With God on Our Side: George W. Bush and the Rise of the Religious Right in America (2004)

89% of critics liked it
(9 reviews)
55% of users liked it
(162 ratings)

For many years, religious faith had little to do with American politics, but in the late '60s, as the youth-oriented counterculture became increasingly visible, a small number of right-wing Christians on the other end of the political spectrum began sketching out plans to claim a larger share of the… More For many years, religious faith had little to do with American politics, but in the late '60s, as the youth-oriented counterculture became increasingly visible, a small number of right-wing Christians on the other end of the political spectrum began sketching out plans to claim a larger share of the electoral playing field. In 1976, Jimmy Carter was the first self-described born-again Christian to win the presidency, and while many fundamentalist Christians quickly became dissatisfied with his leftist views, his victory set a valuable precedent. Additionally, as noted Christian commentators such as Jerry Falwell and Pat Robertson took a far more active role in politics, a growing number of political candidates (most of them Republicans) became aware of the importance of courting what became known as "the Religious Right," with George W. Bush enjoying particular success as he stressed moral and cultural issues in his two campaigns for president (and, to a certain degree, successfully camouflaging his reckless past) and openly courted the Christian vote. With God on Our Side: George W. Bush and the Rise of the Christian Right is a documentary which looks at the politics and spiritual issues behind the new Christian right, and how the movement came to become a major force in post-millennial America. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi

Rating, Runtime: Unrated, 1 hr. 36 min.
Directed By: Calvin Skaggs, David Van Taylor
Genres: Documentary, Faith & Spirituality, Special Interest

In Theaters: Oct 18, 2004 Wide
On DVD: Oct 25, 2005

Critic Reviews

Frank Scheck, Hollywood Reporter
Should be mandatory viewing for those interested in the dominant intersection between religion and politics.
Lou Lumenick, New York Post
New Yorkers still won dering how President Bush got re-elected may learn something from this comprehensive British TV documentary.
Stephen Holden, New York Times
Our turbulent political climate is so clogged with the instant hysteria demanded by the chattering class to keep its voice in shouting condition that a sedate documentary examining the long-term weather patterns is a welcome respite from the noise.
J. Hoberman, Village Voice
Convincingly maintains that the evangelical movement reached its political apotheosis in the person of born-again prodigal son George W. Bush.
Pablo Villaca, Cinema em Cena
Faz um bom trabalho ao analisar os últimos 50 anos da política norte-americana e a crescente aproximação entre Republicanos e evangélicos (e sua insistência em escutar até imbecis como Falwell é louvável). Pena que perca o foco em seu terço final.
Urban Cinefile Critics, Urban Cinefile
With footage of Muslims burning effigies, Andrew Denton begins by setting out the film's agenda: if we are witnessing a clash of civilisations, and we often see public portrayals of fundamentalist Muslim activity, how do they see our Christian evangelists
Brent Simon, Now Playing Magazine
Raises questions that independent thinkers of all persuasions should be considering.
Ken Fox, TV Guide's Movie Guide
As an explanation of where we are today, the entire film makes for crucial viewing.
David Sterritt, Christian Science Monitor
Packed with historical, sociological, and cultural context.
Phil Hall, Film Threat
Unsatisfactory documentary.