GOD BLESS AMERICA
US, 2012, 105 minutes, Colour.
Joel Murray, Tara Lynne Barr,
Directed by Bobcat Goldthwait.
No, it’s not the kind of title that evokes traditional patriotism. The patriotism here is a severe questioning of contemporary American values, especially contemporary media and communications. Many a member of the audience will be emotionally applauding the targets of this very black satire. It involves gun culture as well.
Bobcat Goldthwait used to be a comic actor (in the Police Academy films) but has turned to directing recently, films with unexpectedly black tones (like The World’s Greatest Father). This one is even blacker. There is a great deal of funny dialogue (including a very amusing critique of Diablo Cody and her film, Juno).
Joel Murray (looking a cross between Dan Aykroyd and his brother, Bill Murray, plays Frank, a middle-aged man, at the end of this tether who is told he is terminally ill. No job, his wife and daughter alienated. He watches television – and takes a dead set against reality TV shows. By this stage of the film, many more in the audience will be on side with him. And, even though he decides that he will rid the US of repellent characters, and has guns to achieve it, the same audiences will be torn by their desire to support the riddance of the repellents and the use of the violent means that Frank uses to achieve it.
He travels the countryside, discovering more and more people who give a bad name to humanity. He also encounters a young runaway (Tara Lynne Barr) who discovers a soul-mate in Frank. There were Bonnie and Clyde, then Natural Born Killers (which also targeted the exploitative media), now Frank and Roxy. The mitigating circumstances are that it is only the obnoxious who are got rid of, not good citizens.
The on-side viewer will relish, in a ghoulish kind of way, the portrayals of these awful people (both old and young).
The nature of satire is to set up society in the darkest way and attack it. It is obviously exaggerated and stylized. It is not realistic. It is a contrived way of storytelling, that asks questions by taking extreme stances. Unfortunately, some crazed individuals in society, especially American society, have taken their guns and caused mayhem and tragic loss of life.
A warning that this is a clever kind of satiric comedy which is meant to be provocative. For those who can appreciate it, it is well-targeted.
1. The title and expectations? The focus on America, as a God-fearing nation, its standards – and its failures?
2. The film as satire, the purpose of satire, attacking a world, undermining the status quo? Speaking the truth, no matter how viciously? The range of targets: television programs and right-wing personalities, their mocking ordinary people, Mike Fuller? The talent shows, Stephen and his singing the theme from Mahogany, terrible, everybody laughing? Frank and his channel surfing, glib advertisements, the girls of the television seriesand the used tampon? Carry-on of the spoilt daughter, demanding and her parents, permissive?
3. The introduction to Frank, his age, personality, work, his lifestyle, the family next door and the noise of the child, his dreaming of killing them? The car parked hemming him in, the walk to the office, chatting with the girl at reception, everybody talking about Steve and the votes, Frank and his speech on decency and civilisation? The associate at the other desk, listening, quoting from talk shows and votes for talent quests? His giving the girl at reception the book? Called to the office, charged with sexual harassment, pleading his cause, orders from upstairs…, Letting him go? Getting the book back? Going to the doctor, the visuals of the tumour, the casual aspects of the doctor’s behaviour, taking the phone call, talking about his car deal? The doctor hoping he would not sue?
4. Frank and his making a decision, get his car, Chloe as the first target, the television scenes with her parents, his trying to burn her car, frustration, shooting her?
5. Zoe walking past, watching him, suspicious of him with the binoculars? Seeing what he did? Admiring him, talking with him, her ideology? The list of types who deserve death? Their going to Chloe’s parents, Frank and the confrontation with the father, chasing the mother, shooting, Zoe and her stabbing the mother with the knife? In the motel, people who deserve to die? The television information?
6. The episode in the cinema, the three talking, the film about Vietnam, the man in the front on the phone and his lies, the girl on the phone, popcorn, the group making noise? Frank shooting them all, sparing the woman who was courteous? Television interview and her saying that she was not killed because she was polite?
7. Killing Mike Fuller, the discussion about his politics, Zoe disagreeing, Frank agreeing with some but killing him because he was so mean?
8. Drive-by, the meal, the blood, the attendant offering more napkins? Hosing the blood off?
9. Zoe, self-image, their going shopping, in the supermarket? Frank and his concern about propriety, Zoe under age? Her wanting him to say that she looked good and was pretty? Her massaging and getting rid of his headaches?
10. Frank telling her to go? Her reaction? His emphasis on propriety and knowing boundaries and what was appropriate?
11. His buying the guns, the enthusiasm of the gun salesmen and the racism in his conversation?
12. Stephen, the recurring singing of the theme from Mahogany, on all the stations, his becoming a celebrity despite his being tone deaf? People laughing at him?
13. Frank going to the studio, for the talent programme? Killing the attendants, confronting the judges, criticising their speeches, shooting them? Zoe coming to the stage, guns, killing spree and spraying the audience, their being shot and killed?
14. The significant points made about contemporary culture? Audience ambiguous response to the justice of the criticism but the behaviour and the ruthlessness of the killing?
