 |
In 1999, an 89-year-old woman named Doris "Granny D" Haddock laced up her
sneakers and walked across America to rally against the influence of big money
in elections - making both friends and enemies inside the Washington beltway.
Five years later and still fed up with politics as usual, Granny D was taking a
break from her latest crusade, a 36-state get-out-the-vote tour, when she was
given the unexpected opportunity to take up the mantle of Democratic
candidate for U.S. Senate in her home state of New Hampshire, only days after
the original candidate quit and just four months until Election Day 2004.
Filmmaker Marlo Poras (Mai's America), who first took notice of Granny D after
her campaign finance-reform crusade, originally planned to shoot a film about
Haddock's 2004 voter-registration drive. "I was so touched that this 94-year-old
was putting her life on the line for her vision of democracy," says Poras. But the
filmmaker's focus shifted when Burt Cohen quit and the Democrats, given 24
hours to find a replacement, agreed to let Granny D take his place.
Beginning with scenes of Granny D in Chicago during her voter initiative,
Run
Granny Run chronicles the events that turned Granny D into a Senate candidate,
and the behind-the-scenes strategizing and statewide campaigning that led up
to the November 2004 election. Joining Granny D are her son and "road man,"
Jim Haddock, who drives her around in a whimsically painted camper (complete
with slogans like "Vote Dammit"); campaign strategist Dennis Burke, whom
Granny admires because "he treats me like a contemporary and not an old
woman"; campaign manager Chris Kuwamoto, who steps down when Granny D
and Dennis suggest she cut staff payroll to fund a TV commercial; and chief
campaign strategist Joe Trippi, who had earlier run Howard Dean's presidential
campaign, and who urges Granny D to use her age "as a plus, turning it into an
asset." Ironically, when Granny D tries to get a photo op with Dean after a
speech, he rushes off without acknowledging her - a snub that is repeated often
by Democrats during the campaign, to Granny D's incredulity and dismay.
Run Granny Run is climaxed by Granny D's participation in a debate with Gregg,
a savvy politician and orator who prepped George Bush for his debates by acting
the role of John Kerry. Fighting her nerves and lack of experience, Granny D
acquitted herself well on TV and with the voters, giving her reason to hope for
what most felt was an impossible dream: an upset on Election Day 2004. For
this 94-year-old, dreaming and doing the impossible are often the same thing.
CREDITS: Produced and Directed by Marlo Poras; Executive Producer: David Sutherland; Editors: Yu
Ying Chou and Marlo Poras; Camera and Sound: Marlo Poras; Music: Ian Kane; Music
Supervisor: Jason Poras; Sound Mix: Jim Sullivan; Online: Gene Bone; Graphic Design:
Cindy Heller. For HBO: Senior Producer: Nancy Abraham; Executive Producer: Sheila
Nevins.
|
|
|
   |
