LBJ-2017
Director-Rob Reiner
Starring-Woody Harrelson, Jennifer Jason Leigh
Scott’s Review #890
Reviewed April 27, 2019
Grade: B-
LBJ (2017) provides small glimpses of historical interest with a biography about a United States President perhaps underrepresented in cinema history as compared to other presidents but the production never catches fire and falls flat with an overproduced film lacking bombast.
The film can easily be viewed once, never to be thought of again, nor providing the need for analysis or discussion.
Director Rob Reiner creates a glossy, mainstream Hollywood production with questionable casting choices and a muddled feel.
To its credit, the film gets off to a good start introducing the fateful day of November 22, 1963, into the story. As then-Vice President Johnson (LBJ), played by Woody Harrelson and wife Lady Bird (Jennifer Jason Leigh) deplane and embarks on a motorcade procession through downtown Dallas, Texas, dire events will follow.
As the violent assassination of President John F. Kennedy (Jeffrey Donovan) soon arrives the film portrays the initial foreshadowing well then backtracks to 1960 when the Democratic nominee was up for grabs with both JFK and Johnson in contention.
The film traverses back and forth from pre to post JFK assassination as LBJ took over the presidency amid the controversial Civil Rights Bill and a still shocked United States public.
A character study develops as the gruff and grizzled man takes center stage to lead the country into the future. The attempt is to show LBJ, the man, at his best and worst personally and professionally facing pressure from his cabinet.
Reiner portrays LBJ as complex, brooding, and vulgar, but also as a person whose heart is ultimately in the right place. A man we love to hate? Or hate to love?
From a historical drama perspective, and a genre that has many in the cinematic chambers, the film fails.
A powerful political drama is supposed to be compelling but LBJ just feels dull, run-of-the-mill, and extremely forgettable. Some examples of exceptional political film projects are Lincoln (2012), JFK (1991), and Vice (2018). Each has flare, flavor, and a twist or otherwise unusual story construction that LBJ glaringly lacks.
Simply put, the experience feels plain and unimpressive.
Having regrettably not seen the HBO film version entitled All the Way starring Bryan Cranston as LBJ, I cannot compare the two other than from word of mouth that Cranston gives the superior portrayal.
Based on trailers I would agree with the overall assessment. Harrelson’s version of LBJ is adequate if not sensational. His mannerisms President may be effective, but he does not resemble the man too well.
With a waxy, heavily made-up face, Harrelson the actor is unrecognizable and feels staged rather than authentic.
Jennifer Jason Leigh suffers the same fate as Harrelson in the important role of First Lady, Lady Bird Johnson. The actress is successful at emulating the appropriate characteristics specifically facially but also appears too made up like a wax figure in a museum sprung to life.
As Harrelson and Jason Leigh daftly teeter from scene to scene the result is marginally comical but LBJ the film is not a comedy nor a satire, played instead for the heavy drama.
LBJ (2017) is of mild interest but limited as a successful film adaptation of an important figure in United States history. Glimpses of political education for those not alive to experience the tumultuous 1960’s are good but much more was expected from this film than was provided.
Better studies exist and hopefully will be created in the future than what adds up too little more than a snore-fest.