Lady Bird Johnson documentary reveals the legendary first lady's wonk side.
is a story in three mediums: first, a book on Lady Bird Johnson, written by Julia Sweig; then a podcast produced by ABC News; and now a film directed by director Dawn Porter, offame. But the source material for all three was a work of gonzo journalism by the first lady herself, in the form of 123 hours of audio recordings chronicling her time in the White House and embargoed till her death.
“One of the decisions I made early on was no talking heads; we’re going to let Lady Bird tell the story that she wanted to tell,” said Porter, who was tapped for the project after her Netflix series,. “She always thought of herself as, you know, not the glamorous one, not the one that people would pay attention to. She developed this really keen sense of observation.”
Lady Bird’s importance to the president as an advisor is self-evident throughout the tapes; she describes being “tactful and mean enough to get him home at a reasonable hour, and then continue to discuss work.” There was no vice president when LBJ took over Kennedy’s term, Porter pointed out: “She was literally his closest aide.”
Beyond Lady Bird and LBJ’s political partnership, Porter says, “I was very taken with how clearly deeply they loved and admired each other.” Sweet details like her home movies and their playful ragging on each other’s appearances – “old married couples' sort of kibitzing” – didn’t make it into the final film, along with her one mention, in all 123 hours, of LBJ’s notorious infidelity: “The only line we could find where she alludes to it is – they have separate bedrooms.
Amid all of Lady Bird’s blind spots and insights, upon hearing the tapes, Porter said, “it struck me so clearly, here is this eyewitness to history in one of the most important presidencies of our country. And it just raises so many questions about how we treat women, how we treat first ladies, when they have this incredible but ill-defined role. She was navigating all of that in real time. She wasn’t looking back, she was recording it as it happened.
South Africa Latest News, South Africa Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Why SXSW Doc ‘Lady Bird Diaries’ Represented a ‘Delicious Opportunity’ for Filmmaker Dawn PorterBusy documentarian Dawn Porter will debut her latest project, “The Lady Bird Diaries,” March 10 at SXSW. The all-archival doc, which will bow on Hulu later this year, relies on 123 hours of persona…
Read more »
France Reports Bird Flu in Foxes Near Paris, WOAH SaysFrance has reported an outbreak of highly pathogenic H5N1 bird flu among red foxes northeast of Paris, the World Organisation for Animal Health said on Tuesday, as the spread of the virus to mammals raised global concerns.
Read more »
Early Bird Jamie Lee Curtis Says Musicians Should Have Concerts During the DayRise and shine! Jamie Lee Curtis is explaining how she suddenly became the patron saint of early risers.
Read more »
‘Black Bird’ Star Paul Walter Hauser Reunites With Apple On ‘The Instigators’ Starring Matt DamonEXCLUSIVE: After earning rave reviews on the Apple limited series ‘Black Bird,’ Paul Walter Hauser is returning to the studio as he joins Matt Damon and Casey Affleck in ‘The Instigators.’ Hong Chau is also on board with Doug Liman on board to direct
Read more »
Producers Cancel David Attenborough Filming Amid Bird Flu Fears - Videos from The Weather ChannelA plan to have David Attenborough film up close with small birds on a British island was called off for fear that the 96-year-old biologist and broadcaster could contract bird flu and die. - Videos from The Weather Channel | weather.com
Read more »
How to use sleep tech to become an early birdIf this night owl can do it, so can you.
Read more »