This is a scene from a little-known movie called With Honors, starring Brenden Frasier and Joe Pesci. It's a great scene, one of my favorites, about a discussion between Pesci's character, a homeless man living on Harvard campus, and one of the pompous professors over what the greatness of the Constitution is.

It's pretty funny, a little off color, but often makes me think. Lately I've been thinking about how the professor reminds me of what Barak Obama would be like if he were a Harvard professor and what his view of the Constitution must be.

TrackBack URI for this entry

Comments (5)

Subscribe to this comment's feed

...
written by Behold a Pale Horse , February 19, 2010

Robert, I have lost all respect for you. (Okay, I'm exaggerating.)

I'm thinking you're making reference to "With Honors" since it's been shown a lot on Encore's cable channels.

I always thought the film was mediocre and employed stupid cliches.

The Gore Vidal character (the professor in the clip) is actually supposed to be conservative--perhaps one of the few at Harvard.

"With Honors" was one of several films in the 1990s--along with "Reality Bites" that glorified losers and deadbeats. Can anyone imagine the directors, actors, and screenwriters involved with these films depending on such persons in real life?

While the Constitution can be changed, it's very difficult and has been done quite rarely--only 27 times since 1789.

Also, both of them get it wrong. The Founding Fathers made only one half of one branch of the government truly democratic--the House of Representatives. Senators were appointed by the states. The President is still picked by the Electoral College. And we all know how the Supreme Court works.

What they were worried about is tyranny and oppression by the government. That's why they divided the power of the government into three branches (instead of copying the British parliamentary system).

They did leave one thing out--addressing whether states had the power to leave the Union once they were admitted. Addressing this issue might have spared us the Civil War. The southern states believed they had the right to secede. Lincoln believed that only Congress can give them permission. Whatever it was addressed at the debates I don't know.

report abuse

vote down

vote up

Votes: +0

...
written by Robert Hornak , February 20, 2010

BAPH, I identified the movie in the first sentence, yes With Honors. Now I have lost all respect for you (lol).

Yes, I understand the glorification of losers in this film, but I always enjoyed it. Actually, the Pesci character wasn't really a loser, he had a terminal illness and was just a dropout.

And I didn't really get where the professor was supposed to be a conservative. It sounded like a bit of a mix to me. Of course, what do you expect from Hollywood?

Either way, his distrust in the constitution and the decision-making ability of the American people sounds a lot more like Obama than any Republican I know.

report abuse

vote down

vote up

Votes: +0

...
written by Behold a Pale Horse , February 21, 2010

Pesci's character claims he caught absestos poisoning while working as a merchant marine and couldn't work anymore.

He certainly could have gotten his disability benefits (as the film later shows) instead of winding up as a self-described bum.

And years later, he could have found a lawyer and sued.

report abuse

vote down

vote up

Votes: +0

...
written by chancehaywood , February 21, 2010

I don't think the Civil War really decided the question of if a state can leave. I suspect if we continue on this road a few more will give it a try. The question really is will the US be willing to take the negative publicity in this day an age of trying to prevent a state from leaving.

And of course if that state in question has the means to defend against an attack.

report abuse

vote down

vote up

Votes: +0

...
written by Robert Hornak , February 21, 2010

Yes but interestingly Pesci's character didn't want to be on the gov't dole. He wanted to maintain some form of independence and his own version of dignity. Not an ideal story line from a philosophical perspective, I just like the exchange in that scene.

report abuse

vote down

vote up

Votes: +0