"MITT" on Netflix & Reasons I Hate You Libs

[Mojo2]

The Man Behind 'Mitt' Talks Making the Romney Netflix Documentary


Ann Romney encouraged the doc while Romney's campaign staff hated it, director Greg Whiteley says.

By TIERNEY SNEED

January 23, 2014

A new documentary film sheds new light on one of the most meticulously covered campaigns in history: Mitt Romney's failed presidential race.

"Mitt," which premiered at the Sundance Film Festival this week and will be released on Netflix Friday, captures candid moments between Romney and his family during his 2008 and 2012 runs, watching as they pray in hotel rooms, prep for debates, scarf down takeout and, ultimately, help Romney write his 2012 concession speech.

Director Greg Whiteley had access to Romney, his wife, their five sons and their families beginning in 2006, when they drew out a pros-and-cons list for his presidential ambitions over a Christmas vacation. Whiteley talked to U.S. News about convincing the Romneys to let him make the film, the candor he got from them and why he didn't spend much time on the "47 percent" video:

[READ: Can 'Mitt' Be the Next 'The War Room'?]

I read that to film the campaign you had to agree to not release the documentary until after the campaign, or after Mitt Romney concluded his presidency if he had won. Any other stipulations?


Tacitly, I had to agree not to film the campaign staff unless they came in on me filming the family. The campaign staff had no interest in being filmed. In fact, they had no interest in me making the movie, period. I spent probably the first three or so months filming quite a few strategy meetings and the staff made the argument to Mitt that, "We can't speak candidly to you when we know this is being filmed and we don't know what this person is going to do with this film," and I think that was persuasive to Mitt. As frustrating as I found that, I - with distance – completely understand. I think their points were very valid.

I also think it was a blessing in disguise, because it forced me to focus my cameras on the family and as a result I could have very easily had that not happen and simply remade "The War Room" [about Bill Clinton's 1992 campaign], which is a great movie where you have tons of campaign staff and no candidate and family. And as a result of the campaign's decision not to want me to film, I have a much different movie. It's almost the inverse of that. It's all candidate and family.

You bring up "The War Room." Those filmmakers told me they ended up with the Clinton campaign because it was the only campaign that would grant them any access. What drew you to Romney as a presidential candidate?

My initial attraction to Mitt was his Mormonism. I'm Mormon and I remember my dad telling me the story of George Romney when I was a little kid. I remember being very surprised to learn that there was an actual presidential candidate — and not just any presidential candidate, but someone that was actually a legitimate contender, a front-runner, and my dad told me the story of him saying the word "brainwashed" and I don't think I quite appreciated why that would resonate in such a negative way. But I just remember from my understanding, it was a slip of the tongue and it got an unusual amount of traction.

For whatever reason, the story stuck with me. And I remember reading a little blurb in the newspaper that the governor of Massachusetts, who of course I knew was the son of George Romney, I heard that he was thinking of running for president and that his family would be gathering over the Christmas holidays to discuss whether or not he should run. When I read that, I thought immediately that that sounds like the beginning to a good movie.

[ALSO: Charles Dickens' 'Invisible Woman' Has Long Been Visible, but Also Problematic]

How did you convince them to participate?

[A producer friend] happened to know someone who knows Tagg [Romney], and he arranged a lunch and I pitched my movie to Tagg, and he took it to his dad and Mitt promptly said no. But Ann Romney said yes and through some conversations Tagg said, "Well, if you happened to show up to our home on Christmas Eve, I bet you wouldn't get thrown out." And so I did. Christmas Eve I showed up at their door, Mitt answered the door and sort of rolled his eyes and let me in, and I was allowed to film that night and I just kept filming for the next six years.

Were there any moments that the family agreed with the campaign staff and said you need to get out?

No, never. I was somewhat surprised. My rule was this: I was going to keep filming until someone named Romney told me, "No, stop filming," and no one named Romney ever told me, "No, stop filming." They just let me in, and I'm not even sure how to explain why that happened. There was some sort of trust that was established quite early and I'm not even able to articulate why, but I'm grateful it happened.

(Netflix)

What I got from the film and what other reviewers have said made it so interesting is that the Mitt we see is so different than how he came across in the media. When you were in the midst of filming, were you aware of that gulf in perception – the narrative of Romney as this robotic guy versus what you were capturing on camera?

Personally, I wasn't, but what would happen is that I would come home with footage that I shot and show it to my wife, who is my producer on the film, and show it to a good friend, Adam Leibowitz, who became a producer on the film, and they were shocked. And that was really interesting to me, that the footage that I was capturing was not the footage they were seeing. The perception that they got of who he was was not at all what my footage was conveying to them, and that is when I began to think, "I may have something here." That was confirmed to me when the election was over and I began creating different cuts of the film and showed them to close friends in Los Angeles where I worked, and their reaction, during that time I continued to be surprised at their reaction. These were people who mostly were pretty disposed to not like Mitt Romney, and then when they would see this footage they were surprised. There was a gulf between how he was publicly digested and the footage that I got. I think that's probably the secret sauce to the movie I made.

[MORE: Making a Film About a Revolution Without a Resolution]

There are a lot of major moments from the campaign that have been either left out or glossed over, particularly the "47 percent" video. Why was it left out?

Well, I just wasn't there for "47 percent." I was there shortly after. I attended a lot of fundraisers and I found those things to be – they were torture. So I just stopped going. So fortunately – or unfortunately, depending on how you look at it — there was another cameraman there with an iPhone capturing it. I was with the family afterwards, and there just wasn't anything ever interesting said. I just didn't have anything that enlightened what people didn't already know. I even asked [Mitt Romney] about "47 percent," and he didn't give me any answer that he hadn't given 100 times earlier. I didn't have that footage. It wasn't edited out. It wasn't an attempt to – if I had it I would put it in, I just didn't have it.

One scene that is really striking is when you ask Josh Romney whether it's all worth it and he tells you that he is going to give you the answer he gives the media and then he's going to give you his honest answer. Were you surprised by his candor in that moment or did you always have the feeling that you were getting the honest responses from the family, and not the media-ready ones?

The best way to answer that was I was surprised on Day One. I continued to be surprised on Day 7,001 — or however many days it was. I found I was always surprised by their level of candor and trust in me. I was surprised by that moment and hundreds of others.

You have said that Mitt Romney told you he felt uncomfortable watching the film. Have you heard from his sons or any of the other family members featured about their reactions?

No, I haven't. They all showed up. There were a couple of them that came up and congratulated me and shook my hands after, but one thing I need to tell you about the Romneys is that they are polite to a fault. They are extremely gracious people. So as the couple of them that came up to me and wished me congratulations, I'm not sure I can tag that as an indication of whether they liked the film or not. I just don't know.

This interview has been edited for length and clarity.

The Man Behind 'Mitt' Talks Making the Romney Netflix Documentary - US News and World Report

He would have been a TERRIFIC POTUS.

There would never have been any talk of secession or lying to the American people or any of the shit we've gotten from Obama.

Ambassador Christopher Stevens and his brave fellow Americans would still be alive.

You'd still have your old health care plan.

We'd have a better economy.

We'd be less divided as a nation.

You liberals cost us all of that and more.

Why should you be trusted politically?

The fact is, you SHOULDN'T be trusted when it comes to choosing our nation's leaders.

We knew Obama was bad news and we tried with all our might to tell you what we could already see.

All of the excrement he is spreading throughout this land and our society was preventable.

You refused to listen to reason.

So, when this documentary debuts on Netflix tomorrow you can watch it and know YOU were responsible for every kernal of corn you are having to eat from Obama's steaming pile.

Mitt is an expert at economics and business and you chose the fucking lying, manipulative, America hating, business hating community organizer.

You are all like children. Spoiled. Dumb. Children.

Obamacare?

Hahahaha!

 

[MarcATL]

I'll be watching and laughing my guts out this weekend at this Mittumentary.

 

[TheOldSchool]

That's a whole lot of speculation there moj

 

[Mojo2]

I'll be watching and laughing my guys out this weekend at this Mittumentary.

Laughing your GUYS out?

Out of where?

Yo ass?

Seriously readers: Foreigners commonly screw up our folksy sayings and adages like this.

That's a clue to us that this person may be trying to pose as an American to negatively influence our gullible younger posters to think in a manner that is against our best interests.

Where are you really from, MarcATL?

 

[Mojo2]

That's a whole lot of speculation there moj

Yeah?

Well, you'll have to admit my speculation HAS to be closer to the mark (being good, true and accurate) than Liberal America's speculations when they pulled the lever for Obama!

They were just plain fuckin wrong about Barry, now weren't they?

He is lawless now and doesn't care about trying to hide it.

 

[Luddly Neddite]

I've seen some clips.
What a creepy bunch.
And sad.

Mittens is an anti-American jerk and he never had a chance.
We should all give thanks for that fact.

 

[bodecea]

That's a whole lot of speculation there moj

Yeah?

Well, you'll have to admit my speculation HAS to be closer to the mark (being good, true and accurate) than Liberal America's speculations when they pulled the lever for Obama!

They were just plain fuckin wrong about Barry, now weren't they?

He is lawless now and doesn't care about trying to hide it.

We were assured right here that there was NO WAY Obama would win in 2012. How were THOSE speculations?

 

[whitehall]

The fact they pray in hotel rooms and scarf down takeout should be enough to snare left wing bigots into watching the docu-drama and recouping the money that Bobby Redford shelled out....or not.

 

[C_Clayton_Jones]

That's a whole lot of speculation there moj

And very little facts or evidence, if any.

 

[Mojo2]

That's a whole lot of speculation there moj

Yeah?

Well, you'll have to admit my speculation HAS to be closer to the mark (being good, true and accurate) than Liberal America's speculations when they pulled the lever for Obama!

They were just plain fuckin wrong about Barry, now weren't they?

He is lawless now and doesn't care about trying to hide it.

We were assured right here that there was NO WAY Obama would win in 2012. How were THOSE speculations?

Just goes to show you guys have shitty instincts for knowing who and what to believe.

I never said anything like that. And I never became complacent, preferring to wait until all the votes were tabulated before predicting 'victry.'

You Liberals really DON'T know shit from Shinola, do you?

But, I really should pity you guys.

It's how you are hard wired from the factory.

You cain't help yourselves.

You're like functioning mental patients.

 

[Mojo2]

I've seen some clips.
What a creepy bunch.
And sad.

Mittens is an anti-American jerk and he never had a chance.
We should all give thanks for that fact.

You are the perfect stereotypical bumbling, inept, cartoonish bad guy.

Ladies and Gents: The REAL bad guys on these boards are far more subtle and clever than Luddly.

 

[TheOldSchool]

I've seen some clips.
What a creepy bunch.
And sad.

Mittens is an anti-American jerk and he never had a chance.
We should all give thanks for that fact.

You are the perfect stereotypical bumbling, inept, cartoonish bad guy.

Ladies and Gents: The REAL bad guys on these boards are far more subtle and clever than Luddly.

I'm one of the bad guyz

Sorry ludz

 

[aaronleland]

It sounds like an interesting documentary. I'll check it out.

He still would have made a shitty president.

 

[Mojo2]

I've seen some clips.
What a creepy bunch.
And sad.

Mittens is an anti-American jerk and he never had a chance.
We should all give thanks for that fact.

You are the perfect stereotypical bumbling, inept, cartoonish bad guy.

Ladies and Gents: The REAL bad guys on these boards are far more subtle and clever than Luddly.

I'm one of the bad guyz

Sorry ludz

Many truths are spoken in jest.

 

[Mojo2]

It sounds like an interesting documentary. I'll check it out.

He still would have made a shitty president.

Gotcha.

Translation: You are still buying the lies told about him by a known liar (the Resident in Chief) who had everything to gain by convincing you that Mitt was shit.

Okay.

So noted.

 

[Dot Com]

yanno.....pasteing waaay to much of an article can put forum in danger of copyright violation. 2-3 paragraphs max is the general rule on forums I've been on.

As to the OP- I might check the movie out sometime.

 

[C_Clayton_Jones]

I Hate You Libs

You and others on the right certainly hate a lot of people: ‘libs,’ same-sex couples, transgender persons, gay Americans, immigrants, minority voters, just to name a few.

Rather than all the hate and fear why not just embrace and enjoy the diversity.

Life’s too short for all this hate.

 

[ClosedCaption]

He would have been a TERRIFIC POTUS.

There would never have been any talk of secession or lying to the American people or any of the shit we've gotten from Obama.

Ambassador Christopher Stevens and his brave fellow Americans would still be alive.

You'd still have your old health care plan.

We'd have a better economy.

We'd be less divided as a nation.

You liberals cost us all of that and more.

Why should you be trusted politically?

The fact is, you SHOULDN'T be trusted when it comes to choosing our nation's leaders.

We knew Obama was bad news and we tried with all our might to tell you what we could already see.

All of the excrement he is spreading throughout this land and our society was preventable.

You refused to listen to reason.

So, when this documentary debuts on Netflix tomorrow you can watch it and know YOU were responsible for every kernal of corn you are having to eat from Obama's steaming pile.

Mitt is an expert at economics and business and you chose the fucking lying, manipulative, America hating, business hating community organizer.

You are all like children. Spoiled. Dumb. Children.

Obamacare?

Hahahaha!

And Trees would be made of gum drops

 

[Moonglow]

Poor misunderstood Mittens.

 

[Sallow]

He would have been a TERRIFIC POTUS.

There would never have been any talk of secession or lying to the American people or any of the shit we've gotten from Obama.

Ambassador Christopher Stevens and his brave fellow Americans would still be alive.

You'd still have your old health care plan.

We'd have a better economy.

We'd be less divided as a nation.

You liberals cost us all of that and more.

Why should you be trusted politically?

The fact is, you SHOULDN'T be trusted when it comes to choosing our nation's leaders.

We knew Obama was bad news and we tried with all our might to tell you what we could already see.

All of the excrement he is spreading throughout this land and our society was preventable.

You refused to listen to reason.

So, when this documentary debuts on Netflix tomorrow you can watch it and know YOU were responsible for every kernal of corn you are having to eat from Obama's steaming pile.

Mitt is an expert at economics and business and you chose the fucking lying, manipulative, America hating, business hating community organizer.

You are all like children. Spoiled. Dumb. Children.

Obamacare?

Hahahaha!

Laughable.

And there are metrics to back that up.

As governor he pretty much screwed the pooch. The only thing he got right was "RomneyCare" and that's because his state was going to lose money if he didn't implement it. He was a termer too. Mainly because his popularity was at an all time low by the end of his term.

The Chris Stevens thing is laughable too. What Romney did during that attack was disgusting. It was never done before in the history of this country.

Nothing you've posted here is grounded in reality.