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Mitt (2014)
Directed by Greg Whiteley
Distributed by Netflix
www.netflix.com
94 minutes
Promoted as an intimate portrait of Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney's campaigns of 2008 and 2012, Greg Whiteley's documentary film provides viewers with a look at what occurs behind the scenes of a presidential campaign and the toll that it takes on the candidate and their families. Unlike previous campaign documentaries, such as Primary (I960) and The War Room (1993), which focused on the daily machinations of campaigns from the point of view of the professionals involved in running the campaign, Whiteley's film centers on the role that Romney's family played in managing the candidate's campaign, advising him, and offering him love and support. Indeed, it was his son, Tagg who introduced Whiteley to the family and helped convince Romney to allow the making of the documentary.
Whiteley's relationship with the Romney family began in 2005, when he learned that the then-governor of Massachusetts had attended a screening of his film New York Doll (2005), about a Mormon proto-punk rocker. The filmmaker became interested in the governor's possible presidential bid, and expressed an interesting in making a film that examined the ways in which Romney's Mormonism would impact the election. After meeting Romney's son, Tagg, Whiteley was invited to the family's vacation home in Park City, Utah where he filmed the first internal discussion and debate within the family about whether or not Romney should run for President. This telling scene captures the dynamics of the family, particularly when, in a candid moment, one of Romney's sons urges his father to run for president because of his "duty to your country and God."
This exchange sets the stage for a film that offers viewers a window into the mindset of Romney and his family, as well as a behind-the-scenes glimpse of one of the most contentious and documented presidential campaigns in modern history....