What's the Matter with Kansas?

In jazz, when a talented and professional outfit goes "free time" the result can be beautiful; when amateurs try they usually produce simple noise. This is noise. Without narration this film has no context. It doesn't even address the title's question, let alone answer it. And the DVD's extras include a Q&A with the filmmakers, which confirms their condescension toward their subject.

To be useful, they could have asked the subjects about politics: why they vote the way they do, and why they feel theocrats represent their interests. They could have chased the money behind theocratic politicians and unveiled the lies they tell to get elected, only to serve the interests of the wealthiest 2% of individuals and the rapacious corporations that run this nation. Instead, we get a camera following some very nice but misguided people around their town.

The featured characters are interesting, but the film is not. Nor is it informative or insightful in any way.

This imperfect documentary most of the time seems like a mockumentary. Ultra religious folks, home-schooled teenagers, loopy pastors, eccentric farmers and so on... Some viewers seem upset that the filmmakers didn't provide some answers to whatever happened to Kansas. I think they did. The lethal and usually explosive mixture of nationalism and fundamentalism. Some of these unfortunate evangelical Christians are so petrified of everything even remotely unfamiliar, that deceiving them becomes a piece of cake. For me, an idea that you should hold your church services in a theme park is as idiotic as it is blasphemous, but apparently not to these fine people. But then if your religion is about happy-clappy nonsense without any intelligent thought, you can actually be swindled by a fake Christian even if you happen to be a emergency room doctor. And on a somber note, few days ago a fundamentalist white supremacist on a rampage against Jews kills by mistake 2 Methodists and 1 Catholic. Frightened people are the most dangerous species on this planet. God help us.

WHAT'S THE MATTER WITH KANSAS ? clearly demonstrates how only voting, 'For' ,or 'Against', "Cultural Issues" (Abortion, Gay Rights, Gun Control, Immigration, etc), is a waste of a vote. Although voters are led to believe otherwise, in state elections these subjects are usually not even on the ballot, and by voting for candidates solely on the basis of their positions on these issues is ridiculous. However, it does allow that the social and economic issues which ARE of value to the electorate are then, NEVER addressed. Only in modern day America would a voter with No job security, No benefits, and No health insurance determine who gets his vote by wondering how the candidate stands on The Right To Life or The Death Tax. This film proves how Kansas got fooled, and I hope it's a Head's Up for the rest of America. And, I think that the film goes the extra mile to portray these religiously motivated(deluded?)individuals in the most favorable light. After the credits rolled, I only felt pity for these people.

When this film finds national distribution, which it thoroughly deserves, it's a must-see for every politically minded American, left, right, or center. As a true documentary - not the editorials we've come to call documentaries these days - it gives viewers a glimpse into some of what makes Kansas voters align with a political position that seems rather perpendicular to their own interests. The characters range from endearing to maddening, and every one expresses an honesty that's neither promoted nor berated. The film itself doesn't offer an opinion so much as it opens a window into new ways of understanding other points of view.