EssenceStory
Well Deserved Praise
Moustroll
Good movie but grossly overrated
GetPapa
Far from Perfect, Far from Terrible
Taraparain
Tells a fascinating and unsettling true story, and does so well, without pretending to have all the answers.
jvlejk
In person LBJ was simply not a very likable guy. I do think it was pretty historically accurate. Mostly about the Civil Rights struggles of 1963 and 1964. It's just not that much fun to watch the political sausage being made. I don't think LBJ is sugar-coated by this portrayal; if anything I doubt he was as paranoid as he is portrayed here.
razdcj
I watched this movie in the light of Trump's election. I didn't think the historical events depicted in this film would remind me so much of the things that have been transpiring in the US this year, but it really did. People constantly label MLK as "peaceful," and a lot of people get the wrong idea that somehow all of his protests were peaceful -- That the protests of today by activist groups like the BLM are somehow the polar opposite from these of MLK. In reality, we attribute the peacefulness to these protests because MLK himself was peaceful, but a lot of his protests did indeed spiral out of control with several people rioting, getting killed and so on. A lot of people forget that the three men in Mississippi were actually protesters, and they were essentially killed in combat. The 3D view of all historical figures in this film is kind of jarring at first -- MLK as an adulterer which is true. Despite his being a Reverend, Lyndon B. Johnson's affinity for holding meetings while taking a dump. These are very reminiscent of people today, and it cuts through the romanticization of the past that most of us hold. People back then were just like us -- They got angry, sad, happy just like we do. They reacted in very similar ways, and the way this movie construed the events to make them very reminiscent of what has transpired in the past couple of decades is what makes this an authentically great movie. Maybe some people wouldn't find it as captivating as me. After all, I am a self-proclaimed history junkie so the factual and humanizing dimensions of this movie made the entire experience incredibly riveting. I can't say I support Trump, or if I do. I think that we still have a lot to learn about him and his administration even if I voted democrat in the last election. A small part of this movie also focuses on "bad press," which is also a very serious issue plaguing our country today. Stick to your guns -- Rely on your gut. Remember to always question everything and double check any news being spoon-fed to you. For example, the press today publishing articles about deportations trying to exploit the context of Trump's win to make it sound like a direct consequence of the result when in fact, an Executive Order takes up to a month to go in to effect. It is essentially impossible that Trump would have been able to completely transform the vetting system in just a few hours. The people in this movie became hysterical and depended on arbitrary interpretations of the constitution. Some people were adamant that desegration was a violation of the constitution because of these arbitrary interpretations. It is so easy to get caught up in the wrong interpretation, and consequently I'm watching a lot of my liberal friends collapse into hysterics over Islamophobia. Watch this movie, keep an eye on history because someone who does not know their history is doomed to repeat it.
pierrebarberis
My comment is not about the movie itself but about the totally biased characterization it gives of LBJ. This movie/TV show is part of a grand design to rebuild the image of the USA and of its "grand leaders". LBJ here looks as if he was a perfect human being, caring for the blacks and a totally remarkable and laudable person. May be he was for this HR fight, but it shades all the rest,the notoriously corrupt politician, and the likely to be underground leader of the plot who killed Kennedy. Read all the books about him. I think it is worth to be mentioned.And BTW how unsound is this rule that you need to write 10 lines to make a point?Change this !Please
Tony Heck
"Everybody wants power, and if they say they don't they're lying." After the assassination of President Kennedy, Lyndon Johnson (Cranston) takes over and immediately goes to work on a Civil Rights bill. He throws everything he has behind it and loyalty, friendships and alliances are forged and lost in his quest for this dream. This is a movie that is right in my wheelhouse. I love politics and history, particularly the JFK assassination. I was really excited about watching this one. The movie takes place immediately after the assassination and doesn't hold anything back when it comes to Johnson. His paranoia, inadequacy, harshness and rudeness is fully on display. That really adds to the overall accuracy of the movie. Cranston does such an amazing job in this role that it is hard to actually believe it is him. The movie does an almost flawless job of showing the enigma that is President Johnson's quest for Civil Rights. On one hand everything he is fighting with everything he has to get equality, which is extremely admirable and is something to be commended. On the other hand, the way in which he does it makes enemies out of just about everyone, and leaves him unhappy and still paranoid about his legacy. As a reader and avid fan of history this movie seemed very accurate and because of that I highly recommend this. Overall, one of, if not, the best TV movie ever made, Cranston is incredible and this is one of the best historical movies I have seen. I loved this, but again, this is in my wheelhouse. I give this an A+.