OK for kids 14+
Anti-Obama documentary trades objectivity for persuasion.
What Parents Need to Know
Parents need to know that the stated purpose of 2016: Obama's America is to help defeat President Obama's re-election efforts. It's a documentary, but -- like many other movies in the same genre in all shades of the political spectrum -- it has a clear political position and creates or finds audio and visual material to back up that premise. In this case, the filmmakers' conclusion is that Obama still struggles for identity in the face of having been abandoned by his father. To that end, the film posits that the president has been planning to use his second term to purposefully destroy the country. Your own political leanings will determine whether you find the movie persuasive or not, but other than a few brief newsreel clips showing war, rioting, and police brutality; some background smoking and social drinking; and a couple of exclamations such as "goddamn," there's nothing scary or provocative in the movie.
- Families can talk about the various goals of filmmaking: to inform, to entertain, or to persuade. What is the primary purpose of 2016: Obama's America? How do you know? Why is it important to understand the filmmakers' purpose?
- What are the differences between fact and speculation or opinion? What tools do we have to help us determine which is which?
- Do you think documentaries are required to be objective? Why or why not?
The good stuff
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Messages: For those who don't support President Obama, the movie's position on his personal life/background, politics, and agenda may be seen as positive; for those who do support him, the same content will likely be viewed quite negatively. Both groups can look at the movie as an example of how conflicting premises can be supported by interpreting pieces of information in different ways.
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Role models: The movie doesn't depict President Obama as a role model, but its position may be interpreted in different ways depending on viewers' political leanings.
What to watch for
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Violence: Brief newsreel clips include footage of riots, war, exploding cars, and police brutality.
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Sex: Not an issue
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Language: Infrequent use of "goddamn."
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Consumerism: Not an issue
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Drinking, drugs and smoking: Brief glimpses of cigarettes and some adult beverages in background of a few scenes.
Fan Reviews provided by
5
Probably not what you would expect by Gym44
'2016' completely surprised me. I thought it would be an emotional exhortation to get out the vote against Obama. Instead it was a factual, unemotional documentary of Obama's life and cutlural influences. If what Obama is actually doing to our country wasn't so distructive to our nation's heritage, economy and culture one might even come away feeling somewhat empathetic to Obama's goals and dreams. At the very least one will take the objective truths of Obama's anti-colonialist influences learned first hand from his father, and mentors who were card carrying communits, Weather Underground radicals, and the like. He detests what America is and stands for; the change he wants to briing is to destroy that cultural heritage.
The film answers the question abouit Obama's birth.
What will America look like in 2016 if Obama is re-elected? That is the producers' question that he leaves with the viewers to consider.
5
Please save this greatest country of all!!! by Emilshamis
My family came to America from Soviet Russia in the late 70th. We love this country dearly and this is so painful for us to see very clearly that this President wants to turn this country into communist hell we escaped. Only people who experienced firsthand life in communist state truly understand how horrible, inhumane, anti-human it can be. If you talk to any immigrant from USSR, Cuba, Korea, Vietnam etc. he will tell you the same thing. The makers of this movie understand the grave danger of current government, they are real patriots ofnthis country (the ONLY great country left in this world). I hope that we will not live to see this country disappear into abiss should this administration of self-important, lying, cheating criminals steal power again.
5
Terrifying! by teacherintexas
We went today at 11:15 a.m (Sunday) & expected the theater to be empty. Quite the contrary, it was packed . . . and NOT with just white people either. I was glad to see that the movie did NOT address the issue of Obama's birth certificate. Instead, the movie connected the dots on information that has been right in front of us all the time, but we simply did not know how it all fit together. If anyone has doubts about Obama, Sr. being Obama's father, you won't after you see the interview with his half-brother in Kenya. Not only do they resemble each other, but their voices sound amazingly alike. What was surprising is that his brother is a supporter of capitalism, & that is probably why Obama doesn't help him even though he knows his brother lives in poverty. By the movie's end, you know where we will end up in 2016 if Obama is re-elected and it's a terrifying place. Go see it & take your liberal friends.
5
Obama's America 2016 by egsvoboda
Extremely important movie! Regardless of how you feel about Obama, this movie provokes much thought about the man who is president of our great nation. D'Souza's thought process is remarkable. I have read most of his books and consider him to be an author who guides you though his thought process without demanding that you agree with him re a final conclusion. D'Souza is not unkind to Obama, but simply states and shows facts and draws his own conclusion. The predictions that were stated in his book "The Roots of Obama's Rage" re Obama's firts term have all come to fruition. The movie is a factual accounting of Obama's life, complete with Obama's reading of his book, "Dreams FROM my Father". D'Souza speaks with experts, authors, friends of Obama Sr., and relatives; much of the footage is shot in Africa. I have no doubt the main-stream media will continue to ridicule D'Souza and will be even more vocal in trying to get this movie off the screen. Don't miss this movie!
5
This film is classy documentary on a President Obama by Iamsain
We are all Americans no matter what person we elect into office. I think everyone would enjoy seeing this film and learning more facts not lies about Obama. This is a beautiful movie that tells just the facts. It is not a trashy movie. This is a wonderful piece that all American's should see. Let's all learn more about Obama before we go to the polls. Let's see what the newsmedia has been holding out on. Be a proud American go see this movie. I am SO GLAD I did.
5
Finally a true story about Barack Hussein Obama is on the big screen! by electrikn
2016 Obama's America is a true account much of the past of this man who we don't even know and his path to the White House and his intentions if he remains in it through 2016. Americans have been deceived by this unknown fraud up until now but if the American people will come and see this film, they will all understand the dire consequences of him being in the White House for 4 more years!
5
2016 Obama's America by carl.swift
One of the best done documentaries I have ever seen. Very well researched and very professionally executed. While the author is obviously not a fan of Mr. Obama, his open minded, in depth research and presentation of the life and influences in Mr. Obama's life, help one to understand the actions and behavior of the 44th President of he United States. It also gives a glimpse of what can be expected in a 2nd term.
Mr. Obama has an exceptional, acknowledged, political gift of being able to make others think that he agrees with them on any side of any issue, and he knows how to use it to his advantage. For example, the very brilliant "Hope and Change", what does it mean - whatever you want it to mean. It worked!
A closed minded, dyed-in-the-wool fan of Mr. Obama will probably not appreciate this documentary, but almost every adult American over the age of 25 probably will. The media mavens will most certainly hate it. You may want to see it more than once.
5
New Perspective on the President's World View by EJS101
I was half expecting this to be a hit piece on the president but found it to be a well reasoned explanation to the motives and background that drive his decision making. The key point made is that President Obama's world view is quite dissimilar from the average American and even to those that harken back to the civil rights movement of the 60s. He does not share the same ideals or motives that are often represented in the black community. His perspective is more global and his decisions are a push back against colonialization by the west.
I left the film not disliking Obama, rather feeling sorry for the man. He was abandoned by his father, left with grandparents by a mother who was drawn more to counterculture than motherhood, and sheparded by angry radicals. The film gives the background that we didn't have in 2008. Worth the ticket price just to understand him.
5
A must-see!! by melaniepalasi
This documentary is so clear and transparent!! Shows to definitely make Obama a one-term-president!!! Another 4 years of him will take USA to a tragedy unimaginable!! America needs to wake up!
5
Obama's Real Adgenda by deester1
In 2008 Obama promised America "Hope and Change" thru "transparency" in the White House! "We the People" failed miserably at "vetting" this "charismatic unknown", elected him President giving him "veiled cart blanch power" to systematically unravel our Constitution. His true agenda has been brilliant, bypassing Congressional approvals with unilateral Presidential Orders challenged only Vis a Vis the lengthy constitutional Judicial process. This documentary, narrated in part by Obama, traces a thorough path thru his geneology, birthplace, education, mentors and associations up to the present. It definitively explains his anti-colonial beliefs, his committment to increasing America's national debt into de-monatization of the dollar and ultimately a one world government! This is a "WAKE UP CALL" America: it will ignite your patriotism to "get out and vote" to protect our Freedoms and the Constitution our Founding Fathers fought for.