FILM-FORWARD.COMReviews of Recent Independent, Foreign, & Documentary Films in Theaters and DVD/Home Video
Directed by: Richard Kaplan. Produced by: Sidney Glazier. Written by: Archibald Macleish. Edited by: Miriam Arsham. Music by: Ezra Laderman. Released by: Kino. Country of Origin: USA. 90 min. Not Rated. Narrated by Eric Sevareid, Archibald Macleish & Roosevelt cousin Frances Cole.
Richard Kaplan's documentary on the remarkable life of the celebrated first lady, the most influencial woman of her era, might seem
more than a bit reverential by today's scandal-seeking standards. It is even more surprising to
learn The Eleanor Roosevelt Story was named Best Picture of 1965 by the National
Board of Review (in a year that included The Sound of Music, Darling and
Ship of Fools, among other heavy-hitter titles).
Using rare newsreel footage, personal photographs and a rich tapestry of interviews, the film
traces Mrs. Roosevelt's emergence from an awkward and lonely youth to the force of energy who
brought her husband out of his polio-cursed sick bed and back into the political arena. In her
work as first lady, she redefined the expectations and limits of this unofficial role, making her
presence known throughout the country and even on the front lines during World War II. She
also opened herself and the Democratic Party to an astonishing array of hostility for the open
advocacy of racial equality and civil rights.
Unlike other first ladies, Mrs. Roosevelt did not fade from sight following the death of her
husband. Instead, she remained a major influence within the Democratic Party and a player on
the world stage, most notably for driving through the United Nations' adoption of the Universal
Declaration of Human Rights.
The Eleanor Roosevelt Story is a rich study in emotional tenacity, political maturity and
the triumph of dignity and sincerity in an arena where such traits rarely reside. For those unaware
of Eleanor Roosevelt's accomplishments or those who enjoy to be reminded of her brilliance, this
tribute is a joy to behold. Phil Hall
|