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Bush's Brain

Play trailer Poster for Bush's Brain PG-13 Released Mar 13, 2004 1h 20m Documentary Play Trailer Watchlist
Watchlist Tomatometer Popcornmeter
63% Tomatometer 49 Reviews 57% Popcornmeter 500+ Ratings
In 2000, George W. Bush's longtime campaign adviser Karl Rove became part of the new president's cabinet. This documentary argues that Rove has committed ethically questionable acts during the many election campaigns he has supervised, launching sneak attacks against opponents like John McCain in the 2000 presidential election. Journalists, politicians and associates describe Rove's rise to political power in interviews, while he responds to the allegations in a fax.
Bush's Brain

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Critics Consensus

Most of the evidence is more circumstantial than conclusive, but it's still a disturbing portrait of misuse of political power.

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Critics Reviews

View All (49) Critics Reviews
Wesley Morris Boston Globe The accusations are alarming and juicy enough to strike up a watchable combo of fear and gall. Rated: 2.5/4 Oct 1, 2004 Full Review Tom Keogh Seattle Times Directors Joseph Mealey and Michael Paradies Shoob make a persuasive though not incontestable case that Rove directly sabotaged the 1986 Texas governor's race. Rated: 2.5/4 Sep 24, 2004 Full Review Jonathan Curiel San Francisco Chronicle Enlightening and frightening. Rated: 4/4 Sep 17, 2004 Full Review Cole Smithey ColeSmithey.com Rated: 4/5 Jan 30, 2009 Full Review Gabe Leibowitz Film and Felt Though fairly pedestrian by cinematic standards, Joseph Mealey's Bush's Brain is a workmanlike portrayal of the astonishing influence Karl Rove holds in Republican politics. Rated: 58/100 Sep 7, 2008 Full Review Film Threat Rated: 3.5/5 Dec 6, 2005 Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

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Audience Member Interesting if nothing else; quite a few axes being ground. Rated 3 out of 5 stars 02/11/23 Full Review Audience Member Only a three, because I already knew all these stories about how scummy Rove and Bush were. Rated 3 out of 5 stars 02/20/23 Full Review Audience Member This doc's title refers to Karl Rove, who served as advisor to both George H.W. Bush and George W. Bush. The filmmaking team of Joseph Mealey and Michael Paradies Shoob look at Rove's beginnings as a school debating champion to an Republican attack dog, who led successful smears against Texas Gov. Ann Richards and Senator John McCain, among others. The film was completed before the 2004 election got into high gear, or else he'd be implicated in the swift-boating of Senator John Kerry. It's blatant propaganda, but one that makes quite a persuasive case. Rated 3 out of 5 stars 02/20/23 Full Review Audience Member If you only watch Fox New or listen to right wing radio this movie will confuse you, enrage you, cause you to foam at the mouth, cause you to scream at the monitor and make you run to Palin's chapter about the lame media seeking comfort. For the rest of us that are informed and educated you will find the movie compelling, informative and a compilation of facts that started surfacing when Rove started growing horns and a tail. Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars 02/25/23 Full Review Audience Member Bush's Brain finds some people to look at a handful of instances and say bad things about Karl Rove, for an hour and a half. Rated 2 out of 5 stars 02/27/23 Full Review Audience Member the best parts of the documentary pertain to rove's early career, it gets a little obvious at the end of the film. Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 02/09/23 Full Review Read all reviews
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Bush's Brain

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Movie Info

Synopsis In 2000, George W. Bush's longtime campaign adviser Karl Rove became part of the new president's cabinet. This documentary argues that Rove has committed ethically questionable acts during the many election campaigns he has supervised, launching sneak attacks against opponents like John McCain in the 2000 presidential election. Journalists, politicians and associates describe Rove's rise to political power in interviews, while he responds to the allegations in a fax.
Director
Michael Paradies Shoob, Joseph Mealey
Producer
Michael Paradies Shoob, Joseph Mealey
Distributor
Tartan Films USA
Rating
PG-13 (Brief Strong Language)
Genre
Documentary
Original Language
English
Release Date (Theaters)
Mar 13, 2004, Original
Release Date (DVD)
Oct 12, 2004
Box Office (Gross USA)
$11.9K
Runtime
1h 20m