Lyndon Baines Johnson is certainly a worthy subject for a Hollywood biopic.
But its been alongtime since hes made a movie that didnt feel middle-of-the-road and toothless.
But the ground being covered inLBJrequires more than a nostalgic Baby Boomer gaze and a soaring hagiographic score.
It begs for a point of view.
ReinersLBJdoes have a point of view, but theres nothing unexpected or surprising about it.
The best thing the director has going for him is his star, Woody Harrelson.
If youve seen Harrelsons putty-covered face in the trailer, you might think Ive lost my mind.
And I agree that the actors mottled old-age make-up is distracting…at least for the first five minutes.
Then something not unlike a magic trick happens.
Like Hopkins, Harrelson goes from jarring to uncanny.
Its a wonderful conjuring act.
Sadly, the rest of the movie lacks that same magic.
The theme bubbling underneath the surface of the film is that history was pulling at LBJ like a wishbone.
LBJ is the heroic bareknuckle realist playing both sides against the middle.
This may be too simplistic a take on Johnson, but its become the accepted one.
Theres nothing about the movie that isnt the accepted version of anything.
He dictates memos to his aides (including C. Thomas Howell…welcome back, sir!)
As a simplistic, slightly innocuous history lesson,LBJis a perfectly solid single or possibly a ground-rule double.
If youre hoping for more than that, you may be as disappointed as hungry fox in abandoned hen house.B-
