Film Screening: Crawford

Jan 16, 2009

7 PM and 9:30 PM Admission: $5.00

Crawford

The weekend before the inauguration, come on out to MOBS to bid farewell to George W. Bush with this doc! When this premiered at SXSW, not only did it play to a sold-out crowd of 1200, but received a standing ovation.

In 1999, then Governor George W. Bush bought a ranch in the one-stoplight town of Crawford, Texas, calling it “home” just in time to set his sights on the White House. Having invented Bush’s “folksy image,” the campaign’s victory thrusts Crawford onto the world stage and an insular community of barely 700 explodes overnight.

While the high school band plays the inauguration and the Baptist pastor declares a miracle, Crawfordites sell souvenirs hand over fist, finding themselves nearly trampled under the heels of the international press corps, patriotic tourists and boomtown opportunists. Then, four and a half years into Bush’s tenure, Cindy Sheehan and her peace movement arrive at the doorstep of the “Western White House.” Crawford takes center stage.

As 20,000 impassioned protesters and counter-protesters battle on Crawford’s tiny streets, the symbol of the “small town” begins to change. Exacerbated tensions place pressure on the community as well as on the liberties Americans take for granted. And after seven years of this political stagecraft, a President’s and a community’s choices have an even graver human impact. Left to deal with the aftermath, the real people of Crawford are changed forever.

"A poignant account… populated with colorful, contrasting characters…" - Variety

"A richly compelling microcosmic portrait." - Premiere Magazine

"Vital…Engaging…Crawford has the potential to disrupt narratives and change the way people think." Actor Jake Gyllenhaal