Jimmy Carter: Man from Plains

Hokey charms and convictions

Jimmy Carter

Jonathan Demme’s latest documentary chronicles the controversial 2006 book tour by the former president. The book’s title, Palestine: Peace Not Apartheid tells you all you need to know. Carter believes that Israel must pull out of the occupied areas to begin the peace process. This, of course, does not sit well with the Israelis and others who support Israel’s current policies. Weary and dogged, Carter soldiers on despite accusations of plagiarism, falsification, and anti-Semitism. The tour and the criticism wear away the already frail 39th president, until the big showdown at Brandeis University, where he speaks but refuses an invitation to follow up in a debate with outspoken Harvard law professor and staunch Israel supporter Alan Dershowitz. Demme for the most part remains unbiased, but by the end even he’s drawn in by Carter’s hoky charms and unbending conviction.