Movies to Get You Through This

At this time most of us, 60,467,245 to be exact (as opposed to 60,071,650… HOW DOES THIS MAKE SENSE… ok sorry back to business) are still in shock, disgust and confusion over election night’s results. This is painfully normal right now, but sometimes to alleviate all these uneasy feelings a nice dose of comedy mixed with reality can help us take that deep breath and pull ourselves away, even just for a little while, to collect our thoughts and emotions before we jump back into the fight for justice and tolerance. Don’t limit yourselves to these films, watch whatever makes you happy, stand-up specials and 80’s cult classics are always a good go-to, it’s just that this list is poignant and relevant whilst making you laugh and think.


Idiocracy – Obviously this movie has been cited as the most appropriate example of the last 18 months, but holy moly the ridiculousness and dark comedy that ensues resonates a little too close to reality. It’s hilarious to think that a man asleep for 500 years wakes up to discover a society so incredibly dumbed-down that he’s easily the most intelligent person alive. Actually, that sounds equally horrifying as it is hilarious, but then again how close are we really to actually having a President that’s an ex-pro wrestler and whose name, President Dwayne Elizondo Mountain Dew Herbert Camacho, is also an advertisement?

God Bless America** – Billy Murray’s baby brother Joel is fantastic in this flick about how most of our society puts the most asinine people on a pedestal and encourages unintelligible groveling in a time when there’s still so much intelligent information in the world. One of the best quotes from the movie sums up how a lot of people are feeling right now,“My name is Frank. That’s not important. The important question is: who are you? America has become a cruel and vicious place. We reward the shallowest, the dumbest, the meanest and the loudest. We no longer have any common sense of decency. No sense of shame. There is no right and wrong. The worst qualities in people are looked up to and celebrated. Lying and spreading fear is fine as long as you make money doing it. We’ve become a nation of slogan-saying, bile-spewing hatemongers. We’ve lost our kindness. We’ve lost our soul. What have we become?…”

Michael Moore in Trumpland – Forewarned, this is a one-man show, and the one man is the infamous Michael Moore. Thought-provoking, intriguing, cynical and maddening all-in-one, the Oscar-Winning documentarian who brought us “Bowling for Columbine” brings a very Trump-supporting Ohio town this daring and informative ‘stand-up’ routine. Surprising as it is enraging, ‘MMiT’ would’ve only been better had it been released a little sooner so more people could see it given it was only released weeks before the election. 

Undecided: The Movie** – This mockumentary style shot during the 2016 election covers two undecided, almost realistically buffoon, voters as they visit Hillary Clinton, Donald Trump, Ted Cruz, Marco Rubio, Jeb Bush and more. Combining real life footage from campaign stops and the news topped with quality improv and one-liners makes ‘Undecided’ worth watching as long as you don’t focus on the contrived theme of the producers of the show conspiring to drive the undecideds apart.

Waffle Street** – Riches-to-rags-to-admirable riches, and based on a true story (a good memoir is reading is more of your thing) makes this dramedy thought-inspiring for all of those who have had ups and downs while trying to make it. Greed, betrayal, redemption and friendship bring a full circle relevancy to the theme of this movie. Enjoy this reminder for those who have made it and those who want to make it, no matter what takes place in our country’s capital, heart and hard work trump all.   

Honorable Mentions:

Donald Trump’s The Art of the Deal: The Movie** – To be honest this movie is fairly intolerable and irritating, but then again so is the main character. Intolerable and irritating because it feels like a very long SNL skit with no punchline, but Johnny Depp’s portrayal could only be better if done by Alec Baldwin. Most of the script is based on actual rhetoric and instances but who cares about facts and proper characterizations when it comes to the most powerful position in the World?

Fun with Dick and Jane – “Giving Big Businesses a Run For Their Money!” was the tagline for this underrated Jim Carrey comedy. Ironically enough, the White House might just be turned into a big business, so this hilarious Enron-inspired flick is the push your funny bone will love and your motivation needs to do whatever it takes to get through whatever you need to do to keep life, and America, great. This doesn’t mean steal the lawn, sans the Trump sign, of your neighbor to replenish yours or smuggle in hard-working Mexican laborers in the pack of your “new” 1990 Ford Festiva. This just means, do what’s right and help others first and then yourself without being a dick, or Jane.

These movies don’t necessarily touch on all of the problems and worry currently being experienced in America, but sometimes it’s good to clear the mind and take a break from the constant distraction and discussion. A nice movie night or break from the madness could be just what Dr. Uncle Sam ordered. Watch two of these and start over in the morning feeling refueled and prepared for all of the greatness you’ll exude when supporting, fighting and informing America.

**Available on Netflix