Not Your Average Movie Night

Illustration By Jason Stout

What's better than having a few close friends over to watch a compelling film while littering Cheeto crumbs in between your sofa cushions? How about this: doing the same with dozens of random strangers, and challenging them to a lively political powwow after the credits roll. At least that's the idea behind the Uncovered house parties taking place around the country this Sunday, Dec. 7. At the request of the virulently anti-Bush voter-mobilization group MoveOn.org, more than 2,200 hipsters, activists, and rabble-rousers -- including at least 13 in the Austin area -- will open their homes for roughly simultaneous screenings of the 56-minute documentary Uncovered: The Whole Truth About the Iraq War. Anyone is welcome at the screenings, where they can also dial into a conference call connecting director Robert Greenwald, the MoveOn.org team, and guests from all the other parties across the country. It's kinda like a progressive, countrywide coffee klatch, but with less coffee and more Bush-bashing.

As the film's subtitle would suggest, the journalists, CIA operatives, foreign-service agents, and other certified experts in Uncovered suggest that the Bush administration was not entirely up front with the American people as it rallied the masses for its tidy little regime change last spring. Such a view will likely fail to shock many of the house partyers. But while one may wonder whether a more conventional form of distribution might have had the potential to reach a wider audience -- and maybe even change some minds in our ever-more-polarized political climate -- party host Nick Lawrie says that even if the event sort of preaches to the choir, even the choir sometimes needs a little love.

"A lot of time the media doesn't portray anyone as having the same viewpoint as I do," he said. "But whenever I go to a rally or event, it makes me think, 'I'm not crazy. I'm not the only person thinking these things.' So even though we're not exactly going over to the YCT [Young Conservatives of Texas] offices to invite them, I think getting 35 or 40 people in a room to discuss these things will inspire everyone, and give us a jump-start going into the election year."

The house parties, which are listed at www.moveon.org, start between 6 and 7pm, depending on the location. Some are potlucks, and some are beer-lucks, but in all cases your kind hosts would appreciate an RSVP. Cafe Mundi (1704 E. Fifth) will participate here with a 6pm screening.