The fact that, during her heyday, the late Molly Ivins consistently appeared on the lists of both the most loved and most hated journalists — often at the same time — tells you so much about her. If you’re on the side who loved her, you are probably a Democrat, a liberal and someone who truly cares about this country — and this documentary is for you.
Ivins, who once described Dan Quayle as “dumber than advertised” and who wrote a book hilariously titled Shrub about George W. (who she referred to as “little Bush”), was smart, thoughtful and living proof that the pen is indeed mightier than the sword. Her words were sharp and they cut deep. Yes, they were often cruel but only when her subject deserved them.
The movie features interviews with Ivins’ friends, family and colleagues as well as media mavens like Dan Rather and Rachel Maddow. But no one’s words are as compelling as those of Ivins herself.
What makes her story so interesting is that, despite her disdain for their politics, she was a Texan through and through. Although her career included stints around the country, she returned to the Lone Star State to make a difference. “They don’t need another liberal in Berkeley,” she said.
She worked at The New York Times for a while but she didn’t like the way her stories were being edited — one in particular, which was hilarious and which I won’t spoil here. She wasn’t intimidated by people in positions of power and had no trouble calling them out when she believed they were doing something wrong.
Boy, would she have a field day with the current administration.
“We are the Board of Directors of this country,” she once said. “We own it. They’re just the people we hired to drive the bus for a little while.”
This documentary is timely and relevant, and it makes Ivins’ 2007 death from breast cancer feel like an even bigger loss. We desperately need someone like her now — someone who isn’t afraid to speak the truth and who has no trouble standing up to the big boys.
Maybe watching this movie will inspire a young journalist — or even an old one — to become this generation’s Molly Ivins.
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