Warm Springs

My wife is a polio survivor, and obviously handicapped, from the disease's last American days in the 1950's. I was a little worried about selecting it for our evening viewing because too often movies about a physical or other handicap tend to fall into a mushy wallow of pity and become insulting. Whatever failings this one has as an historical or biographical document, so ably pointed out by my fellow reviewers, it was clear to us that the real topic was his facing, accepting, and surviving polio and then moving on. It did so realistically and with complete grace. The portrayals of paternalism/pity/revulsion shown the handicapped by many and by Franklin himself were spot-on examples of the well-meaning but hurtful attentions that people carrying many different burdens get handed daily. The polio didn't ultimately define FDR-the man, any more than his hair color did but the movie does a wonderful job showing his transition to that realization, and yet never asks us to feel sorry for him.

This is a very good film on the evolution of FDR from having a rather detached philosophy of noblesse oblige to having the cause of the downtrodden brought up close and personal when he becomes crippled from polio at the age of 39.

The acting and production values are superb, but the film tries to paint over a few things in order to make FDR's evolution look more perfect than it was. The truth is FDR and his wife Eleanor never truly reconciled after his illness as is shown in the film. It did not bring them close together. The only reason they did not divorce was the insistence of Roosevelt's mother, and then as FDR got more involved in politics, appearance was involved in them staying together. FDR and Lucy Mercer, the woman he wanted to divorce Eleanor for, carried on a relationship of sorts from 1915 until Roosevelt died in 1945. Lucy Mercer was with him when he died at Warm Springs. I say this not as a character assassination of a truly great leader long dead, but to point out that a person can be far less than perfect personally and still be that truly great leader. This film's makers seem to think the viewer is not smart enough to deal with that.

There is one bit more of oversimplification that made me roll my eyes. After FDR gets involved in the running of Warm Springs, some patients from the Northeast arrive. One of them, with an obvious New York accent, shakes the hands of one of the black caretakers. The black caretaker looks shocked to be treated as an equal by a white man. The insinuation here is that racial prejudice did not exist in the Northeastern U.S. which is poppycock. Some of the most racially prejudiced people you'll meet are from the Northern U.S. See some episodes of "All in the Family" to see the awful truth.

Now in only two paragraphs I can tell you everything I don't like about this film and I just did that. If not for these two white-washings I'd give it ten stars and I still highly recommend you watch it if you get the chance. Cynthia Nixon really makes you believe she is Eleanor Roosevelt, and Kenneth Branagh is superb as FDR, a man who has to come to terms with his new limitations and yet sees how lucky he was to have at least 39 years of good health and the financial resources to deal with his own health and maybe help some other people too. There's always someone worse off than you are, and maybe you can lend them a helping hand is the inspirational message of this film to me. Highly recommended.

"Warm Springs" is a tour de force by Branagh who portrays FDR as a man of money and privilege who is struck down by polio in the early days of his political career. Unable to use his legs he begins to wallow in self pity until he visits a Georgia mineral water spa called Warm Springs where he finds honesty, compassion, kinship, and most of all himself, his wife, and a new sense of purpose. A very pretty period film with good production value, an excellent supporting cast, and sterling performances by Branagh and Nixon, "Warm Springs" would have made an enjoyable stand alone drama. The fact that it's also a biopic about FDR only serves to make it that much more interesting. Another winner for the whole family from HBO. (B+)

In what I have said before has been a very good year for movies with such amazing films as Finding Neverland, Ray, Million Dollar Baby and so on. Along comes an absolute remarkable find...and a television movie nonetheless. Warm Springs is quite possibly one of, if not THE, best movie I have ever seen, I can't recommend this enough. I can't promise that everyone will feel the same about it but I can guarantee you can't not like it and not feel passionate about it.

Warm Springs is the story of Franklin Delano Roosevelt following his unsuccessful bid for vice president. A year following that bid at 39 years old he is struck down with infantile paralysis, better known as Polio. The powerful man is devastated by the crippling disease. His life as he knew it is over. He drinks his way out of public life and hides himself away, ashamed by the disease. After trying many different healing methods and medicines he is informed of a place in the backwoods of Georgia called "Warm Springs" a mineralized pool resort where a crippled boy found he was able to walk in the waters because of the high mineral concentration. Desperate to try anything Roosevelt goes to the location. He is shocked by the state of the resort which is run down, and poorly operated. Out of desperation he stays out of his element in order to try the water. After several treatments in the water he suddenly finds himself revitalized and able to step in the water. He falls in love with the run down Warm Springs and agrees to an interview with a local newspaper. Despite the reporters attempt to make the interview about Roosevelt, Roosevelt talks about Warm Springs to no end. Next thing he knows Polio victims from all over are risking everything to come to Warm Springs. They can't pay, most of them are poor, and the "healthy" guests are threatening to check out fearing they will catch the disease. The waters are miraculous and Roosevelt finds a whole new public and a whole new reason to live in his fellow sufferers. His wife meanwhile keeps the Roosevelt name in the public eye by becoming spokeswoman to different organizations and gearing Roosevelt up for his return to politics which would ultimately lead to one of the greatest Presidencies in history.

Three things make this such an incredibly film that it should walk away with any and all awards it is eligible for. First, the acting, the casting of this film was so brilliantly done. They are all just phenomenal. The writing, Margaret Nagle, is obviously a beautifully well spoken writer. And finally the directing, Joseph Sargent who is absolutely no stranger to directing made the most passionate film, and for Television nonetheless, I have ever seen. Kenneth Branagh, who is always an intense actor, plays Roosevelt with such feverish passion from his highest highs to his lowest lows. Granted as everyone keeps pointing out he didn't look a lot like him and his English accent was a little misplaced but his performance was so moving and so incredibly it's easily overlooked. Kathy Bates as the determined, and fevered supporter of Roosevelt's Warm Springs, is a wonderful if not slightly underused addition to the cast. She is always a brilliant actress. A real treat was Cynthia Nixon who is really only known as Miranda from Sex and The City (a show which I personally can't stand.) Cynthia Nixon instead puts across such an incredibly performance as the socially withdrawn, but dedicated and loving wife Eleanor Roosevelt, bravo to her. The rest of the supporting cast is just unbelievable. No one turns in a less than remarkable performance. Tim Nelson stands out in my mind as manager of Warm Springs and someone who becomes very close to Roosevelt, Tom Loyless. For the first time in many, many years I literally found myself in tears during a film. All in all, this movie is an absolute must see for anyone interested in political history, or just for a beautifully directed film. 10/10

In this splendid new HBO film about Franklin Delano Roosevelt, his wife Eleanor says to him, "You have done a brilliant thing here, a magnificent thing." She's speaking of his work at Warm Springs, the polio rehabilitation center in Georgia, but the same can be said for Kenneth Branagh's charismatic portrayal of America's almost legendary president, who was elected four times and died in office in 1945. So many fine comments have been made about the film that I won't go over the same ground. It has obviously been created with love and care -- the production values are top notch, the screenplay and direction are strong. The casting could not been better -- there's not a weak performance in it, down to the smallest role. Mr. Branagh leads a superb company which includes Cynthia Nixon, David Paymer, Kathy Bates, Jane Alexander -- I add a special word for Tim Blake Nelson who gives a heartbreaking performance as the manager of Warm Springs. I can't imagine anyone who would fail to enjoy this film. Bravo, HBO!