If you’re a writer, feminist or liberal, and Molly Ivins wasn’t a hero to you before, “Raise Hell: The Life and Times of Molly Ivins” will instantly help you see the light. Directed by Janice Engel, the documentary ‘Raise Hell’ is a rousing biography that should fill that “RBG“-shaped hole in the program at this year’s Sundance, reminding fans what they love about the progressive political columnist and introducing others to their new idol. You’ll start googling “Molly Ivins action figure,” but you’ll have to make do with one of her books when the search doesn’t offer as much merch as, say, the beloved Supreme Court Justice toys – at least not yet.
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Those who missed her many appearances on C-SPAN 2 during her life or didn’t read her bestselling books like “Shrub: The Short But Happy Political Life of George W. Bush,” will be instantly drawn to Ivins’ lacerating wit, which ‘Raise Hell’ wastes no time in introducing to viewers. Bolstered by Ivins’ barbs, ‘Raise Hell’ is one of the funniest and most entertaining docs in recent memory, getting just as many laughs as a stand-up comedy set – and all of that humor is found in direct quotes from Ivins herself. Whether the writing was from her stint at The New York Times in the ’70s or just before her death in 2007, her clever wordplay is timeless, a particular feat for columns and books that focus on a single moment in the political timeline. She aims the Texas legislature, Bill Clinton and George W. Bush, and her incisive, sharp tongue spares no thought for hurt feelings, targeting both stupidity and cruelty in equal measure. One can’t help but wonder what bon mots she would’ve dropped about the current administration.
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“Raise Hell” takes a straightforward but energetic approach to Ivins. It runs through her biography in chronological order, beginning with her childhood in River Oaks, Texas, then journeying with her to college at Smith in Massachusetts and following her around the country. Engel intercuts archival footage and old photos with interviews with Dan Rather, Rachel Maddow and Cecile Richards, daughter of Ivins’ good friend Ann Richards. The documentary digs into the larger political, cultural and historical context of Ivins’ life and work, which makes her writing and public speaking all the more impactful. But as adoring of its subject as ‘Raise Hell’ is, the film isn’t a hagiography. It faces the writer’s flaws with the type of honesty she’d have appreciated, focusing on both her alcoholism and her sometimes cruel words. Engel’s film offers real psychological insight as well, revealing who Ivins was beyond her own writing. Some of the documentary’s force is blunted with unnecessary stylistic flourishes, but it never thoroughly dulls Ivins – and how could it? The woman was a giant, both literally (at six feet tall) and figuratively, and this film will evoke a tang of grief and regret at losing her voice prematurely at the age of 62.
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Though she died in 2007, Ivins predicted and commented on many of the political issues of the decade she didn’t live to see. From money’s outsized role in politics to the ludicrous “wall,” it’s easy to imagine how she might react, but impossible to predict the hilarity and precision of her exact and cutting words. Similar to ‘RGB,’ ‘Raise Hell’ preaches to the small choir that adored Ivins, but this documentary sings a beautiful new psalm that will reach new disciples and renew the follower faith like a tent revival. [B+]
Check out all our coverage from the 2019 Sundance Film Festival here.
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