(16 votes, average: 2.44 out of 5)

 Loading …

Rent Movie.com movie reviews presents Monica Lewinsky in The Clinton Years a 2001 documentary starring Chris Bury, Ted Koppel and special appearances by Monica Lewinsky. A history and review of the presidency of William Jefferson Clinton, from the 1992 campaign to the end of his second term, as recalled by his staffers, Cabinet members, key advisers, and friends. This documentary covers the scandals, the ups and downs, and the achievements and disappointments of Mr. Clinton’s administration, as well as the enduring elements of his political career. He was a masterful campaigner-a skilled politician whose command of the issues and ability to connect with an audience impressed seasoned politicos and voters alike. Yet a rocky transition and a series of scandals and mistakes-both personal and political-very nearly derailed the presidency of William Jefferson Clinton.

The Clinton Years chronicles the startling political ascent of Bill Clinton-from the governor’s mansion in Little Rock to his first shaky steps on a rocky campaign trail all the way to the Oval Office. Through interviews with White House staffers, cabinet members, and key presidential advisers, The Clinton Years offers an inside look at the real-life West Wing, where a young president and even younger staff struggled to keep the Clinton presidency on course even as it was buffeted by scandal and controversy. What emerges is a portrait not only of Bill Clinton, but also the staff members, advisers and confidantes who married their personal and professional fortunes to his administration.

As a political junkie, I followed the events of the Clinton candidacy and presidency with fascination. While acknowledging his personal flaws, there is no question in my mind that he is the best pure politician of the last century. His recent death has led to a great deal of reminiscing about Ronald Reagan, the great communicator and a talented politician in his own right. However, Reagan never had to overcome personal flaws of the magnitude that Clinton did. That alone is enough evidence to convince me of the magnitude of Clinton’s political skills.

This tape shows many interviews of people inside the Clinton camp, no opponent of Clinton’s says a word of interview on the tape. One thing they all agree on is that while he was a good president, he could have been great. I can’t argue with that assessment. He was president during the greatest economic expansion in the history of the country and in the first six years of his presidency we went from the point of having a federal deficit considered dangerous to the economy to a significant surplus. This was an incredible feat, one that is still very much under-appreciated. However, as would be expected, the emphasis is on the scandalous events of the Clinton presidency.

Infamous phrases that will forever be linked to the Clinton name, “Whitewater”, “Monica Lewinsky”, “Paula Jones” and “wag the dog” are rehashed in great detail. Many of them made no more sense now than they did when they were current. After millions of dollars of expenditure and mountains of paper, no charges were ever brought against the Clintons as a consequence of Whitewater. Paula Jones has faded into the dustbin of history and in the wake of 9-11 many who accused Clinton of attacking terrorists in order to change the subject from his sexual escapades are now arguing that he did too little to stop them. Now that Clinton has been out of office for over three years and we are gearing up for the Bush re-election bid, it is time to look back and do some comparison. Clinton lied about sex and George W. Bush lied about weapons of mass destruction. In that context, seeing Clinton’s lies again, they just don’t seem that bad. Whatever you may think of him, Bill Clinton is a fascinating man, and the characteristics that make him so are captured on this tape.