Did you know that congressman Kevin McCarthy once showed a scene from the crime drama, “The Town” during a debt ceiling debate, to convince House Republicans to support John Boehner’s plan to extend the country's debt limit? I had no idea, having just learned about this, since I rarely follow politics that much. So, I’m curious about one thing -- what place do fictional movies have in helping our nations’ leaders make decisions about how the country functions?

Yes, it’s nice to know that cinema is powerful enough to gain attention of, and maybe even influence, members of congress. The part of the movie shown during the debate was a scene where Doug MacRay asks his friend to help him hurt some people.

If the legislature is showing films at their meetings in Washington, should filmmakers be flattered or weirded out by this? Even Ben Affleck found the July 2011 GOP debate screening of “The Town” to be a bit strange. Still, he recommends that they at least show something “more appropriate” such as “The Company Men,” if they’re going to be watching his movies in Washington.

Unlike “The Town,” which is about violent bank robbers, “The Company Men,” starring Ben Affleck, Chris Cooper and Tommy Lee Jones tells the story of three men whose lives take an unexpected turn when corporate downsizing renders them jobless. It’s funny -- thanks to the GOP and their interest in how “The Town” relates to their arguments regarding U.S. debt, I learned about a new movie that I never even knew existed until today.

So I suppose, Kevin McCarthy’s screening -- however inappropriate some may believe it was, the clip not only got more people talking about Ben Affleck and “The Town” but also led to “The Company Men” getting extra attention -- because it’s surely going on one of my movie rental lists!

Do YOU think it’s appropriate for legislators to reference films when debating important matters that affect our country’s future?

Have YOU seen “The Company Men”? If so, is it a better movie than “The Town”?

P.S.

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