39;t hurt anyone. Oh yes, they must me mocked by oh so hip reviewers, how dare they be so simple and unaffected and so… so… u0026quot;whitebreadu0026quot;. There are working class people who work long hours at tough jobs (steel workers) who see their way of life fading away as their jobs are eliminated (along with health care benefits, noted by the father of a little girl with a recurring brain tumor). Yes, letu0026#39;s sneer at them, say the cynical reviewers, for they are only capitalist stooges and deserve what they get. Speaking of evil capitalists, Ben Cohen of u0026quot;Ben u0026amp; Jerryu0026#39;su0026quot; is profiled, who had the audacity to start a small business, see it become a national success, and gave back to the community and is an active founding member of Businesses for Social Responsibility, an organization that works to promote socially responsible business practices. Letu0026#39;s condemn him for daring to succeed, doesnu0026#39;t he know that America is a hopeless land of brainwashed drones who must mindlessly conform to the ever-present Big Brother? It must be, because the reviewers insist it is. A reviewer says that Black people are u0026quot;almost absentu0026quot; in this film. I guess he just doesnu0026#39;t like the Black people who are shown. We see an elderly Black female gospel singer who delights in sharing her love of God (oh oh!) in joyous song. We see an activist Black minister who devotes his life to making positive change in the community. We see a Black boxer who made mistakes early in his life, but now has turned his life around and is also helping those around them. We see Black street musicians in Louisiana, young and old, playing together on street corners, enjoying the freedom to just u0026quot;hang outu0026quot; and make music for themselves and others. Yes, all these Black people are shown, the simple deluded fools. How dare they live productive and happy lives! Donu0026#39;t they know America is a pit of hopeless despair and racism? It must be, because the reviewers stomp their feet and insist it is!u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eWe see the successes, but we also see the failures; homeless people pushing shopping carts aimlessly down the street, the down and out in soup kitchens, the people wondering where the American dream failed them. In other words, we see America as it is, unsugarcoated, unsanitized, warts and all. And this is precisely what drives certain people crazy. The film is HONEST, and honesty flies in the face of agenda-driven politics and manipulative propaganda. If this was a u0026quot;ra ra go Americau0026quot; film, you wouldnu0026#39;t see the failures. If Michael Moore had made this film, you wouldnu0026#39;t see the successes and day to day joys of the common people.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eThis film shows America not as a shining citadel on the mountain for all to marvel and envy, nor as a cesspool of corporate greed, political corruption and hopeless and despairing masses. It simply shows a place where one can strive, and by striving one can succeed OR fail, and if you fail you can pick yourself up and try again. Do some people have advantages others donu0026#39;t? Sure. Do some people seemingly have the decked stacked against them? You bet! Welcome to the human condition, this is nothing new in history nor unique to America. Nothing is guaranteed, and everything is possible. The script of your life isnu0026#39;t written until you yourself write it.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eSo I implore you to ignore the hand-wringers, the finger-waggers, they with the earnestly furrowed brows who insist the glass is perpetually half-empty.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003ego see this charming little film. Oh, and also go see FAHRENHEIT 9/11 too, because thatu0026#39;s what makes this a pretty neat place to live: all opinions and points of view are permitted and eventually everybodyu0026#39;s ox gets gored.”