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Movies / On DVD / The Big Buy - How Tom DeLay Stole Congress
The Big Buy - How Tom DeLay Stole Congress

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The Big Buy - How Tom DeLay Stole Congress

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Reviews Counted:9

Fresh:5

Rotten:4

Average Rating:5.7/10

Rated: Not Rated

Runtime: 75 mins

Genre: Musical & Performing Arts

Theatrical Release:May 26, 2006 Limited

Synopsis: "By the time we finish this poker game, there may not be a federal government left! Which would suit me just fine." -Tom DeLay, 1994 In a stunning 1994 interview, shortly after the now... "By the time we finish this poker game, there may not be a federal government left! Which would suit me just fine." -Tom DeLay, 1994 In a stunning 1994 interview, shortly after the now infamous Republican revolution, Tom DeLay sat down and laid out his vision for America: to destroy the Department of Education, HUD, OSHA, the NEH, the NEA, the Environmental Protection Agency and the Department of Energy. His self-stated goal was to "completely redesign government." The Big Buy: Tom DeLay's Stolen Congress is the story of how he did just that. It's the story of one of the most blatant power grabs in American history, and how a District Attorney in Texas turned out to be the biggest threat to the national DeLay Machine. The film is a warning about how easy it is for American democracy to be hijacked by a combination of relentless ambition and corporate millions. It makes the case that DeLay built a "custom-made Congress" that is still providing votes for his agenda. DeLay's utter contempt for government made him a favorite of corporations. Over the next decade, they funded DeLay's rise to power with millions while wining, dining, and bank rolling an extravagant lifestyle complete with corporate jets, expensive restaurants and stays at plush golf resorts. But Travis county D.A. Ronnie Earle is on his heels, and DeLay's made a mistake. He blatantly funneled banned corporate money to candidates in the 2002 Texas elections. This was the critical first phase of a take-no-prisoners plan to ensure a more hard-Right Republican U.S. Congress. DeLay's actions led to controversial redistricting in Texas that disenfranchised voters, set-off the largest upheaval in modern Texas political history and sent five new hard-Right Republican congressmen to Washington. Texas grand juries have brought 41 indictments against eight corporations, DeLay's political action committee, a business lobby ally, three underlings and Tom Delay himself. But while Delay has given up his leadership post, his Texas takeover is still impacting all Americans daily. His Texas redistricting changed the face of the last Congress. The Central American Free Trade Agreement, the Energy Bill, Budgets and Budget Cuts that hurt college students, single parents and the working poor -- all passed in the last 14 months by less than the five votes DeLay won from his scheme in Texas. From now until the November elections- The Big Buy is destined to serve as a rallying cry for those who want to change "the house that Tom built" back into "the people's house." The Big Buy is a feature length documentary that connects the dots between big money and big government. It's not a pretty picture. -- © Official Site [More]


Studio: Brave New Films

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Release:

May 16, 2006

[DVD Details]
 
 
  • Brought to you by Robert Greenwald, the director of WAL-MART: THE HIGH COST OF LOW PRICE and OUTFOXED!, THE BIG BUY is a Texas noir political documentary that chronicles a maverick district attorney's investigation onto a "bloodless coup with case" allegedly perpetrated by Senator Tom Delay, arguably the most powerful Congressman in the country.
  • In his last blockbuster case before retirement, Texas DA Ronnie Earle crusades against a forceful political machine that conspired not just a possibly illegal takeover of Texas political power, but an affront to the very soul of democracy.
  • The film follows Travis County District Attorney Ronnie Earle as he leads us through his own tortured search for the truth. Relying on the drama's participants for its narration, the film uses interviews and archival footage to provide a fast-paced, stylized, and darkly entertaining look inside the investigation.
  • Source: Ryko Distribution
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    Reviews for The Big Buy - How Tom DeLay Stole Congress

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    1 - 9 (sorted by date)
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    The guy must own a chutzpah mine.

    Full Review Source: Capital Times (Madison, WI) | comment Comment
    06/30/06
    Rob Thomas
    Rob Thomas
    Capital Times (Madison, WI)

    Gains immeasurably from the extended presence of Travis County D.A. Ronnie Earle.

    Full Review Source: Hollywood Reporter | comment Comment
    06/29/06
    Frank Scheck
    Frank Scheck
    Hollywood Reporter
    Top Critic Icon Top Critic

    certainly competent enough, but no more so than a few newspaper articles on the same subject.

    Full Review Source: Filmcritic.com | comment Comment
    06/01/06
    Chris Barsanti
    Chris Barsanti
    Filmcritic.com

    For some viewers, it will be a simple hatchet-job; for others, a joy to watch. The truth is, it's both.

    Full Review Source: One Guy's Opinion | comment Comment
    05/27/06
    Frank Swietek
    Frank Swietek
    One Guy's Opinion

    The slipshod documentary The Big Buy plays Whac-a-Mole with Tom DeLay, the former House majority leader who recently stepped down in the wake of the Jack Abramoff scandal.

    Full Review Source: New York Post | comment Comment
    05/26/06
    Kyle Smith
    Kyle Smith
    New York Post
    Top Critic Icon Top Critic

    Styled as a film noir -- possibly because the shoestring budget precluded adequate lighting -- the movie guides us through the events leading up to Mr. DeLay's indictment for illegal use of campaign contributions in the 2002 Texas Legislature elections.

    Full Review Source: New York Times | comment Comment
    05/25/06
    Jeannette Catsoulis
    Jeannette Catsoulis
    New York Times
    Top Critic Icon Top Critic

    This film certainly encourages you to learn more and trust less... and makes you wonder whatever happened to government 'by the people, for the people'.

    Full Review Source: TheMovieChicks.com | comment Comment
    05/21/06
    Cherryl Dawson and Leigh Ann Palone
    Cherryl Dawson and Leigh Ann Palone
    TheMovieChicks.com

    The scrappy small-budget pic remains persuasive throughout, and occasionally offers 'Gotcha!' moments that are laugh-out-loud funny.

    Full Review Source: Variety | comment Comment
    05/18/06
    Joe Leydon
    Joe Leydon
    Variety
    Top Critic Icon Top Critic

    Unapologetic partisanship underscores the central question and problem of The Big Buy: For whom and what is it intended?

    Full Review Source: Dallas Morning News | comment Comment
    05/18/06
    Tom Maurstad
    Tom Maurstad
    Dallas Morning News
    Top Critic Icon Top Critic
     
     
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