First, I want to clarify that, as much as some folks might like to make it about the 2024 Election, this movie has nothing to do with current politics.
I met Ronald Reagan in 1980. That is to say, I shook his hand after a campaign speech in Tampa, Florida. By some stroke of luck, I was standing near the podium as he came through the crowd. It was one of those moments that stay with you all your life. I remember the softness of his touch, the kindness of his grip. Reagan was one of those rare, good men.
So, I went to see the movie, starring Dennis Quaid, and found his performance incredible. He was the man I met. That he so captured Reagan’s gentle resolve was remarkable.
Reagan is a true biography, narrated by an old Russian spy, assigned in his youth to report on threats to the Communist party’s goal of world domination. It tells how one man can change the world, and you must go see it. Take your kids. They need to see it. They need to be inspired and perhaps make a difference someday.
I went on a Saturday afternoon, a 3:00 showing, and was amazed to find the theater, which is usually empty, almost full. And at the end, I experienced another moment which I imagine will stay with me for a long time.
The audience clapped. If you’ve been to the movies lately, you know how unusual this is. But then came the moment. Nobody left. There was no rush for the exits. We all sat there, stunned. In tears as the credits played along with something you will never forget. America said goodbye to a gentle man who defeated communism and gave us a safer world.
Go see this movie. Tell your family. Tell your friends. Experience a moment.
This is what life is about.
– Joseph Callaway
