417. Raise Hell - The Life And Times Of Molly Ivins; movie review

 

 

RAISE HELL - THE LIFE AND TIMES OF MOLLY IVINS

Cert 12A

93 mins

BBFC advice: Contains infrequent strong language, moderate violence, sex and suicide references

Anyone fancy sending Donald Trump this video as a belated Christmas present?

Great journalists are champions of the people, not their enemy. They sniff out corruption and expose it. They call out malpractice and hypocrisy.

They do not kowtow to those who seek to abuse power.

Trump wanted the media to be lapdogs so it was a good job that Molly Ivins had departed before he came on to the political scene.

Janice Engel's film tells the story of the fearless Pulitzer Prize-nominated writer and popular television pundit who picked up fans and critics in equal number.

Its chronology includes contributions from friends and family and much footage of her in action.

I had not previously heard of the Texan but the footage of her speeches and television appearances show a piercing, quickfire wit.

Her column was so craved by her fans that, at the height of her popularity, it was syndicated to 400 newspapers across America.

The heartbeat of this film comes from her refusal to accept poor government, either nationally or locally.

She did not spare those who were her friends either, believing that journalistic integrity should be maintained at all times.

And she was intimidating - at six feet tall and with the bellowing voice to match.

There are occasional nods to Ivins' excesses both in her writing and in her social life but this is largely a tribute.

As well as an inspiration to journalists to raise hell in the way that Molly Ivins did.

Reasons to watch: Revealing documentary about one of America's great political reporters

Reasons to avoid: A tad too triumphant

Laughs: Two

Jumps: None

Vomit: None

Nudity: None

Overall rating: 8/10

Did you know? Molly Ivins' background was also one of oil privilege; her father, Jim Ivins, was an executive with the Tenneco Corporation

The final word. Janice Engel: "On our Facebook page, the biggest hashtag is #WWMIS — “What Would Molly Ivins Say?” People really get how relevant she is, and how important she was."

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