Brian recommends - DOCS! - Challenger: The Final Flight, Desert One and Boys State
I wanted to bring your attention to three must see documentaries. Two of the films look back at America’s imperfect past, placing a clearer lens on two stories you may or may not know and a third that looks hopefully toward our future.
Challenger: The Final Flight
First off, starting Wednesday September 16th, Netflix unveils “Challenger: The Final Flight.”
Challenger was one of a handful of new space shuttles. After miraculously launching in all their glory and journeying through space, the shuttle and its passengers would re-enter on a landing strip, almost like a passenger plane. Now, thinking back on this, it truly is an amazing, remarkable thing, but back in 1986, it honestly wasn’t that big of a deal to me. Why? Well, I was a child of “Star Wars.” Of course we were sending people back and forth to space.
Unfortunately for the 1986 crew of Challenger, they did not make it back safely, dying approximately 10 seconds after an explosion that devastated the country.
The film opens with a fictionalized group of students watching the disastrous flight that included civilian/teacher Christa McAuliffe, a scene which many of my generation will relate to.
For some reason, the day of the explosion I was running an errand for a teacher, or maybe I had even done daily Principal announcements on the intercom, I’m not positive. But I do know that I was in the hallway as the shuttle launched and peeked into a different home room because I couldn’t wait to get back to my own classroom. Little did any of us know what was to happen. I remember almost nothing after the explosion. I don’t remember anyone explaining to us what happened or why. All I know is that I stopped playing with my toy Challenger after that fateful morning.
Everyone who knows of the failed mission remembers McAuliffe, but what we learn straight away in the first episode is that NASA had been working very hard not only to bring in women, but also many diverse players, not only in terms of race, but also career backgrounds. Seeing what they were able to accomplish in their class of 1978, was something to wonder, particularly as it parallels the various fights for diversity today. Challenger, prior to the 86 crew, had already carried the first American woman, the first black person and the first Asian American into space.
In the 2nd episode we delve deeper into the national search for the teacher who would become the first civilian on the shuttle. We learn more about Christa and her wonderful heart which makes what we know is coming even more sad. All while, in the same episode learning that there were certainly warning signs for NASA that were virtually ignored.
The third episode takes a deep dive into the hours leading up to the explosion and the decision to override original engineer recommendations by managers to launch. And in the final, remarkable episode, we see the very painful aftermath and mind blowing aftermath.
I’m honestly surprised that half the people who were interviewed for the film went on camera. Perhaps they were trying to process the impact of their decisions all these decades later. Seeing the images of the families and friends in the immediate aftermath of the explosion again, even after all this time, is so very haunting.
Watch Challenger: the Final Flight on Netflix - Challenger: The Final Flight on Netflix
Desert One
Desert One” tells a story I was not familiar with, which is interesting considering some of the film’s critics argue that there is really nothing new to be told on the subject. Director Barbara Kopple is an icon in the Documentary world having won two Oscars. Like “Challenger,” Desert One” chronicles another failed US mission - this time examining a military operation to rescue hostages in Tehran, Iran, in 1980.
In the film, Kopple has access to all involved. The hijackers, captives, members of the rescue mission…the bus of Iranian captives that became entwined in the rescue, President Carter, Vice President Mondale, and journalist Ted Koppel.
President Carter was in the midst of a re-election campaign, and trying desperately to be a President of peace. He worked hard for diplomacy in this situation, but the US people were in a boiling pot of sorts. They didn’t want peace, they wanted action and blood. We know from the start of the film that the mission fails, and we also know that Carter greatly loses his re-election bid to Reagan, but what the film importantly shows is that Carter worked tirelessly to get the hostages home, even though it happened minutes after Regan was sworn in.
Kopple’s style is old school, but it works. She takes a simplistic approach to her storytelling which allows for thought and processing of this heartbreaking, sad story.
Find out how to get tickets to “Desert One” here -Desert One - Official website
Boys State
Finally, we have “Boys State,” directed, and produced by Jesse Moss and Amanda McBaine. In “Boys State,” Texas teens learn about American democracy by organizing political parties and running a mock government. It is a remarkable film, and these are remarkable teens.
I saw “Boys State” several weeks ago at a drive in screening. It was the first time I had seen a movie outside of my house since February and has stayed with me since.
I actually attended “Boys State” in high school, but I remember almost nothing about it. Instead of engaging I instead became a wallflower, which, as I’m typing this, makes total sense as I am the same today in regard to politics.
Politics make me uncomfortable. I don’t like differing opinions to mine, but instead of voicing such things, I keep that mostly to myself and save my political discussions for very close friends. Twitter and Facebook have destroyed our ability for nuanced discussions, and I firmly believe they have played the greatest part in the fracturing of our country.
But “Boys State” gives me hope for our future, and I believe it will do the same for you. There are 4 young men at the center of this story -Robert MacDougall, Rene’ Otero, Ben Feinstein and Steven Garza, the latter two vying for the top position in this mock government. These two men believe in different ideologies, one (Garza) along the lines of Obama, the other (Feinstein), Ronald Reagan, but perhaps a bit more cunning. Think teen Reagan meets Cheney, but with charm and a great personal story.
In the end, however, both young men portray such introspection and examination of their actions (and continue to do so in recent interviews) that I have incredibly hope for our next generation of politicians.
Boys State is available on here on AppleTV - "Boys State"