Hollywood Can Save America!

The empire is dying. That’s what our leaders would have you believe. Around every corner, there are cries to save democracy, stop authoritarianism, and put America first. The fingers point from the left and the right. Every election is life or death. There is a lot of talk about problems and very little talk about solutions other than complete and total control. If the other side wins, it’s over.

Well, I am here to tell you it’s not that dire. Americans only need a lesson on our democratic republic, and Hollywood can help.

The Constitution gives citizens a right to representation, but every right is a responsibility. Our founders considered citizen education of the utmost importance in preserving liberty. Without it, citizens might elect weak, incompetent, or corrupt leadership.

Most citizens consider America a democracy where the people rule. However, that’s not the case. We are a Democratic Republic. Power is divided, separated, balanced, and shared with the people. The people still rule, but our representatives hold the power. We don’t vote to get what we want. We elect leaders to represent us, keep us safe, and act in the interest of the nation.

The best way to learn this is through the stories of our past. A more informed voter will elect better representatives. Our generation has been gifted with historians on par with Herodotus and Plutarch. We also have the technology and know-how to bring the stories to life and share them with more citizens than ever before.

Americans love a good story of good vs. evil, right vs. wrong, told from the hero’s point of view. One movie turns into two movies. Then it’s a trilogy; before you know it, it’s its own universe from Star Wars to Marvel to D.C., from Iron Man and Captain America to Luke and Han, to Batman and Superman. Once Americans are told a great story, they want more.

The story of America is special. It is a story of rebellion and empire, right vs. wrong. It has heroes like George Washington, Abraham Lincoln, and James Garfield and villains like Benedict Arnold, Jefferson Davis, and Roscoe Conkling. It’s full of suspense and surprise endings, betrayal and intrigue. If told properly, it would leave viewers on the edge of their seats and more informed about the responsibility of citizenship.

The story should start with the original Captain America, George Washington. His story is one of sacrifice, risk, and triumph—a modern-day Cincinnatus who walked away from a crown. Sequels and prequels would tell the stories of the individuals who built America: Ben Franklin, John Adams, Thomas Jefferson, and James Madison, as well as the events of the French and Indian War, Revolutionary War, Constitutional Convention, and War of 1812.

As the franchise grows, it moves into the Antebellum period, an age of darkness. Following people like John Quincy Adams, John C. Calhoun, James K. Polk, and Henry Clay, covering the events that led to the Civil War—a passive battle of silence and control. In the darkness, new heroes would be born, such as Frederick Douglass, Ulysses S. Grant, and Abraham Lincoln, who debated evil and formed a team of rivals, quelling internal rebellion and extending human liberty and self-government.

America is a story written for Hollywood. Modern biographers such as Ron Chernow, David McCullough, H.W. Brands, and Doris Kerns Goodwin have laid the saga's foundation. Hollywood is great at adapting good books (and comic books) into great movies like The Godfather, Lord of the Rings, and Harry Potter.

There is already proof of how successful this could be with the Chernow adaptation of Hamilton for Broadway and the McCullough adaptation of Adams for HBO. Both were expertly done. If a movie studio were to focus resources on creating an American universe, the profits, both in dollars and wisdom, would be unmatched. Republicans and Democrats would pile into the theaters and learn everything they need to know about representative democracy by watching it in action.

Saving democracy requires education, not finger-pointing. Americans need more information. Hollywood can help by sharing America with more citizens than ever before. Instead of learning about the politics of the Galactic Empire, a generation of Americans can learn about the politics of their grandparents, great-grandparents, and great-great-grandparents, helping them better understand today's politics.

Americans are intelligent, thoughtful people. If Hollywood producers make learning about representative democracy as entertaining as learning about BBQ and home improvements, everything will be fine.