The Undefeated (2011 film)
Encyclopedia
The Undefeated is an American political documentary on Sarah Palin
, who was Governor of Alaska and later the Republican Party
nominee for Vice President
in the 2008 United States presidential election
. The documentary is written and directed by Stephen Bannon. The Undefeated was released on , 2011.
movement. The film ends with clips of the Madison rally where Palin challenged Republicans to: "Fight like a girl." The last shot is of Palin saying into the camera, "Mr. President, Game on!"
documentary Generation Zero
. After the United States elections in November of 2010
, when the Republican Party
increased their seats in Congress, Palin asked her aide, Rebecca Mansour, to contact Bannon about creating a series of videos to explain Palin's stepping down as Governor of Alaska and to "protect her legacy" to set up for a potential campaign for the 2012 United States presidential election
. Bannon instead decided to produce a feature film about Sarah Palin and provided of his own financing. For the documentary, he interviewed Palin's supporters, including Alaskan residents and conservative bloggers like Andrew Breitbart
. While Sarah Palin and her team were not part of the production, they gave Bannon's documentary their blessing. Bannon bought audio rights to Palin's book Going Rogue so he could include clips of Palin's voice in the documentary. While he considered titling the documentary Take a Stand after Palin's campaign slogan during the 2006 Alaska gubernatorial election
, he chose The Undefeated as a "more triumphant" title.
Wes Little of CNN
describes some of the imagery in the film: "Clockwork Orange"-esque evocative images sprinkled throughout (shark attacks, bodies being buried, warfare both modern and ancient)."
, Orlando
, Atlanta, Orange County
, Phoenix
, Houston, Indianapolis
, and Kansas City
. Before the commercial release, the documentary had one-night screenings at selected theaters in the states of Iowa
, New Hampshire
, and South Carolina
. On June 17, the movie premiered to attendees of the RightOnline convention in Minneapolis.
There are two versions of the documentary: one version rated PG-13 by the MPAA
, and an unedited version featuring anti-Palin clips from Rosie O'Donnell
, Matt Damon
, Bill Maher
, David Letterman
, Howard Stern
and Louis C.K.
that Undefeated will "reaffirm what Palin supporters like about her while presenting a solid case to those who may be on the fence about Palin that she cannot only be a strong executive but that she can and has had a history of winning over independents." He found the pivotal moment in the movie was when Mark Levin
compared Palin to Ronald Reagan noting that Palin and Reagan share the same type of detractors. Jedediah Bila wrote in The Daily Caller
that the film is "a compelling, thought-provoking journey through the accomplishments of a competent, ambitious, principled woman who entered the political arena for the right reasons and has consistently cut through the nonsense to get things done." He compliments Bannon on the segments dealing with Palin's 2008 Republican National Convention
and 2011 Wisconsin Tea Party rally speeches writing, "[the speeches] impact viewers with renewed meaning."
The Politico
found that professional film critics, "not generally a conservative lot," generally greeted it with "a chorus of boos", describing the film as coming across as 'biased' and 'hagiographic'. The film currently holds a 0% approval rating on the movie review website Rotten Tomatoes
and a 32 out of 100 on the review aggregator Metacritic
. John Wilson, creator of the Golden Raspberry Award, said in a pre-screening comment, "Sarah Palin is what the Razzies are all about." New York Post
critic Kyle Smith
described the film as "massively flawed", and said, "I don't know why Sarah Palin called her movie 'The Undefeated'. She lost the vice presidency, she quit the governorship of Alaska and she cut her bus tour short. The title makes no sense." Time Magazine
critic Richard Corliss
, who panned the film overall, described the filmmaker as "canny in identifying the 2½-year governor of Alaska as both a faultless heroine and, even better, a victim of the omnipotent American left...Palin fights the good fight, beats the fat cats."
The film was given a limited theatrical release in ten AMC theaters located in areas with strong Tea Party
support, and was received positively there, Victory Film Group reported that the film averaged $5,000 per screen in the first two days of release. though conservative commentator Conor Friedersdorf
observed that it opened to a nearly deserted theater in conservative stronghold Orange County, California
. The Undefeated grossed $60,000-75,000, averaging $6,000 to $7,500 per screen. In larger markets, the film surpassed $10,000 per screen, and at least one theatre played the film on two screens to meet demand. However, by the second week of release box office revenue declined by 63% despite a 40% increase in theatres showing the film, with a total gross of only $24,000. Palin announced she would not run for President on October 5, 2011, shortly before the film's DVD release.
Sarah Palin
Sarah Louise Palin is an American politician, commentator and author. As the Republican Party nominee for Vice President in the 2008 presidential election, she was the first Alaskan on the national ticket of a major party and first Republican woman nominated for the vice-presidency.She was...
, who was Governor of Alaska and later the Republican Party
Republican Party (United States)
The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
nominee for Vice President
Vice President of the United States
The Vice President of the United States is the holder of a public office created by the United States Constitution. The Vice President, together with the President of the United States, is indirectly elected by the people, through the Electoral College, to a four-year term...
in the 2008 United States presidential election
United States presidential election, 2008
The United States presidential election of 2008 was the 56th quadrennial presidential election. It was held on November 4, 2008. Democrat Barack Obama, then the junior United States Senator from Illinois, defeated Republican John McCain, the senior U.S. Senator from Arizona. Obama received 365...
. The documentary is written and directed by Stephen Bannon. The Undefeated was released on , 2011.
Synopsis
The film is constructed in three acts. The film opens with a montage. The first act concerns itself with Palin's experiences as the mayor of Wasilla. The second act is about Palin's term as governor of Alaska. The third act, titled "From here, I can see November," revolves around her candicacy as vice-president and her rise to national prominence. It goes into detail how she became the darling of the Tea PartyTea party
A tea party is a formal, ritualized gathering for afternoon tea.Formal tea parties are often characterized by the use of prestige utensils, such as bone china or silver. The table is made to look its prettiest, with cloth napkins and matching cups and plates. In addition to tea, larger parties may...
movement. The film ends with clips of the Madison rally where Palin challenged Republicans to: "Fight like a girl." The last shot is of Palin saying into the camera, "Mr. President, Game on!"
Production
Stephen Bannon wrote and directed The Undefeated, which was independently financed by Victory Film Group. Sarah Palin was familiar with Bannon because of his Tea PartyTea Party movement
The Tea Party movement is an American populist political movement that is generally recognized as conservative and libertarian, and has sponsored protests and supported political candidates since 2009...
documentary Generation Zero
Generation Zero
Generation Zero: The Truth About the Financial Meltdown is a documentary film written and directed by Stephen K. Bannon and produced by David Bossie for Citizens United.-Subject matter:...
. After the United States elections in November of 2010
United States elections, 2010
The 2010 United States elections were held on Tuesday, November 2, 2010. During this midterm election year, all 435 seats in the United States House of Representatives and 37 of the 100 seats in the United States Senate were contested in this election along with 38 state and territorial...
, when the Republican Party
Republican Party (United States)
The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
increased their seats in Congress, Palin asked her aide, Rebecca Mansour, to contact Bannon about creating a series of videos to explain Palin's stepping down as Governor of Alaska and to "protect her legacy" to set up for a potential campaign for the 2012 United States presidential election
United States presidential election, 2012
The United States presidential election of 2012 is the next United States presidential election, to be held on Tuesday, November 6, 2012. It will be the 57th quadrennial presidential election in which presidential electors, who will actually elect the President and the Vice President of the United...
. Bannon instead decided to produce a feature film about Sarah Palin and provided of his own financing. For the documentary, he interviewed Palin's supporters, including Alaskan residents and conservative bloggers like Andrew Breitbart
Andrew Breitbart
Andrew Breitbart is an American publisher, commentator for the Washington Times, author, an occasional guest commentator on various news programs who has served as an editor for the Drudge Report website...
. While Sarah Palin and her team were not part of the production, they gave Bannon's documentary their blessing. Bannon bought audio rights to Palin's book Going Rogue so he could include clips of Palin's voice in the documentary. While he considered titling the documentary Take a Stand after Palin's campaign slogan during the 2006 Alaska gubernatorial election
Alaska gubernatorial election, 2006
The 2006 Alaska gubernatorial general election took place on November 7, 2006. The former mayor of Wasilla, Sarah Palin, was elected governor.-Republican primary:...
, he chose The Undefeated as a "more triumphant" title.
Wes Little of CNN
CNN
Cable News Network is a U.S. cable news channel founded in 1980 by Ted Turner. Upon its launch, CNN was the first channel to provide 24-hour television news coverage, and the first all-news television channel in the United States...
describes some of the imagery in the film: "Clockwork Orange"-esque evocative images sprinkled throughout (shark attacks, bodies being buried, warfare both modern and ancient)."
Release
Arc Entertainment released The Undefeated on , 2011 in AMC theaters in Dallas, Denver, Oklahoma CityOklahoma city
Oklahoma City is the capital and largest city of the U.S. state of Oklahoma.Oklahoma City may also refer to:*Oklahoma City metropolitan area*Downtown Oklahoma City*Uptown Oklahoma City*Oklahoma City bombing*Oklahoma City National Memorial...
, Orlando
Orlando, Florida
Orlando is a city in the central region of the U.S. state of Florida. It is the county seat of Orange County, and the center of the Greater Orlando metropolitan area. According to the 2010 US Census, the city had a population of 238,300, making Orlando the 79th largest city in the United States...
, Atlanta, Orange County
Orange County, California
Orange County is a county in the U.S. state of California. Its county seat is Santa Ana. As of the 2010 census, its population was 3,010,232, up from 2,846,293 at the 2000 census, making it the third most populous county in California, behind Los Angeles County and San Diego County...
, Phoenix
Phoenix, Arizona
Phoenix is the capital, and largest city, of the U.S. state of Arizona, as well as the sixth most populated city in the United States. Phoenix is home to 1,445,632 people according to the official 2010 U.S. Census Bureau data...
, Houston, Indianapolis
Indianapolis
Indianapolis is the capital of the U.S. state of Indiana, and the county seat of Marion County, Indiana. As of the 2010 United States Census, the city's population is 839,489. It is by far Indiana's largest city and, as of the 2010 U.S...
, and Kansas City
Kansas City, Missouri
Kansas City, Missouri is the largest city in the U.S. state of Missouri and is the anchor city of the Kansas City Metropolitan Area, the second largest metropolitan area in Missouri. It encompasses in parts of Jackson, Clay, Cass, and Platte counties...
. Before the commercial release, the documentary had one-night screenings at selected theaters in the states of Iowa
Iowa
Iowa is a state located in the Midwestern United States, an area often referred to as the "American Heartland". It derives its name from the Ioway people, one of the many American Indian tribes that occupied the state at the time of European exploration. Iowa was a part of the French colony of New...
, New Hampshire
New Hampshire
New Hampshire is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. The state was named after the southern English county of Hampshire. It is bordered by Massachusetts to the south, Vermont to the west, Maine and the Atlantic Ocean to the east, and the Canadian...
, and South Carolina
South Carolina
South Carolina is a state in the Deep South of the United States that borders Georgia to the south, North Carolina to the north, and the Atlantic Ocean to the east. Originally part of the Province of Carolina, the Province of South Carolina was one of the 13 colonies that declared independence...
. On June 17, the movie premiered to attendees of the RightOnline convention in Minneapolis.
There are two versions of the documentary: one version rated PG-13 by the MPAA
Motion Picture Association of America
The Motion Picture Association of America, Inc. , originally the Motion Picture Producers and Distributors of America , was founded in 1922 and is designed to advance the business interests of its members...
, and an unedited version featuring anti-Palin clips from Rosie O'Donnell
Rosie O'Donnell
Roseann "Rosie" O'Donnell is an American stand-up comedian, actress, author and television personality. She has also been a magazine editor and continues to be a celebrity blogger, LGBT rights activist, television producer and collaborative partner in the LGBT family vacation company R Family...
, Matt Damon
Matt Damon
Matthew Paige "Matt" Damon is an American actor, screenwriter, and philanthropist whose career was launched following the success of the film Good Will Hunting , from a screenplay he co-wrote with friend Ben Affleck...
, Bill Maher
Bill Maher
William "Bill" Maher, Jr. is an American stand-up comedian, television host, political commentator, author and actor. Before his current role as the host of HBO's Real Time with Bill Maher, Maher hosted a similar late-night talk show called Politically Incorrect originally on Comedy Central and...
, David Letterman
David Letterman
David Michael Letterman is an American television host and comedian. He hosts the late night television talk show, Late Show with David Letterman, broadcast on CBS. Letterman has been a fixture on late night television since the 1982 debut of Late Night with David Letterman on NBC...
, Howard Stern
Howard Stern
Howard Allan Stern is an American radio personality, television host, author, and actor best known for his radio show, which was nationally syndicated from 1986 to 2005. He gained wide recognition in the 1990s where he was labeled a "shock jock" for his outspoken and sometimes controversial style...
and Louis C.K.
Reception
Conservative political commentators generally praised the film. Tony Lee wrote in Human EventsHuman Events
Human Events is a weekly American conservative magazine. It takes its name from the first sentence of the United States Declaration of Independence...
that Undefeated will "reaffirm what Palin supporters like about her while presenting a solid case to those who may be on the fence about Palin that she cannot only be a strong executive but that she can and has had a history of winning over independents." He found the pivotal moment in the movie was when Mark Levin
Mark Levin
Mark Reed Levin is a lawyer, author and the host of American syndicated radio show The Mark Levin Show. Levin served in the cabinet of President Ronald Reagan and was a chief of staff for Attorney General Edwin Meese...
compared Palin to Ronald Reagan noting that Palin and Reagan share the same type of detractors. Jedediah Bila wrote in The Daily Caller
The Daily Caller
The Daily Caller is a news website based in Washington, D.C., United States, with a focus on politics, original reporting and breaking news, founded by journalist and political pundit Tucker Carlson and Neil Patel, former adviser to former Vice President Dick Cheney...
that the film is "a compelling, thought-provoking journey through the accomplishments of a competent, ambitious, principled woman who entered the political arena for the right reasons and has consistently cut through the nonsense to get things done." He compliments Bannon on the segments dealing with Palin's 2008 Republican National Convention
2008 Republican National Convention
The United States 2008 Republican National Convention took place at the Xcel Energy Center in Saint Paul, Minnesota, from September 1, through September 4, 2008...
and 2011 Wisconsin Tea Party rally speeches writing, "[the speeches] impact viewers with renewed meaning."
The Politico
The Politico
The Politico is an American political journalism organization based in Arlington, Virginia, that distributes its content via television, the Internet, newspaper, and radio. Its coverage of Washington, D.C., includes the U.S. Congress, lobbying, media and the Presidency...
found that professional film critics, "not generally a conservative lot," generally greeted it with "a chorus of boos", describing the film as coming across as 'biased' and 'hagiographic'. The film currently holds a 0% approval rating on the movie review website Rotten Tomatoes
Rotten Tomatoes
Rotten Tomatoes is a website devoted to reviews, information, and news of films—widely known as a film review aggregator. Its name derives from the cliché of audiences throwing tomatoes and other vegetables at a poor stage performance...
and a 32 out of 100 on the review aggregator Metacritic
Metacritic
Metacritic.com is a website that collates reviews of music albums, games, movies, TV shows and DVDs. For each product, a numerical score from each review is obtained and the total is averaged. An excerpt of each review is provided along with a hyperlink to the source. Three colour codes of Green,...
. John Wilson, creator of the Golden Raspberry Award, said in a pre-screening comment, "Sarah Palin is what the Razzies are all about." New York Post
New York Post
The New York Post is the 13th-oldest newspaper published in the United States and is generally acknowledged as the oldest to have been published continuously as a daily, although – as is the case with most other papers – its publication has been periodically interrupted by labor actions...
critic Kyle Smith
Kyle Smith
Kyle Smith is an American critic, novelist and essayist. He is a staff film critic for the New York Post. His film reviewing style has been called "an exercise in hilarious hostility" by Entertainment Weekly....
described the film as "massively flawed", and said, "I don't know why Sarah Palin called her movie 'The Undefeated'. She lost the vice presidency, she quit the governorship of Alaska and she cut her bus tour short. The title makes no sense." Time Magazine
Time (magazine)
Time is an American news magazine. A European edition is published from London. Time Europe covers the Middle East, Africa and, since 2003, Latin America. An Asian edition is based in Hong Kong...
critic Richard Corliss
Richard Corliss
Richard Nelson Corliss is a writer for Time magazine who focuses on movies, with the occasional article on music or sports. Corliss is the former editor-in-chief of Film Comment...
, who panned the film overall, described the filmmaker as "canny in identifying the 2½-year governor of Alaska as both a faultless heroine and, even better, a victim of the omnipotent American left...Palin fights the good fight, beats the fat cats."
The film was given a limited theatrical release in ten AMC theaters located in areas with strong Tea Party
Tea Party movement
The Tea Party movement is an American populist political movement that is generally recognized as conservative and libertarian, and has sponsored protests and supported political candidates since 2009...
support, and was received positively there, Victory Film Group reported that the film averaged $5,000 per screen in the first two days of release. though conservative commentator Conor Friedersdorf
Conor Friedersdorf
Conor Friedersdorf is an American journalist and an staff writer at The Atlantic. He lives in Venice California.Conor Friedersdorf is an American journalist and an staff writer at The Atlantic. He lives in Venice California....
observed that it opened to a nearly deserted theater in conservative stronghold Orange County, California
Orange County, California
Orange County is a county in the U.S. state of California. Its county seat is Santa Ana. As of the 2010 census, its population was 3,010,232, up from 2,846,293 at the 2000 census, making it the third most populous county in California, behind Los Angeles County and San Diego County...
. The Undefeated grossed $60,000-75,000, averaging $6,000 to $7,500 per screen. In larger markets, the film surpassed $10,000 per screen, and at least one theatre played the film on two screens to meet demand. However, by the second week of release box office revenue declined by 63% despite a 40% increase in theatres showing the film, with a total gross of only $24,000. Palin announced she would not run for President on October 5, 2011, shortly before the film's DVD release.