Confirmation

The movie itself is a credible by-the-numbers presentation of the firestorm that was the Clarence Thomas confirmation hearings from the early 1990's. Where the made for t.v. movie really shines is in its character portrayals.

Anita Hill is shown as a martyr; Clarence Thomas is portrayed as a creep, but not a criminal; Senator Biden is played as a well meaning boob; Senator Simpson comes off as out of touch; Senator Dansforth seems loyal to a fault; and the presidential administration looks to not care if the charges leveled against their nominee are true or not.

While not exactly covering any new ground, the film at least appears to give a fig leaf to not choosing a side (though it leans in favor of Anita Hill). It's not a hatchet job, which is something actually worthy of praise these days.

All in all, it's a solid film, and doesn't try too hard to create its own narrative. Not a bad way to spend a couple of hours on a weekend.

The bottom line with Confirmation is that it's not complex as far as the plot goes, and this is particularly if you know the history. In fall of 1991 Thurgood Marshall retired from SCOTUS, and, feeling the pressure to nominate a black man to the court, Bush picked Clarence Thomas, a man who many felt wasn't qualified for the court (as Jeffrey Wright's character says at one point, "I have students who are better qualified than Clarence Thomas"). But when asked by someone from Senator Biden's office about whether or not he should be confirmed, Anita Hill couldn't hold back and be silent and told the truth: she was sexually harassed, as far as having to hear vulgar talk about sex (i.e. "Long Dong Silver" is a thing in a court of public record, I mean Jesus), and asked out on multiple occasions. It got out to the press, she had to go testify, as did Thomas, and all this before a seemingly immovable date for the man's confirmation.

This all could have made for a compelling mini-series, or an even longer movie. What is a little disappointing about is that this is probably the best this kind of movie could be, but it's still not quite good enough, or I should say that the detail isn't exactly strong enough. Mostly I found that the depiction of Clarence Thomas not exactly weak but basic: for such a man who I may find reprehensible (from before and during his 25 past years on the court), Wendell Pierce gives Thomas as a person, and character in this story, some dignity, and Anita Wright as Clarence Thomas' wife as well. But what about anything else aside from his indignation and sad faces? What else was/is there to Thomas?

Maybe that just wasn't the focus, and director Fumiyama (of last year's surprise critical hit Dope), wanted to keep it on the politics and especially the media - many figures who you might recognize from CNN and elsewhere in cable news pop up as younger selves - certainly keeps a good eye on that. But what does make an impact and what is certainly good to look past the flaws here, are a) Kerry Washington's performance, which is so unwavering in making Anita Hill a figure of sympathy but also aching empathy, completely stripping anything else except this woman and having to put up being solid in front of the committee. And b) how the story and movie treats the whole aspect of how equal rights were not there in 1991, and may still not be (or, to put it another way, despite the changes the struggle is ongoing), for women in this country.

Like the recent People vs OJ series, we get a story that seems to deal a lot in race - Thomas' "High tech lynching" comment that struck an emotional chord for some but was seen as being disingenuous by others - and yet it's really about how women fit it, or certainly do not, in a world full of men. Images of women and how they talk and react, every little thing that they say, is under the kind of scrutiny here that men just don't have to face, at least not to this level. Confirmation is about the representation of a woman's image in politics, in the media, in the public at large, and what that does when up against a "street fight" as one of the raging white male Republican senators says. You can read a lot into what the hearings, as seen in this story, say about the national public character, and yet it's displayed for us to see in those hearings, and the behind-the-scenes fights and digging for dirt via the Republican senators, as opposed to spelled out all the time.

Confirmation doesn't stretch entirely too far for it to be great, or quite on the level of Recount or Game Change as far as HBO original movies about hot-button/controversial political stories in this country from the modern age, but within what it tries to do, and from the acting from all the players that is never less than convincing (Kinnear, who plays a rather unsympathetic Senator Biden, who screwed up things in the hearing just as far as scheduling people to testify, is one of those), it works. I'd even watch it again if just to see how Washington pulls off the majority of her scenes.

Watching this post Roe v. Wade overturn is pretty heartbreaking. So many people so many senators knowingly let this happen. It really shows how politicians focus on power, money and winning but not what's right.

If this was a reasonable film it would have both sides of this story, including the dozen women who worked with Thomas and who made it clear that Thomas was being smeared. Just google: clarence thomas witch-hunt

Hill is simply a documented liar, even the cheer-leading mainstream press documented clear untruths by her. This was (another) lynching of a black man by Democrats.

I recommend looking at Hill on meet the press in 1998 where she made her motives clear: Appearing on "Meet the Press" in 1998, Hill was asked to respond to Gloria Steinem's defense of President Clinton following allegations he'd groped a White House volunteer. Steinem had said, "The truth is that even if the allegations are true, the president is not guilty of sexual harassment. He is accused of having made a gross, dumb and reckless pass at a supporter during a low point in her life. Hill AGREED. When "Meet the Press" host Tim Russert asked her if she had a double standard for sexual harassment claims made against Clinton, she said, "There are larger issues, larger issues than just individual behavior." Just google: youtube Anita Hill

This rationalization of it being ook for partisan interests reasons to make up claims of sexual harassment or ignoring those by Democrats because of the "larger issues" (ie PARTISAN interests making lies and smears ok) also accused recently with Kavaugh hearings where after that circus we saw two of the accusers withdraw accusations, one have theirs totally debunked, and the fourth, a Democratic Party activist, not able to recall when where or who committed the assault.

I love Kerry Washington as Anita Hill, I never knew the hold story thanks to this movie, I understand Professor Anita Hill and her position and the stand she took. This movie is compelling, intense, riveting. Kerry Washington was outstanding, I now see that the government will do anything to protect whom they will no bars held, this is also appallingly and despicable that we entrust these people with our US and why this country is a total mess! I am hurt and feel mentally abuse as a woman watching this powerful movie.

I also learned that at my work place as a Security Officer, I get unwanted sexual advances from people I don't even know every day. Not once do these people think how they have disrespected or hurt me in any kind of way. My co-worker's call it "trying to Holla at someone" and laugh it off ! If anyone is talking under anyone's clothes or talking sexually when its unwanted or trying to force me to have conversation when I say I'm not interested to me that's sexual harassment. This movie brought out so much pertinent information about the face of sexual harrassment.