America's Heart & Soul

The dictionary defines "jingoistic" as:

"Extreme nationalism characterized especially by a belligerent foreign policy; chauvinistic patriotism"

There isn't one nationalist statement made in this entire movie. No one talks about "this great country of ours", or "aren't we blessed to live in the best gosh-darned place on the planet". It is simply snatches of moments showing the lives of various people around the country; some corn-ball, some silly, some serious. Yes, there are some "whitebread" people presented (as one reviewer described them), backwoods types who play the banjo, sing old songs, raise their families and don't hurt anyone. Oh yes, they must me mocked by oh so hip reviewers, how dare they be so simple and unaffected and so... so... "whitebread". There are working class people who work long hours at tough jobs (steel workers) who see their way of life fading away as their jobs are eliminated (along with health care benefits, noted by the father of a little girl with a recurring brain tumor). Yes, let's sneer at them, say the cynical reviewers, for they are only capitalist stooges and deserve what they get. Speaking of evil capitalists, Ben Cohen of "Ben & Jerry's" is profiled, who had the audacity to start a small business, see it become a national success, and gave back to the community and is an active founding member of Businesses for Social Responsibility, an organization that works to promote socially responsible business practices. Let's condemn him for daring to succeed, doesn't he know that America is a hopeless land of brainwashed drones who must mindlessly conform to the ever-present Big Brother? It must be, because the reviewers insist it is. A reviewer says that Black people are "almost absent" in this film. I guess he just doesn't like the Black people who are shown. We see an elderly Black female gospel singer who delights in sharing her love of God (oh oh!) in joyous song. We see an activist Black minister who devotes his life to making positive change in the community. We see a Black boxer who made mistakes early in his life, but now has turned his life around and is also helping those around them. We see Black street musicians in Louisiana, young and old, playing together on street corners, enjoying the freedom to just "hang out" and make music for themselves and others. Yes, all these Black people are shown, the simple deluded fools. How dare they live productive and happy lives! Don't they know America is a pit of hopeless despair and racism? It must be, because the reviewers stomp their feet and insist it is!

We see the successes, but we also see the failures; homeless people pushing shopping carts aimlessly down the street, the down and out in soup kitchens, the people wondering where the American dream failed them. In other words, we see America as it is, unsugarcoated, unsanitized, warts and all. And this is precisely what drives certain people crazy. The film is HONEST, and honesty flies in the face of agenda-driven politics and manipulative propaganda. If this was a "ra ra go America" film, you wouldn't see the failures. If Michael Moore had made this film, you wouldn't see the successes and day to day joys of the common people.

This film shows America not as a shining citadel on the mountain for all to marvel and envy, nor as a cesspool of corporate greed, political corruption and hopeless and despairing masses. It simply shows a place where one can strive, and by striving one can succeed OR fail, and if you fail you can pick yourself up and try again. Do some people have advantages others don't? Sure. Do some people seemingly have the decked stacked against them? You bet! Welcome to the human condition, this is nothing new in history nor unique to America. Nothing is guaranteed, and everything is possible. The script of your life isn't written until you yourself write it.

So I implore you to ignore the hand-wringers, the finger-waggers, they with the earnestly furrowed brows who insist the glass is perpetually half-empty.

go see this charming little film. Oh, and also go see FAHRENHEIT 9/11 too, because that's what makes this a pretty neat place to live: all opinions and points of view are permitted and eventually everybody's ox gets gored.

In my childhood, I was lucky enough to make it across the Atlantic to the Disney Theme Parks a few times. Occasionally I ended up in exhibitions showing movies about America or the American Dream. They were alright because, I was on holiday in a foreign country, and happy to be there, they had air conditioning and they lasted about ten minutes. Watching this, at home on Disney Plus, for 84 minutes I was less enthralled.

The documentary has us meet a number of Americans, most of whom participate in some form of "wacky" way to amuse themselves. Some of these range from genuinely worthy, such as the Erik Welhenmayer, a blind man who ice climbs or the Hoyt family, who run marathons together. Some, such as Olympic Boxer Michael Bennett or Oil Well Fire Fighters in Texas chose difficult lives for themselves. Some of them like the Bandaloop Cliff Dancers or the Art Car festivals just have more money than sense and two of them, Frank and David Pino just play in one of the worst craprock bands you'll ever see.

The issue is, to call it a documentary is a bit of a stretch. It's a mile wide but a centremetre deep, there's no focus to it, or even really a theme other than these people are all American. It might have been interesting had we gone from coast to coast in order and seen how the landscape of America itself changes, but instead it's a scattershot approach, leaping from here to there and seeing people in a seeming random order.

I didn't hate it but it's hard to think of a reason to recommend spending time on it.

Thank you Louis Shwartzberg! Finally, in a time where America is so divided, you have created a masterpiece that focuses on the beauty of America and why it's so GREAT! Thank you, thank you, thank you!

And a BIG THANK YOU to Disney for releasing it! This movie has been a breathe of fresh air!

America's Heart & Soul is a "MUST SEE" summer film for you and your family. This inspiring film will take you on an incredible journey through America's heartland. You will meet some ordinary and extraordinary people along the way.

This film is guaranteed to touch your heart!

We are so tired of all the biting rhetoric about "what is wrong about America" - Inane comments like, "No Wonder Terrorists Hate us!". We are tired of movies that stopped trying to say "anything good" about America anymore... Louis Swartzberg seemed to have captured some of our resilient SPIRIT, perhaps chapter ONE in more good things to come from him. There is so much diversity, talent and brave souls who challenge everyday life when sometimes it's more than enough to just "get up out of bed" let alone, conquer Mount Everest when you are "blind". The music, ( we turned on our Surround Sound) the Cinematography that was out of this World, offered us one of the best nights on TV - and it was further unspoiled by Commercials!! Bravo Disney - thank you, thank you!

I just got back from the premiere of America's Heart & Soul. It wasn't particularly high on my priority list of films to see this summer, but oh, what I would have missed, had I not gone. I was expecting something along the lines of the old Circle-Vision travelogues at Disneyland, but this film is nothing like that. It's funny and heartwarming, beautiful and inspirational. I didn't want it to end.

Whatever your politics are, put them aside and go see this film. You'll leave with a sense of pride for who we are as Americans at our best. But there's no flag waving going on, just simple vignettes of Americans of all walk of life doing what they love. People like us.