Republicans may have Elvis and Nixon in the White House, but Democrats have Jimmy Carter and Bob Dylan in the Georgia governor’s mansion, an encounter that one of the participants remembers as life-changing. (That would be Dylan.) It’s just one of countless remarkable relationships detailed in Jimmy Carter: Rock & Roll President.
Don’t be put off by the title that sounds like a “Saturday Night Live” sketch. This well-paced documentary is an excellent primer on the man and his presidency, seen from the angle of his links to musicians of all sorts. Veteran music-doc filmmaker Mary Wharton (Joan Baez: How Sweet the Sound) artfully blends a deep trove of archival footage and photos with fresh interviews, including Carter. The film describes how fundraising concerts during the 1976 presidential campaign helped get Carter elected and how he cultivated his musical connections in the White House and after.
Along the way, Wharton also reminds viewers that Carter’s was perhaps the last — if not the only — successful grassroots campaign for president, and how grace and humanity can be used to wield the office’s power. Carter was a history-making politician in part because he was a Southerner who spoke out for racial justice and stood up to white supremacists, and his musical connections reflected his egalitarian convictions.
What’s evident throughout the film is that people dearly love this man for his innate goodness and that his humility is backed by a toughness and determination that his demeanor disguises. There hasn’t been a lot of joy associated with the White House for some time, so it’s quite moving to see so many purely celebratory, politics-free moments unfold as part of one man’s presidency.
This is also a music documentary, of course, so expect fine clips of performances from Dylan, Willie Nelson, the Allman Brothers, Charlie Daniels, Dizzy Gillespie, Loretta Lynn, Paul Simon and many others — plus an uninterrupted verse from Aretha Franklin, whom one dare not reduce to snippets.
Available to rent starting Sept. 9 via fineartstheatre.com and grailmoviehouse.com
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