Boston, MA - Looking for votes at the annual
Cannabis Festival on Boston Common.
Nolan's Run now
available on DVD! |
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"Nolan's Run" is an Everyman's tale, a type of story that has always attracted me.
I believe that stories of how outsiders to the system find their calling – and pursue something grander than themselves – provide superb material for illuminating the human experience. In the political realm, the American saga of Third Parties’ quest for voter attention is the classic Everyman tale.
Yet, it is a story often dismissed by Big Media. Nowadays, the major networks and newspapers prefer rounding up the usual suspects for stories: Who’s more Liberal? Who’s more Conservative? Who’s Ahead? Who’s behind? Who’s got more money? Who’s got better hair? And the “Who” is always the Democrats or the Republicans.
Meanwhile, the Big Two parties sometimes fear these outsiders, sometimes despise them, sometime ignore them, with a few notable exceptions such as Ross Perot and Ralph Nader experiencing all these sensations of fear, loathing, and ridicule in the same election cycle.
Indeed, “Nolan’s Run” is an Everyman’s struggle, yet the film also explores a deeper question facing American society: whither our democracy? With real challenges besetting this country – the middle class stretched thin, vast blood and treasure being lost in the Iraq war, a Congress wobbly in the face of an unpopular and disastrous President – many Americans might wonder: Where is the media when it matters?
Addressing that vacuum are documentaries such as “The Corporation,” “Control Room,” “Journeys with George,” and “Fahrenheit 911,” films that demonstrate an active marketplace and box office appeal. With a combination of compelling story and unorthodox players, “Nolan’s Run” also targets a similar audience, providing a unique behind-the-scenes look at a run for the US Presidency by an unknown candidate, a rarely covered Third Party story. |
