The Undefeated, the “documentary” (more like hagiography) about Sarah Palin, officially hit the big screens in ten select cities on Friday. While there are no official box-office results to point to how well the film did, there are several critics’ reviews and on-the-ground reports to go by. As for the former, New York’s own David Edelstein wrote an admirably measured review of the film, which, let’s just say, did not satisfy his hope that it might “show a side of Sarah Palin I’d never seen.” Others are far less respectful.
As for who came out for the first official viewing, Patch reports that the two screenings in Kennesaw, Georgia, were sold out, and the film’s producers confirmed to Politico that the showing in Grapevine, Texas, was also a hit. As for conservative Orange County, California, The Atlantic’s Conor Friedersdorf was in town visiting his parents and decided to swing by the local movie palace — the theater was emptier than the premiere of Andy Warhol’s almost five-and-a-half-hour Sleep, which had exactly nine people in the audience. Apart from Friedersdorf there were two young girls who thought they were coming to see an action flick and lasted but twenty minutes; later, an amorous couple came in and briefly grappled with each other in the back before Andrew Breitbart came onscreen and began ranting about eunuchs. At which point they left. (Note: Breitbart manages to mention the word “eunuch” no fewer than three times. Seriously, eunuch?)
Overall, not the strongest opening, especially considering that the feature-length homage was clearly meant to quick-start Palin’s 2012 presidential campaign. Maybe it’s all the far-right love being soaked up by the Michele Bachmann sponge or maybe The Undefeated just isn’t the best way for Palin to reach her prime demographic. Or maybe it’s the fact that people are just damn sick and tired of hearing the same question over and ovea again: “So, about that Sarah Palin, is she running or what?”
Palin movie: No thumbs up! Reviewers pan hagiography [Politico]
Sarah Palin Debuts to Empty Theater in Orange County [Atlantic]
