Crawford - Sudden Celebrity and its Cost

David Modigliani's Documentary Reveals the Heart of Small Town Texas

Sep 28, 2009

Filmmaker David Modigliani paints a tender portrait of small town America with presidential politics as the backdrop. The cost of being used is a gripping tale.

David Modigliani's 2008 film, Crawford, is an interesting study of small town America, the changes that are wrought by a national spotlight being focused on the town, and the ways her residents respond to those changes. Lifelong residents, recent residents, and new residents are all profiled. For some, the pending move of the Bushes to Crawford signaled an opportunity for economic revitalization; for others it was a disruption of the quiet lifestyle they preferred. Most felt honored to have the First Family in their midst, but for others, it spelled tragedy. Much like his presidency, his presence did not elicit much neutrality. For some, he represented the American ideals of Texas, family and God. For others, he represented corruption, hypocrisy and a painful war.

The People of Crawford, Texas are Revealed in Modigliani's Documentary

The stars of the film are the residents themselves; it is their movie, not the Bush's. Crawford was a chosen location calculated to give Bush the appropriate rural Texas credentials for his folksy image in his bid for the presidency. But the real residents each have their own stories and their own ideas about being The Chosen Community. Norma Nelson owned a gift shop and was happy to receive the financial opportunity that having the Bush family arrive in Crawford represented. Mike Murphy was a Baptist preacher, a conservative man that looked upon the changes as a blessing. Misti Tubeville was then a progressive teacher in the community who struggled helping the kids of Crawford examine what they believe in. And Tom Warlick was a young 16-year-old band member who was changing as the town changed. There was the gentlemen that congregated in the local coffee shop who resented the outsiders and all that they represented.

Crawford was chosen to represent small-town values that Bush was identifying; but what happens to an actual small town that is used in such a manner? What happens to a rural community that has over 20,000 war protesters in their own community? Some viewed the protesters as treasonous, and anyone who did not support Bush was called a terrorist. The volatility and hatred from one American to another is chilling to witness as politics take center stage. A culture clash between opposing forces strained the peaceful setting that had once been Crawford, Texas.

Crawford is the Focus of Media when Thousands of War Protesters Appear

When Cindy Sheehan came to town with other Iraq war protesters, the town became a backdrop for the divisiveness that was gripping the entire country. Ms. Sheehan's son, Casey, has been killed in the war and this bereaved mother was not going to go away without a fight. With her came hundreds of war protesters, camera crews, news agencies, and reporters. The outrage that many Americans felt during this time in our history was right in people's front yards - literally. While many unleashed pent-up anger at those who spoke up against the war, others respected their willingness to stay in the hot Texas sun day after day, for a cause in which they believed.

The aftermath of Crawford's celebrity left a town changed forever. The tragedy that unfolds gives grim pause to the cost for humanity of culture clash and repression. Crawford and her residents paid a huge price for being part of history; it is the story of that price that makes this documentary so compelling.

The copyright of the article Crawford - Sudden Celebrity and its Cost in Socio-Political Documentaries is owned by Barbara DeGrande. Permission to republish Crawford - Sudden Celebrity and its Cost in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.