Review: So, if you’re like me, John Kerry isn’t exactly someone you’d consider to be an entertaining fellow. I mean, judging his performance in the elections of 2004, I’m sure the guy’s most famous achievement his marrying the Heinz heir. OK, yes, he fought in Vietnam and won several medals for honor and bravery, but considering that some people doubt his credibility there (That whole Swift Boat Vote thing) I worried that a documentary of his trials would be extremely biased and generally uninteresting to those who don’t have huge crushes on the man (Kerry’s only #545 on my celeb man crush list fyi). With that feeling in mind, I plopped Going Up River: The Long War for John Kerry into the DVD player and started watching. Turns out though, George Butler’s documentary is anything but boring and while probably biased, it’s actually a great film about Vietnam War protests. In fact, despite the title, Kerry takes a definite supporting role to the overall story of veterans organizing to bring about change. It’s a great story too, and one I knew very little about, so it was fascinating to see how they formed secret meetings, fought to gain access and then finally protested outside of the Capital Building for an entire week. Seriously, this is one of the most powerful stories I’ve never heard before and anyone interested in the Vietnam War and its impact on the U.S. should not ignore this documentary. John Kerry of course is the protagonist in this story and, especially during the beginning portions, there is a lot of emphasis on his life growing up, but Butler uses him more as a Forest Gump type character- the constant that leads you through various issues within U.S. history. And don’t get me wrong, Kerry’s involvement in the Veteran protests is one that should not be ignored. His speeches to senators and ability to control countless soldiers pissed off at the government are remarkable achievements and a testament to him and the other youth leaders of the time. In many ways he had to ultimately sacrifice his political career for this cause (yes he became senator, but he lost his presidential bid in part because of his involvement in protesting the war). But, this is not meant to be a love fest for John Kerry (like I said, #545), but it is a testament to director George Butler’s ability to craft a story in such a way that even people on the other side of the aisle (so to speak) can enjoy and appreciate. Yes it’s biased towards Kerry, but it’s not making him out to be a god either. So whether you’re a democrat, republican, libertarian or an anarchist, check out Going Up River: The Long War for John Kerry. You’ll be pleasantly surprised. Review by Matthew Abshire Informative: 5- despite what its name suggests, there’s more to this film than a John Kerry biography Entertainment: 5- if Kerry would’ve only shown this as his political ads, he probably would be president. Technical: 5- wonderful use of interviews and archival footage Overall: 5- yes, I just gave a film about John Kerry a five… that’s how good this film is
 
Format: DVD Year: 2004 Running Time: 88 Min Distributor: THINKFilm Producer: George Butler and Mark Hopkins Director: George Butler Date Reviewed: 3-9-2008 Story: This revealing documentary chronicles Senator John Kerry's tour of duty (as the skipper of a Swift Boat) in Vietnam, his controversial contributions to the peace movement that followed and, ultimately, the shape his political career took after the turbulent 1960s. It has indeed been a long paddle upriver, politically, for John Kerry. Directed by George Butler (NetFlix).