Directed
by Josh Kriegman, Anthony Weiner’s former Chief
of Staff, and Elyse Steinberg, Weiner is a
compelling documentary about the rise and fall
of former Democratic New York Congressman
Anthony Weiner whose promising career floundered
on revelations of an Internet sexting scandal.
Underneath all the sleazy revelations, however,
it is an exposé of a voracious media and a stark
realization of the depths to which our democracy
has descended. Winner of the Grand Jury Prize at
the Sundance Film Festival, the film traces the
career of Anthony Weiner from his days as a
passionate spokesman for the powerless in
Congress to his resignation from Congress and
his comeback campaign for Mayor of New York.
The scandal which forced him to resign from
Congress involved neither criminal behavior nor
corruption but an inappropriate exchange of
sexually explicit text messages and photos with
a number of different women while living with
his wife, Huma Abedin, a long-time Clinton
confidant, whose marriage is shown to suffer
under constant strain. Most of the film takes
place during the 2013 New York Mayoralty race
and provides an insightful look at the
nitty-gritty of a political campaign as Kriegman
and Steinberg track Weiner’s rallies, fund
raising calls to donors, staff meetings,
parades, and other campaign activities. It is a
picture of an energetic, communicative
candidate, open about his past indiscretions,
who tells the voters that his problems are a
thing of the past and that he can be trusted to
run the city in a competent, humane, and
progressive manner.
At one point the polls show Weiner in the lead
with 25% of the vote, but his advantage is
short-lived and fades rapidly after the
revelation by a former porn star of another
cyber-episode in which photos and text messages
were sent under the pseudonym “Carlos Danger, a
revelation that leaves the candidate, his
family, staff, and supporters in a state of
shock. Much to the chagrin of his wife, Weiner
refuses to give up his campaign and Huma, tired
of putting on a brave face before the camera, is
heard saying, "it's like living a nightmare.” Of
course, the new scandal provides a field day for
the cruel jokes of late night comedians who are
so eager to yuk about the man’s last name and
his sordid behavior that they don’t even notice
they are talking about a human being in pain.
The scandal also provides a titillating story
for the reporters of cable news shows. In one
interview, a smug Lawrence O’Donnell badgers
Weiner by repeatedly asking him, “What’s wrong
with you?”, a question that only serves to
delight the viewer’s need to violate another
person’s privacy, feed their voyeurism, and stay
aloof from self-examination. On the campaign
trail, the candidate, who decides to stay in the
race, wants to talk about issues such as housing
and jobs, but reporters want only to discuss his
sexual behavior, issues which he does his best
to avoid. The theater of the absurd becomes even
weirder when Weiner’s sexting companion, Sidney
Leathers, a Trump supporter, shows up at the
candidate’s campaign headquarters looking for a
confrontation and Weiner is forced to flee
through the back door of a McDonald’s
restaurant.
Through it all, though, Weiner comes across as a
good man but one with serious problems whose
explanations come across as self-serving in
light of the damage done to his family and his
legion of committed supporters. Though it can be
depressing, Weiner is a gripping film that does
not judge the candidate’s actions but simply
chronicles the self-destruction of a once
promising progressive voice. The fact that he
was in therapy for years without any measurable
results calls into question society’s proclivity
to marginalize alternative therapies in favor of
so-called “mental health professionals,” whether
or not they produce results.
While Weiner enlightens and entertains, it does
not probe any real feelings, either those of
Anthony or Huma, does not discuss the nature of
compulsive behavior, or question Weiner’s
judgment as a husband or parent. In maintaining
its distance, it contributes to the exploitation
and marginalization of an emotionally damaged
human being who needs supportive treatment and
compassion. While Weiner may have been guilty of
lying, disregarding the needs of his family, and
being run by an out-of-control ego, his election
would still not have threatened our freedoms,
the U.S. constitution, or the peace of the
world, but the media, in its relentless pursuit
of ratings and false equivalencies, cannot make
such subtle distinctions.
GRADE: A-
Howard Schumann
