DVD Review: HONEST MAN: The Life Of R. Budd Dwyer
Most people that I've spoken to believe that he was guilty. Why else would he have killed himself if not out of guilt? He was facing a maximum of 55 years in prison, a sentence that would have kept him from his wife and children, possibly for the rest of his life. What other possible explanation could there be?
There are people who know the answer to that question, and director James Dirschberger decided to find the truth behind the sensationalism. Honest Man is made up of two basic parts; it begins with Dwyer's life from childhood leading into his political career, and ends with the scandal that ultimately cost him his life.
In learning about Dwyer's youth and political ambition from those closest to him, it is hard not to like the guy. Even those around him had a great deal of respect for him and his straight shooting style of politics. He worked tirelessly in Harrisburg during the week and drove five hours home to Crawford County every weekend. He was the perfect husband, doting father, and a respectable, responsible, and honest public servant. So what happened?
What happened? This is the question that Dirschberger spends most of the film's brief 76 minutes exploring. The machinations behind Dwyer's indictment and ultimate conviction are dizzying, in fact, as much is said by some of those involved in interviews for the film. The Pennsylvania state Attorney General had a labyrinthine manner of getting the conviction he so dearly wanted to puff himself up in the eyes of governor and people of the state. I hate to say that this part of the film doesn't work, because it is crucial information, but it is hard to follow, despite its importance to the whole story.
Honest Man presents a portrait of a man constantly striving to do what is best, for his family, for his constituents, for his future, for his state, but not often for himself. It is a loving portrait of a man done wrong by the political system he'd grown to love and enjoy being a part of. Dwyer's honesty doesn't always put him in the best graces among those people to whom he must ultimately answer, but he never seems to second guess himself. His confidence is supreme, at least until those final days when he starts to unravel when presented with a situation from which his good nature cannot extricate him.
Honest Man is a love story. The filmmakers have the full cooperation of Dwyer's immediate family. His wife gave her interview for the film less than a year before it was completed and both his son and daughter also take part. I must admit this surprised me, as the story's sensationalistic qualities would seem to be the kind of thing that would have family scattering like mice, but they wanted his story to get out. They wanted him exonerated, they wanted people to know what had been done to Budd, and perhaps understand why he made the choices he made.
This film could have been exploitative. The footage of Dwyer's suicide has circulated among those interested in seeing it for over twenty years now. I remember seeing it when I was only about thirteen years old, and being disturbed by it then. Dwyer's suicide was also the subject of a very popular alternative rock song in the nineties by the bang Filter, "Hey Man, Nice Shot". Among gorehounds, the footage is legendary. This film is not for them. While footage from the final press conference is sprinkled liberally throughout the film, the actual suicide is shown only once, and not lingered upon, except to show the immediate aftermath. By that, I mean the callousness of the press in the room and their refusal to leave. In fact, some of the photographers are even shown attempting to get closer to Dwyer's still warm body to get a better shot for their evening editions.
Dirschberger treats the subject with considerably more tact, using the suicide as a jumping off point for a dissection of the injustices done to Dwyer that led to his demise. This is a relief, by all of the accounts included in the film, Dwyer's is a memory that deserves more respect that he has gotten over these last 24 years.
If I had to make a criticism of Honest Man, I would say that it is a bit too much of a love letter to R Budd Dwyer. I'm not one for speaking ill of the dead, but there is not a single interview from anyone involved in the prosecution of the case. Now, I can see numerous reasons why that might be so. Some may have died in the years since then, and there are many, I'm sure, who believe that speaking ill of the dead in this kind of forum would do them no favors. However, it is a bit of a glaring omission. Could it be helped? That, I do not know.
Honest Man is a documentary that is worthy of your time, this, I do know. I dare you to come out of this film not feeling as though R Budd Dwyer was handed a raw deal. The participants speculate that Dwyer ended his life this way because it preserved his family's pension, which would have been taken away if he'd been imprisoned. If that is actually the case, and I tend to believe that it is, then the world is not better off without Budd Dwyer. An Honest Man.
The Disc:
The A/V quality of the disc is perfectly fine. It really isn't all that important in the grand scheme of things. Actually, the film itself was so engaging that I found myself not really paying much attention to anything but the content. So you'll excuse me if I skip the usual nitpicking. However, for those interested, it is presented in anamorphic 16X9 ratio.
On the other hand, the extras really are worth checking out. The DVD of Honest Man features two commentaries, one is with Dwyer's son and daughter, and it is very good to hear, they are obviously very close to the subject matter, and they are able to contextualize some of the material in the film in a way that the director wasn't able or didn't have the time to do. They also provide a tiny bit of levity, of which the film itself was entirely devoid, and rightly so. However, what is interesting to hear from them is the passion they still feel for the case, when a participant is on screen that they feel could have done more to prevent their father's fate, they don't mince words about it. The other commentary is from the director, James Dirschberger, and producer, Matthew Levie, who provide more technical behind the scenes stuff.
Also included on the disc is a ton of archival background material. There are a couple of campaign ads from Budd Dwyer's political career, some speeches and additional home videos, as well as unreleased documents, deleted scenes, and more. The real winner among these, though, is the long unavailable final speech. On the disc, the filmmakers say that they tried very hard to get the footage of the speech before Dwyer's suicide from all of the TV stations still in existence. They found, however, that while they were all more than happy to license the footage of the actual suicide, they had no interest in licensing the speech. What does that tell you? They did eventually get the final speech, in its entirety, from an anonymous source, and that speech shows a lot of Dwyer's mindset in what he knew would be his final moments. Anyone watching would be able to see from his pressured speech, his stuttering, and his fidgeting, that something was wrong. It really is chilling when you know what happened next, I wanted to reach into my television and grab him and make him stop.
Honest Man is available on DVD from EightyFour Films at the site below. It is a fitting tribute to a man who deserves better than the legacy that has been built around him, watch it, change your mind.
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