Watch Confirmation on Amazon - Free HBO 30-day Trial to Prime Members
Written by: Susannah Grant
Directed by: Rick Famuyiwa
Starring: Kerry Washington, Greg Kinnear, Jeffrey Wright, Wendell Pierce
Rated: PG-13
Plot:
Upon his nomination to the Supreme Court in 1991, Anita Hill testifies that Judge Clarence Thomas sexually harassed her.
Verdict:
This takes a while to get started, but once it gets to the hearing, the back and forth between Hill and Thomas is riveting and entertaining. It will force you to seek more information about what happened. The acting is excellent all around. The events that happened then are just as relevant today with how we treat the accuser and the accused. The major villain in this isn't Hill or Thomas, it's the Senators who orchestrated the events in the hearing.
Watch it.
Review:
This movie never answers what really happened. Did Hill lie? Did Thomas lie? Who is at fault?
The Senators are at fault. They crafted events in Thomas's favor so that he would be confirmed because they didn't want to look bad and they didn't want the White House's nomination to look foolish.
The accuser, in any situation, needs to be taken seriously. You have to believe them. Not believing accusers, creates scenarios where they just don't come forward, much like how Hill never came forward on her own, not until she was asked directly.
I side with Hill as she had a lot of supporting information, even for her actions that seem contradictory, like calling Thomas for professional advice even after the incidences. It's hard to excell in a profession, even harder if you're a woman, and even worse if you burn bridges with powerful people.
Thomas's defense was nothing more than, I didn't do it. Of course he is going to deny the accusations. He has everything to lose. A second accuser was brought to the hearings, but the Senators refused to talk to her because they wanted Thomas to be confirmed and to stop the circus this event had become. They never wanted justice. They investigated the claims only because not investigating would make them look even worse. They never once sought justice. Who knows what went on behind closed doors, but I believe the Senators would try to mitigate how foolish they look. That's human nature, to coverup mistakes. With the power politicians have, that's just common practice.
Hill didn't volunteer the information and she didn't want to come forward. She just wanted the Senators to consider the information when they voted on Thomas. She knew the ramifications and asked that it stay anonymous and confidential. Obviously it didn't. She knew she would be construed as a villain.
You root for Hill at her press conference. The press has derided her, wanting her to fail. Politicians want her to look cheap, and very quietly this movie depicts what women face everyday in a male dominated culture. Politicians derided Hill and women in general with female colleagues in the room. When Hill handles the conference extremely well, it's a victorious moment.
HBO films are usually very good and this is no exception. The acting across the board is very good. Kerry Washington does a great job in this. Her monologue reading her affadavit is captivating.
Greg Kinnear plays Joe Biden, the subcommittee head that runs the hearing. I have to wonder what the real Joe Biden thinks about his depiction. I didn't recognize Eric Stonestreet at first.
This movie is relevant today with how we treat the accuser and the accused. It felt like a made for television movie at the start, but once the hearing begins, this movie is riveting and as entertaining as anything.
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