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March 15, 2017 The Skanner Page 7 Arts & Entertainment FILM REVIEW: ‘The Obama Years: The Power of Words’ Revisits President’s Defi ning Moments An Opera in Jazz: Terence Blanchard’s “Champion” By K.P. Williams NNPA By Kam Williams For The Skanner News H ow many immortal speeches have been delivered by U.S. presi- dents and other American icons? Lincoln’s “Four score and seven years ago” Gettysburg Address, FDR’s “We have nothing to fear but fear it- self,” Eisenhower’s beware of the “Mil- itary-Industrial Complex” farewell address, JFK’s “Ask not what your coun- try can do for you” inaugural address, Dr. King’s “I Have a Dream” speech, and Reagan’s “Mr. Gorbachev, tear down this wall,” are among the handful which have stood the test of time. Barack Obama has ostensibly left be- hind not just one but a cornucopia of historic orations likely to be remem- bered for generations to come. That is the contention of “The Obama Years: The Power of Words,” a riveting docu- mentary which discusses, in non-parti- san fashion, a plethora of his addresses for the ages. Narrated by Jessie Williams of Grey’s Anatomy, the movie features a mix of archival footage from speeches and in- depth analysis by experts. Among the luminaries sharing insights are Pulit- zer Prize-winner Doris Kearns-Good- win, Rice University Professor Douglas Brinkley and former Obama strategists David Axelrod and Jon Favreau. The reverential biopic unfolds chronologically, starting with the key- note speech at the 2004 Democratic Convention which instantly turned a little-known State Senator from Illinois into an overnight sensation. Obama’s next remarkable highlight arrived in March 2008 when he salvaged a fl oun- dering presidential campaign with a unifying refl ection on race delivered at Philadelphia’s Constitution Center. SHOWTIMES THE RED TURTLE (LA TORTUE ROUGE) (PG) Fri-Thur: 2:55, 7:10 PASSENGERS (PG-13) Fri-Thur: 4:45, 9:35 SING (PG) Fri-Thur: 11:55, 2:15, 4:35 FENCES (PG-13) Fri-Thur: 12:05, 6:55, 9:25 Later that year in Denver, he was widely lauded for his stirring accep- tance of the Democratic nomination on Aug. 28, the 45th anniversary of Dr. Martin Luther King’s “I Have a Dream” March on Washington speech. Obama subsequently spoke very emotionally about the Trayvon Martin shooting, the Sandy Hook elementary school and Charleston church massacres, bringing the grieving Emanuel A.M.E. congrega- tion to tears with an a capella rendition of Amazing Grace at the end of the eu- logy. Just as moving was the President’s touchstone sermon commemorating the 50th anniversary of the Selma to Montgomery March, uttered on loca- tion at the Edmund Pettus bridge, site of the infamous Bloody Sunday attack on protesters by Alabama State Police Offi cers for simply attempting to reg- ister to vote. For folks interested in lighter fare, there’s Barack’s stand-up routine at the 2011 White House Corre- spondents’ Association dinner, where he roasted a red-faced Donald Trump about everything from hosting The Ap- prentice to spearheading the Birther movement. A riveting retrospective revisiting an array of Barack Obama’s defi ning mo- ments! “ TERENCE BLANCHARD P op, Rock, Jazz, and Classical. These are all separate genres of music. But what happens when you put two of them together? You get “opera in jazz” rather than “jazz opera,” according to jazz mu- sician and opera composer Terence Blanchard, who is the former Thelo- nious Monk Institute of Jazz Perfor- mance Artistic Director. Blanchard is also a jazz trumpeter from New Orleans who has over 20 albums to his credit, won three Grammy’s and written music for many of Spike Lee’s fi lms. Blanchard just premiered his fi rst opera, (the opera’s second pro- duction run), “Champion,” the story of former Welterweight Boxing Cham- pion Emile Griffi th and his life-defi n- ing fi ght with reigning Welterweight Champion Benny “The Kid” Paret. In March 1962, Griffi th and Paret went toe to toe in a fi ght that end- ed with Paret in a coma for ten days, then dying from injuries he sustained during the fi ght. In “Champion,” we Jazz musician and opera composer Terence Blanchard is the former Thelonious Monk Institute of Jazz Performance Artistic Director. and his story, compelled Blanchard to choose “Champion” as his fi rst op- era. The line, “I kill a man and most forgive me, I love a man and many say this makes me an evil person,” fa- ‘I kill a man and most forgive me, I love a man and many say this makes me an evil person’ –Welterweight Boxing Champion Emile Griffi th get inside the mind of a tortured man reliving the fi ght that forever changed his career, along with his public battle of being a bisexual man of color in the 60’s. Being a big fan of boxing and hearing about the nature of Griffi th mously said by Griffi th in the book, “A Man’s World: The Double Life of Emile Griffi th” by Donald McRae, is one of the lines that drew Blanchard to his story. See CHAMPION on page 11 Excellent Unrated Running time: 60 minutes Distributor: The Smithsonian The Obama Years will air on the Smithsonian Channel on: March 18 @ 8 a.m. ET/PT March 21 @ 5 p.m. ET/PT (Check local listings) To see a trailer visit: TheSkanner.com The Week of Friday, March 17 through Thursday, March 23, 2017 MOANA (PG) Fri-Thur: 12:15, 5:10 ARRIVAL (PG-13) Fri-Thur: 2:40, 7:10 PINK FLAMINGOS (NC-17) Fri-Thur: 9:45 $4.00 adults, $3.00 senior citizens (65+), $3.00 for kids (12 & under) 7818 SE Stark St, Portland, OR 97215 503-252-1707 • AcademyTheaterPdx.com Babysitting: Available for children 2 to 8 years old. Fri: shows after 3:30pm and before 8:00pm. Sat - Sun: all shows before 8:00pm. $9.50 per child for the length of the movie. Call to reserve a spot, no drop ins. “Urges me with a desire to do even more” “I was moved to tears” “Very real and insightful”
