Leave your politics at the door

'An American Carol' decries evils of political US machine

By: Ben Johnson

Posted: 10/10/08

Charles Dickens' holiday classic "A Christmas Carol" ranks among one of the most retold and re-envisioned works of literature ever written. Proudly joining these ranks is David Zucker's political satire "An American Carol."

Michael Malone (Kevin Farley) hates America. Malone has made a career of producing exploitive documentary pieces decrying the evils of the American political machine.

Malone's latest mission in his campaign against America is the abolition of July Fourth. On the eve of his march against the infamous holiday, Malone is visited by the spirit of his hero, John Fitzgerald Kennedy. JFK informs Malone that he will be visited by three spirits. Those spirits turn out to be General George S. Patton (Kelsey Grammar), George Washington (John Voigt) and the Angel of Death (Trace Adkins).

The spirits not only teach Malone what it means to be a true American but also teach him the devastating consequences of his indoctrinating narratives.

Zucker, the director of quirky comedies like "Airplane!," "The Naked Gun," "Scary Movie 3" and "Scary Movie 4," brings his signature style to this piece. Slapstick comedy and bathroom humor are as prevalent as clever dialogue and one-liners. Kevin Farley, who bears a striking resemblance to his late older brother Chris Farley, brings to the film an over-the-top performance that in most cases would weigh the movie down.

However, Farley's zany antics keep with the thematic content and overall mood of the film. It is no secret that Farley's portrayal of Malone is a parody of real life left-wing Academy Award-winning documentary director Michael Moore. But Moore is not the only one who gets lampooned by this film's uniquely right wing perspective.

No left-wing activist or organization is safe from Zucker's biting commentary and criticism in this free-for-all in which some individuals are only thinly veiled (i.e. Rosie O'Connell) or directly named.

What sets "An American Carol" apart from other comedies of its ilk is political view. The film takes a critical view of leftist politics and even of Hollywood itself.

Whether or not your political views contend with the movie's, you will nonetheless find the film a somewhat refreshing take on modern issues. Whether accurate or not, excessive criticism tends to wear an audience out after too long. Thus, "An American Carol" offers viewers a breath of fresh air by default.

The term "propaganda" used to have a neutral connotation. To some extent, every film coming out of Hollywood with any kind of message is a propaganda piece.

So it is fair to call "An American Carol" a propaganda piece, even if a pugnacious and unsubtle one.

But it is nonetheless exceedingly refreshing to watch a propaganda piece giving voice to right wing politics. The film is cheesy at moments, but this quality has always been part of the package with Zucker's pieces. Beyond being political discourse, the film is stocked with a decent set of hearty laughs.

And since the film's arsenal of commentary is locked on the left, the film is also politically incorrect. For some, this may be enough reason to avoid this movie.

But few mainstream movies in the past decade have been so politically conservative. This makes "An American Carol" a one-of-a-kind comedy that asks the other side of the audience to leave its politics at the door.