Molly Ivins was a political columnist and Texas maverick who raised hell when it came to speaking the truth. Never one to shy away from a confrontation and always possessing a great deal of wit, she worked hard to give a voice to those who didn’t have one.She positioned a spotlight on the absurdities and painful realities of our government, and did it all as a shooting, drinking, smoking liberal from the great state of Texas.
Though she passed away in 2007 from cancer, director Janice Engel’s Raise Hell: The Life & Times of Molly Ivins is giving the six-foot redhead a well-deserved resurgence. Her words have never been more relevant than they are now in today’s hostile political landscape. With elite politicians from both sides of the aisle always fearing her casual and immensely well-versed criticism, the film honors a warrior who challenged us all to fight for ourselves and our country.
Having already screened at both Sundance and SXSW, the word is out on this high-powered doc; however, for those who are late to the table, distributor Magnolia Pictures has just released a trailer to tease the forthcoming Oscar contender.
Raise Hell: The Life & Times of Molly Ivins hits Texas theaters on August 30 before going national a week later.
About Stephen Davis
I owe this hobby/career to the one and only Stephanie Peterman who, while interning at Fox, told me that I had too many opinions and irrelevant information to keep it all bottled up inside. I survived my first rated R film, Alive, at the ripe age of 8, it took me months to grasp the fact that Julia Roberts actually died at the end of Steel Magnolias, and I might be the only person alive who actually enjoyed Sorority Row…for its comedic value of course. While my friends can drink you under the table, I can outwatch you when it comes iconic, yet horrid 80s films like Adventures in Babysitting and Troop Beverly Hills. I have no shame when it comes to what I like, and if you have a problem with that, then we’ll settle it on the racquetball court. I see too many movies to actually win any film trivia contest, so don’t waste your first pick on me. My friends rent movies from my bookcase shelves, and one day I do plan to start charging. I long to live in LA, where my movie obsession will actually help me fit in, but for now I am content with my home in Austin. I prefer indies to blockbusters, Longhorns to Sooners and Halloween to Friday the 13th. I miss the classics, as well as John Ritter, and I hope to one day sit down and interview the amazing Kate Winslet.
