Josh Reviews HBO’s Confirmation

HBO’s movie Confirmation brings to life the story of Clarence Thomas’ 1991 confirmation hearings to replace Thurgood Marshall on the U.S. Supreme Court, and Anita Hill’s allegations that Judge Thomas had sexually harassed her when they worked together at the department of Education and the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission.  Televised hearings held before the Senate Judiciary Commission, including testimony by both Judge Thomas and Professor Hill, gripped the nation.  HBO’s film Confirmation is a riveting reenactment of the drama and turmoil surrounding this very public confrontation between Judge Thomas and Professor Hill.

I well remember the days in 1991 in which this drama played out on televisions and in newspapers across the nation, and Confirmation skillfully draws the viewer back into the middle of this wrenching debate.  I imagine that few who will watch this movie will enter it without preexisting opinions regarding the veracity of Professor Hill’s accusations.  Wisely understanding this, the makers of Confirmation (the film was written by Susannah Grant and directed by Rick Famuyiwa) made a game attempt at presenting the story from both Judge Thomas and Professor Hill’s side.  The film cuts back and forth between the two throughout its run-time, and avoids painting either character as too dastardly a villain, though in the end it does appear to me that the filmmakers were siding with Professor Hill.  (I will freely admit, here, that my sympathies as well lie firmly with Professor Hill.)  Watching Confirmation unfold, my heart broke anew for what Professor Hill went through over the course of this very public spectacle which ended with Judge Thomas’ confirmation.

Kerry Washington is magnificent in the role, bringing great courage and dignity to the role of Anita Hill.  Playing a well-known public figure can be difficult, but Ms. Washington rises to the challenge, skillfully bringing her depiction of Professor Hill to life and making the character her own.  At the same time, when the film eventually arrives at Professor Hill’s testimony before the Senate Judiciary Committee, Ms. Washington has the enormous challenge of performing a real-life scene that so many of us remember so well, while still seeming natural in her performance.  Ms. Washington hits this out of the park, and the sequences of Professor Hill’s testimony are a highlight of the movie.

Wendell Pierce (so beloved to fans of The Wire and Treme) is equally incredible as Judge Thomas.  Mr. Pierce had, in my opinion, an even greater challenge than did Ms. Washington, in his attempt to bring to life this depiction of the very private Judge Thomas.  In all the world, only Clarence Thomas and Anita Hill know whether Professor Hill’s accusations were true, and as I commented above this film does not take a firm side on the issue; Confirmation is structured to work as a film whether you believe Judge Thomas or Professor Hill.  This means that for all of Wendell Pierce’s scenes, he has to play the character without our knowing whether his angry, hurt reactions to Professor Hill’s accusations are honest or dishonest.  For the film to work, the scenes have to work either way.  This is an extraordinary challenge, and Mr. Pierce is magnificent.

These two phenomenal lead performances are the main reason to watch this film, though they are surrounded by a wonderful ensemble.  Greg Kinnear is a hoot as Joe Biden, the chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee suddenly caught trying to wrangle this very public spectacle.  (As with its depictions of Both Anita Hill and Clarence Thomas, the film brings empathy to its portrayal of Joe Biden.  This is definitely not an altogether positive portrayal of the current Vice-President, but it is a very human one.)  Jeffrey Wright brings every ounce of his usual charismatic balance between sternness and warmth as Charles Ogletree, one of the main lawyers on Professor Hill’s team.  The Americans’ Alison Wright is great as Virginia Thomas, Judge Clarence Thomas’ wife.  (Though poor Ms. Wright is made to look even homier here than she usually is as Martha!!)  The great Dylan Baker sinks his teeth into the role of Orrin Hatch, and Bill Irwin is terrific as John Danforth (who is probably the character depicted the most negatively by the film).

The script for the film is very sharp, allowing us to follow the many individuals involved as the case snowballs into the public confrontation that it eventually became.  The complicated story unfolds in a very clear and easy to follow manner, which is harder than it might look for this sort of film.  More importantly, the film doesn’t lose sight of the characters involved, allowing us to experience these wrenching events along with them.

1991 in many ways feels like a long time ago, a world in which the idea of sexual harassment was a relatively new concept for many.  And yet, the issues of sex and race that are so integral to the story of Judge Thomas and Professor Hill are (sadly) hugely relevant to our here and now.  Confirmation is not just a history lesson, it’s a story with powerful relevance to every one of us watching today.  It’s difficult to watch at times, which is as it should be, but I enjoyed it thoroughly.