Beth Ann Rosica: The Reagan movie that the mainstream media doesn’t want you to see

Despite what you may hear from the mainstream media and movie critics, “Reagan” is a box office success. Debuting this weekend, the movie grossed over $9 million and was the third most popular film.

“Moviegoers gave the film an ‘A’ CinemaScore and a 98 percent on Rotten Tomatoes in sharp contrast to the Rotten Tomatoes critics score at 19 percent,” according to an article in Media on Mission. “That 79 percent chasm makes it the film with the greatest gap between critics and fans in the history of Hollywood theatrical films, surpassing the previous record of 65 percent held by ‘The Boondock Saints’ which was favored by 91 percent of fans and 26 percent of critics.”

There is a reason the legacy media, including Facebook, doesn’t want you to see it — there are significant parallels between Reagan’s time and our country’s current trajectory.

But first, “Reagan” is simply a great movie. Told from the perspective of a retired Russian spy, played expertly by veteran actor, Jon Voight, the movie chronicles Reagan’s life from a young boy to the White House. Dennis Quaid delivers a convincing performance as the 40th President through his mannerisms, affect, and speech; and Penelope Ann Miller is as strong and endearing as his wife, Nancy.

It is a feel-good movie that makes you proud to be an American. The film not only commemorates Reagan and his accomplishments, it celebrates what is best about our country. 

In the midst of this highly contentious presidential election, it was refreshing to spend over two hours remembering what our country is supposed to stand for, represented by a man who was respectful but firm, polished but funny, unwavering in his commitment to freedom and peace, a grateful husband, and a man of faith.

The movie details Reagan’s life as a boy growing up with an alcoholic father and a devout Christian mother in a small, rural town. His faith as a child sustained him throughout his life and career. As a young man, Reagan worked as a lifeguard at a local pond. He credits this experience for teaching him to understand people.

“I learned how to read the currents, deep underneath the current. I got good at it. I knew people were in trouble before they did.”

He used those skills as a negotiator throughout his acting and political career.

In Hollywood, his acting career fizzled, but as the president of the Screen Actors Guild, Reagan learned more valuable lessons. He saw firsthand how communism was invading the movie industry.

Reagan heard a Soviet defector speak about freedom being one step away from extinction. Voight, as the narrator, noted “the seeds were planted in Reagan” and he became known as “The Crusader.”

Reagan made communism the enemy — and he led the crusade against it.

The movie details his second marriage to Nancy and its profound impact on his political career. They were deeply devoted to each other, using the nicknames, “Nancy Pants” and “Ronnie.” Reagan understood the importance of a strong marriage and the need for a true life partner.

His experience in the film industry pushed him to higher aspirations and with Nancy’s support, he ran for Governor in California and won in 1966. Some of Reagan’s early policies are depicted in his California governorship.

The Los Angeles Times earlier this year drew the parallel between Reagan’s response and current-day responses to university protests. “The problems, then-Gov. Ronald Reagan said in a feisty televised appearance, all started because universities ‘let young people think they had the right to choose the laws they would obey, as long as they were doing it in the name of social protest.’”

His statement could be made similarly today of any number of college campuses in the country.

After eight years as governor, Reagan set his political sights higher, and after an unsuccessful presidential primary campaign in 1976, he went on to defeat incumbent Jimmy Carter in a landslide victory in 1980.

The movie chronicles the assassination attempt against his life and his quintessential humor. When he woke from surgery, he said to the medical team, “please tell me you’re Republicans.” To which the doctor said, “today, we are all Republicans.”

“Reagan” culminates with the Russian negotiations and his famous line, “Mr. Gorbachev, tear down this wall!”

It ends with the decline of his later years and his wife’s efforts to preserve his legacy.

“Reagan” is the first movie released by Showbiz Direct, a newly launched distribution company to rival the heavily progressive film industry.

“Our mission is to fill the void left by traditional studios’ selective distribution processes, offering a platform for diverse stories that resonate with and appeal to a broad audience. With a commitment to bridging the gap between innovative filmmakers and a global audience in a more cost-effective and transparent way. Showbiz Direct stands as a catalyst for bringing deserving content into the limelight, ensuring that these voices have the chance to be heard and their visions have the opportunity to be seen on the big screen.”

The fact that the movie was released by a new company dedicated to overcoming the “traditional studios’ [i.e. progressive] selection distribution processes” may be reason number one why the mainstream media doesn’t want you to see it.

Hollywood and the legacy media are tied together in a mission to support liberal political agendas; and therefore, they will do what they can to prevent any messaging to the contrary.

Showbiz Direct and “Reagan” represent a threat to the mainstream media and studios by highlighting alternative political and social views. And based on the huge financial success of the debut weekend, traditional Hollywood studios and the liberal news outlets have a right to be concerned.

Before the movie was released, a controversy erupted when Dennis Quaid sent an email to Newsweek alleging that Facebook restricted promotion of the film. 

“Facebook is once again censoring the free flow of ideas, deciding what’s best for us to see and hear; only this time it’s throttling advertising and promotion for my movie about Ronald Reagan…. Like the old Soviet Union — are we turning into a country of tech oligarchs who control the platform of groupthink to silence the individual or ‘other’ groups?” 

Facebook claimed, “it may have been a mistake.”

Or maybe it wasn’t — based on Facebook’s recent admission of censorship.

Perhaps the mainstream media doesn’t want the American people to see the parallels between what’s happening today and what occurred in Reagan’s time — the trend towards communism, the response to protests on college campuses, the limitation of free speech, and the increase in censorship. 

Possibly, they don’t want the general public to see the importance of optimism, courage, standing up to our enemies, a strong marriage, and a faith in something larger than ourselves.

Hollywood and the legacy media have one message that is focused on destroying America by tearing us apart, rather than celebrating our great diverse country and bringing us together.  This is the message they don’t want you to hear and the message that “Reagan” delivers beautifully.

Beth Ann Rosica resides in West Chester, has a Ph.D. in Education, and has dedicated her career to advocating on behalf of at-risk children and families. She covers education issues for Broad + Liberty. Contact her at barosica@broadandliberty.com.