Phil Donahue, 'Body of War' battle to get into theaters
Former talk show host makes truth his mission, now on other side of the camera
By Stevenson Swanson
Tribune correspondent
May 11, 2008
NEW YORK
That emphatic, empathetic baritone voice, still familiar after all these years, echoes off the walls of the penthouse apartment. " 'A gun smokes only after it's fired,' " Phil Donahue says, his voice rising in volume until it's booming with anger. " 'The longer we wait, the more dangerous he becomes.' And, 'Inaction is worse than action.' " Donahue, his piercing blue eyes open wide the way they used to on his Chicago-based afternoon talk show during moments of high drama, is reciting some of the lines that one senator after another intoned during the October 2002 debate on a resolution authorizing President Bush to use military force against Iraq. That "debate"—Donahue's sarcastic tone makes it clear he thinks it was a debate in name only—forms one-half of the story in "Body of War," an anti-war documentary that Donahue produced and directed with filmmaker Ellen Spiro, his biggest project since MSNBC yanked his ill-fated evening talk show in early 2003. The other half of the feature-length film, which opens Friday in Chicago at the Century Centre Cinema, tells the story of Tomas Young, a Kansas City, Mo., man who is living with the consequences of that debate. Inspired by President Bush's vow to take action against the terrorists who plotted the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks, the 22-year-old Young enlisted in the Army, and, five days after arriving in Iraq in 2004, was shot through the spine. He was left paralyzed from the chest down. " 'Little Miss Sunshine' it ain't," Donahue said. "This is not a take-your-girl-to-the-pictures kind of film." Sparing no detail, the film opens with Young struggling to pull on his pants and goes on to show how every facet of his life has been turned upside down, along with the lives of his newlywed wife and mother. Along the way, he becomes an outspoken opponent of the war in Iraq. But despite the indignities and humiliations Young endures, he holds onto a sense of humor. At one point during the 2006 midterm election campaign, he tells a group, "I hope my fellow soldiers are beginning to understand that supporting President Bush is a little like the chickens voting for Col. Sanders." "Body of War" weaves these two strands together by switching between C-SPAN footage of the Senate debate and the story of Young's convalescence, which were filmed by Spiro, a veteran documentary filmmaker who won an Emmy award for "Are the Kids Alright?" about the crisis in children's mental health. "He comes home from Iraq a broken person, and he comes out of that," said Spiro, who worked without a film crew to shoot the most intimate scenes, such as a moment when Tomas' mother has to help him urinate. Despite such material, she calls "Body of War" a "hopeful, up-from-the-ashes hero's journey." The film's two stories mirror Donahue's long-standing interests. His pioneering talk show, which started in Dayton in 1967 before moving to Chicago in 1974, capitalized on his ability to identify with his audience in the studio and at home, especially when it came to personal issues, such as troubled marriages, abusive spouses and abortion. In the early days of the women's movement, he was the archetypal "sensitive man." But over the show's 29-year run—he moved the program in 1985 to New York, where it took its final bow in 1996—he devoted considerable air time to public issues, interviewing presidential candidates and doing shows on AIDS and the savings and loan crisis. The seeds of "Body of War" were sown when Donahue's friend Ralph Nader, the consumer advocate and third-party presidential candidate, took him to Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Washington in 2004 to meet Young, who admired Nader for speaking out against the Iraq war. Struck by the cruel fate Young had been dealt, Donahue felt he could not, as he put it, "Pat him on the head and say, 'Have a nice life.' " Donahue and his wife, actress Marlo Thomas, visited Young several weeks later, after he had returned to Kansas City, and from that meeting, "Body of War" gradually took shape. "It shows not only the pain of war, but how we got there," said Donahue, sitting in a book-lined nook in his Fifth Avenue aerie, its tall windows providing a bird's-eye view of a verdant Central Park and the skyline of Manhattan. "You see how well-orchestrated was this effort to raise the pulse of the nation and inject an industrial dose of war fever into our bloodstream." Donahue, who at 72 has lost some of the bounce but none of the passion that he brought to his talk show, opposed the Iraq war from the start. He's convinced the anti-war tone of his MSNBC talk show, which aired for a little more than six months, contributed to its demise. An NBC memo that was leaked after the cancellation noted that his show presented a "difficult public face" as the nation prepared for war. But unlike other films or books critical of the war, "Body of War" focuses blame not on the Bush administration but on Congress, and especially the Senate. Donahue said Congress' role has not gotten the attention it deserves, especially because that's the branch of government that the U. S. Constitution endows with the power to declare war. It last did so in 1941, when the U.S. entered World War II. "Our film takes the radical position that we should obey the United States Constitution," Donahue said. "I believe if we had obeyed the Constitution, Tomas Young would be walking today." Donahue's passion has not blinded him to the reality that anti-war films have not done well at the box office. And "Body of War" has had trouble finding widespread distribution since it premiered at last year's Toronto film festival, where it was the runner-up for an audience award. It has been featured at a number of film festivals, including South by Southwest in Austin, Texas, and the film has been picked up by Landmark Theatres, the largest theater chain specializing in independent films, with showings so far in cities on the East and West Coasts. As part of the Chicago premiere at Landmark's Century Centre, Donahue will take part Friday in a question-and-answer session at the theater. "I'll jump out of cakes, wherever you want; I'll park cars; I'll go door-to-door, whatever it takes," Donahue said of his efforts to publicize the film, which he financed. "I think Phil's done all of those things," said Andrew Herwitz, head of the Film Sales Co., which is distributing "Body of War." "He's at a place in his career where he doesn't have to be doing this." Donahue and Herwitz say deals are in the works for the documentary to air on a cable channel and go to DVD, but their efforts are focused for now on making sure it reaches as many theater screens as possible. If that means not talking about certain subjects, the voluble Donahue is fine with that too. So, Mr. Donahue, whom are you supporting for president? "I'm not saying who because I don't want to make any more enemies," he said. "I'm trying to promote a movie. It's a PR thing I'm doing here. So waterboard me. At least I'm telling you the truth." soswanson@tribune.com
Copyright © 2008, Chicago Tribune
martscan2 hrs ago
Why is it that conservatives are pro WAR?
Why is it that conservatives love KILLING?
Why is it that conservatives love CRIMINAL INVASIONS?
Why is it that conservatives love DEATH and DESTRUCTION?
Why is it that conservatives love FORCE?
Why is it conservatives love KILLING MACHINES?
Why is that conservatives are CHRISTIANS?
Zoey
non of your bisness MARTSCAN
martscan zoey:
BRING IT ON BIG GUY/GAL!!
TAKE YOUR "BOOK", YOUR RELIGION, YOUR WAR AND KILLING, THIS CRIMINAL ADMINISTRATION AND SHOVE THEM UP YOUR IRAQ!
BRING IT ON BIG GUY/GAL!!
TAKE YOUR "BOOK", YOUR RELIGION, YOUR WAR AND KILLING, THIS CRIMINAL ADMINISTRATION AND SHOVE THEM UP YOUR IRAQ!
Florida Jim
Who cares what Phil Donahue has to say? He is a socialist who hates America. He became an icon television years ago but as he aged we came to know the real Phil Donahue who is another far left-wing kook who has made his millions in America and now, like Michelle Obama,can find nothing good about it. He was, is and always will be disgusting, why don't I ever run into these jerks?
martscan
martscan Florida Jim:
You first have to fail out of your own circle jerk. You, of course, keep coming in first and third.
You first have to fail out of your own circle jerk. You, of course, keep coming in first and third.
Alz
Donahue is kind of like the Jimmy Carter of talk show hosts - except Phil doesn't build houses.
For you liberals out there, I'll translate: he was awful as a talk show host and he is awful now.
Phil is a Modern Liberal. I rge people to watch the video "How Modern Liberals Think". Please watch all of it, including the Q&A. It's a phenomenal talk on what makes these people tick. I've watch parts of it many times.
http://www.youtube.com/watch...
Enjoy!
martscan
For you liberals out there, I'll translate: he was awful as a talk show host and he is awful now.
Phil is a Modern Liberal. I rge people to watch the video "How Modern Liberals Think". Please watch all of it, including the Q&A. It's a phenomenal talk on what makes these people tick. I've watch parts of it many times.
http://www.youtube.com/watch...
Enjoy!
martscan Alz:
Before you start translating for liberals, why don't you learn how to write a declaratory sentence? Try this for openers: See Spot run.
Before you start translating for liberals, why don't you learn how to write a declaratory sentence? Try this for openers: See Spot run.
larry
way to go phil just put your hands up and wave the white flag. if you want it that way move to france they do things that way.
martscan
martscan larry from glen ellen:
Chances are, the United States would not exist if it wasn't for the French. What is it with no-class, uneducated slobs that get off bum rapping the French? For one thing, they have a better standard of living than we do. So there!!
martscan
Chances are, the United States would not exist if it wasn't for the French. What is it with no-class, uneducated slobs that get off bum rapping the French? For one thing, they have a better standard of living than we do. So there!!
martscan As a bleeding heart, knee jerk liberal I'm sick and tired of reading inane, vacuous, imbecilic, juvenile comments and remarks from oat meal brained conservatives, and I'm not going to take it any more!
Let's hear your best shots!!
Let's hear your best shots!!
ejhickey
I am glad there were no horribly disabling injuries suffered by US soldiers in WWII. I am not interested in seeing this film . even if I thought the Iraq war was a good idea, this film woildn't change my mind.
martscan
martscan ejhickey:
Why does it not surprise me that even if you DID WATCH this film, it wouldn't change your mind? Simply because conservatives have oat meal for brains, i.e., they don't THINK, refuse to think, won't think, have closed minds, refuse to read a book but know the contents by its cover....ooh, you are so cool!!
Why does it not surprise me that even if you DID WATCH this film, it wouldn't change your mind? Simply because conservatives have oat meal for brains, i.e., they don't THINK, refuse to think, won't think, have closed minds, refuse to read a book but know the contents by its cover....ooh, you are so cool!!
B K Ray
I am always amazed by those who support the war in Iraq, as though there were ever any reason to go to war in Iraq. The delusion of these people absolutely amazes me. I love America and I took my turn in the defense of the Constitution, the very same one the the Bush administration is burning. This administration has lied with contempt for the American people and the Constitution, and the only reason the administration gets away with this is the utter gullibility of people who foolishly believe that the president, the nation and the Constitution are the same thing. Bush is a bad, bad president, he is leaving the nation in ruins, like he was the Antichrist or something. The defense of America should be the defense of the Constitution, not the defense of an incorrigible president and his administration of evil.
martscan
2 hrs ago
B K Ray:
Way to go, bro!!!
martscan
Nelson
martscan
1 hr ago
martscan2 hrs ago
B K Ray:
Way to go, bro!!!
martscan2 hrs ago
The Truth:
Do they still pay a bounty on progressives in Lake Forest?
Do they still pay a bounty on progressives in Lake Forest?
To the average Afghan or the average Iraqi, the USA delivers hope for a secure future. If we were to pull out, chaos would reign in each of the nations. Their economies would collapse and they would be ruled locally by murderous, repressive warlords. There would be no real central government and the nations would splinter. Our standing in the world would take a nose dive. Energy prices would spike and the dollar would decline further. In short, hundreds of millions of people would suffer, including, and most especially, us.
The media does a disservice by not acknowledging some of the simple truths I've mentioned. It's incredible how out of touch most of the comments in this blog seem.
I wish I could show you just one Afghan laborer, digging with a shovel in the hot sun, while wearing a NY Yankees ball cap, who stops his work to wave and smile at any American vehicle he sees go by. Have you seen footage of this type on the network news? Of course not. It's a common occurrence. That is the true sentiment of the majority of Afghans.
It is awful when a soldier is murdered or wounded.(Soldiers are not usually killed in action, given the tactics by the terrorists, rather they are murdered by cowards who use tactics such as sniper shots or IEDs.) It should deepen our resolve to destroy the terrorist cells who did this.
It's time to realize that we cannot turn back from the war. We must throw our full weight as a nation behind the effort until we get the job done of stabilizing Iraq and Afghanistan so the people there can live in peace. We cannot allow Afghanistan to be a haven for terrorist organizations again, nor can we ever allow any such organization to establish itself and flourish in any corner of the globe.
martscan
The media does a disservice by not acknowledging some of the simple truths I've mentioned. It's incredible how out of touch most of the comments in this blog seem.
I wish I could show you just one Afghan laborer, digging with a shovel in the hot sun, while wearing a NY Yankees ball cap, who stops his work to wave and smile at any American vehicle he sees go by. Have you seen footage of this type on the network news? Of course not. It's a common occurrence. That is the true sentiment of the majority of Afghans.
It is awful when a soldier is murdered or wounded.(Soldiers are not usually killed in action, given the tactics by the terrorists, rather they are murdered by cowards who use tactics such as sniper shots or IEDs.) It should deepen our resolve to destroy the terrorist cells who did this.
It's time to realize that we cannot turn back from the war. We must throw our full weight as a nation behind the effort until we get the job done of stabilizing Iraq and Afghanistan so the people there can live in peace. We cannot allow Afghanistan to be a haven for terrorist organizations again, nor can we ever allow any such organization to establish itself and flourish in any corner of the globe.
martscan sick of this crap:
I can't understand why you feel sorry for liberals...unless of course you were merely being a typical conservative dullard, lacking any creativity in the art of insult. I believe its generally accepted that liberal progressives are better educated, hipper, better dressed, better looking, cooler than the typical Bermuda shorted, argyle socked, Hush Puppied, Blatz drinking slob.
I can't understand why you feel sorry for liberals...unless of course you were merely being a typical conservative dullard, lacking any creativity in the art of insult. I believe its generally accepted that liberal progressives are better educated, hipper, better dressed, better looking, cooler than the typical Bermuda shorted, argyle socked, Hush Puppied, Blatz drinking slob.
To Terry
Molly Ivins was the most conservative of all columnists who was pitching the Bush agenda in this article.She is part of the breed of journalists who sold their souls to the devil for the "insiders" status in the corrupt Cheney/Bush regime.
Terry wrote:Between 1980 when he came to power and 2003 when he was deposed the Saddam Hussein regime killed at least 300,000 people - the most CONSERVATIVE estimate. As of July 14, 2005 allied forces had found 271 mass graves.
Source - Chicago Tribune, July 14, 2005.
Writer - Molly Ivins
martscan1 hr ago
Terry:
How many people has the United States killed in Iraq?
A CONSERVATIVE figure will do. Are these dead bodies in mass graves or are they in single graves?
How many people has the United States killed in Iraq?
A CONSERVATIVE figure will do. Are these dead bodies in mass graves or are they in single graves?
ejhickey
Good question. Why doesn't it surprise you that this film would not change my mind about the war.? Could it be the reason is that I am already opposed to the war as I indicated in my post? If you would have read it rather than just reacting in rage , you would have understood this. I read the article about Donohue's film. The film's argument sounds simplistic, shortsighted and unconvincing. Donohue's film adds nothing to the anti _Iraq war argument and actually detracts from it becaiuse of it's simplistic approach. And so do you. Both you and Phil give the anti-Iraq war movement a bad name.martscan wrote:ejhickey:
Why does it not surprise me that even if you DID WATCH this film, it wouldn't change your mind? Simply because conservatives have oat meal for brains, i.e., they don't THINK, refuse to think, won't think, have closed minds, refuse to read a book but know the contents by its cover....ooh, you are so cool!!
Nelson:
Please, spare us the maudlin, pseudo-patriotic propaganda.
If the average Iraqi thought the US offered them hope, for anything, why, according to their own polls, do 70% of them want us out of their country? You have no idea what the average Afghan or Iraqi thinks of "hope", especially relative to the US.
Neither you, nor anyone else, has any idea what conditions in either country would be were we to pull out. If you take the prognostications of our officials on this supposed scenario, you rely on fools that predicted hurrahs as our being liberators and the botched PR flacks that proclaimed "victory". True or false?
"Their economies would collapse......." Surely you can't be serious? What are the unemployment rates of the countries? What are their respective GDPs? What are the economic effects of mass emigration by those that can afford it? What are the existing economic effects of the lack of sufficient utilities and services? Fact: Their economies are presently in chaos.
"There would be no central government...." Your ignorance of the situation there is amazing, especially since you present yourself as an "insider." Shiias are fighting Shiias, Sunnis are fighting Sunnis, Sunnis are fighting Shiia, gangsters are fighting everyone, Sadre "City" is an enclave unto itself...with its own ruler...Kurds are virtually in their own country...Basra is practically barricaded...and you contend there is a "central government"? You're nuts.
"Our standing in the world would take a nose dive." This is impossible...our "standing" does not exist...if you mean reputation or integrity..supine would be a more apt description. Read a foreign newspaper.
Mercy! As a lifelong White Sox fan, I would be suspect of any Afghan laborer wearing a Yankee cap, particularly one smiling and waving at American troops...for all you know he is cursing us under his breath and preparing an IED.
What is this soldier "murdered" and "cowards" crap? For Christ's sake, this IS a war isn't it? In war, dead is the name of the game..and dead is dead..who cares how you bring it about, just do more of it to them than do to you. Do you think if they had F-16s they wouldn't use them?
I can't go on.....your pap sucks.
Please, spare us the maudlin, pseudo-patriotic propaganda.
If the average Iraqi thought the US offered them hope, for anything, why, according to their own polls, do 70% of them want us out of their country? You have no idea what the average Afghan or Iraqi thinks of "hope", especially relative to the US.
Neither you, nor anyone else, has any idea what conditions in either country would be were we to pull out. If you take the prognostications of our officials on this supposed scenario, you rely on fools that predicted hurrahs as our being liberators and the botched PR flacks that proclaimed "victory". True or false?
"Their economies would collapse......." Surely you can't be serious? What are the unemployment rates of the countries? What are their respective GDPs? What are the economic effects of mass emigration by those that can afford it? What are the existing economic effects of the lack of sufficient utilities and services? Fact: Their economies are presently in chaos.
"There would be no central government...." Your ignorance of the situation there is amazing, especially since you present yourself as an "insider." Shiias are fighting Shiias, Sunnis are fighting Sunnis, Sunnis are fighting Shiia, gangsters are fighting everyone, Sadre "City" is an enclave unto itself...with its own ruler...Kurds are virtually in their own country...Basra is practically barricaded...and you contend there is a "central government"? You're nuts.
"Our standing in the world would take a nose dive." This is impossible...our "standing" does not exist...if you mean reputation or integrity..supine would be a more apt description. Read a foreign newspaper.
Mercy! As a lifelong White Sox fan, I would be suspect of any Afghan laborer wearing a Yankee cap, particularly one smiling and waving at American troops...for all you know he is cursing us under his breath and preparing an IED.
What is this soldier "murdered" and "cowards" crap? For Christ's sake, this IS a war isn't it? In war, dead is the name of the game..and dead is dead..who cares how you bring it about, just do more of it to them than do to you. Do you think if they had F-16s they wouldn't use them?
I can't go on.....your pap sucks.
CIA
Martin Scanlan: You're psychotic.
ejhickey:
I read, and understood, your initial comments. I'll stand by my remarks. You make your judgment calls on supposition and conceptions garnered from a third party which, in my view, compounds, and perhaps distorts, your lack of direct knowledge of the film. Sorry hickey, I can't see it any other way but your doing a slide.
I read, and understood, your initial comments. I'll stand by my remarks. You make your judgment calls on supposition and conceptions garnered from a third party which, in my view, compounds, and perhaps distorts, your lack of direct knowledge of the film. Sorry hickey, I can't see it any other way but your doing a slide.
