Search - Biography - Gerald R. Ford: Healing the Presidency on DVD

The end of a "national nightmare"

C. MacNeil | Fort Wayne, IN USA | 02/19/2003

(4 out of 5 stars)

"This "Biography" look at the country's 38th president is kinder than his critics have been. When he ascended to the presidency by way of Richard Nixon's resignation, the country was still wounded by the illegal acts of a criminal administration and, least of all, a sense of betrayal by the leader who was pushed out of office in disgrace. It is little surprise, then, that Gerald Ford assumed a massive restoration of the dignity of the office and the American public's trust in it. It is little further surprise that he came under attack from every side when he pardoned the ex-president of any and all crimes committed in the Watergate and other covert operations. Now, with the luxury of time as the great healer, this look at the embattled non-elected president makes it so very clear that Ford did what he did to end what he called "our long national nightmare." In so doing, Ford perhaps had the foresight to recognize the country then had to get past the crimes of the previous administration at risk of actually imploding. In the end, we can hopefully understand that America's history required Ford. It is doubtful any other political leader at the time could or would have emerged as a peacemaker. This bio-piece also touches on the unkind and supposedly funny treatment of Ford on the early days of "Saturday Night Live" and his participation on the controversial Warren Commission that concluded JFK was killed by a lone assassin. All facets of Ford's public life considered, though, we hopefully can now be grateful that this man who expected nothing more than retirement in Michigan after the end of his congressional service really did heal an entire nation."