Why We Decided a Ronald Reagan Movie is Vital Today

Ronald Reagan

Why We Decided a Ronald Reagan Movie is Vital Today
by Newt Gingrich (more by this author)
Posted 02/10/2009 ETUpdated 02/10/2009 ET

Ronald Reagan called it our “Rendezvous with Destiny.” It was his belief in America and the American people, and his vision for peace and prosperity.That was almost thirty years ago, when he began a Presidency that, in his words, set out to change the country, and ended up changing the world.

So why did we decide to make a movie about President Ronald Reagan and his beliefs today?How Courageous Leadership Can Rally America to Real ChangeToday, just as in 1980 when Ronald Reagan was elected President, America is faced with extraordinary threats abroad and an economic crisis at home.

We made our movie, “Ronald Reagan: Rendezvous with Destiny” (visit http://rendezvouswithdestinymovie.com/ads/newt-email.html) in the hope that a new generation of Americans will learn about the power of principled leadership, the force of deeply held convictions, and the capacity of one person to make a difference. We made this movie for millions of younger Americans who were born after the collapse of the Soviet Union, in the hope that they will understand the horrors of Communism, the dangers of unprincipled leadership, and the inspiring story of how President Reagan changed America and the world.

More Than a Movie, An Entertaining, Enlightening Part of American History“Ronald Reagan: Rendezvous with Destiny” is a production of Citizens United Productions in association with Gingrich Productions, and Peace River Company, LLC. We would like to thank the President of Citizens United, Dave Bossie, our Director, Kevin Knoblock, and the entire production team for their excellent work. This movie portrays President Reagan’s story from his humble beginnings in Illinois, through his career in Hollywood, his time as Governor of California and finally, President of the United States.Reagan’s Story, As Told By Those Closest to Him.

In “Rendezvous with Destiny,” President Reagan’s story is told by those who were closest to him as he changed America and the world. First hand, they tell us about President Reagan’s survival of an attempted assassination, just 70 days into his presidency, his triumph in passing the largest tax cut in American history, his sorrow over the loss of the American astronauts in the Challenger disaster, his tense confrontation with the Soviet Union, and other unforgettable chapters of his remarkable career.It is a quintessentially American story, and one that we believe desperately needs to be told today.Striking Parallels Between Today and Thirty Years AgoThere are striking parallels between today and almost thirty years ago when President Reagan was elected. Like 1980, America today is hungry for leadership.

We have an economic crisis at home and deadly enemies abroad. But the parallels end there. After campaigning on the politics of hope, President Barack Obama has resorted to governing on a different sort of politics. Last week, announcing a plan to cap the pay of executives at firms that accept government bailout money, something President Ronald Reagan would never have done, President Obama said something that President Reagan would never have said:

“The failure to act and to act now will turn crisis into catastrophe.”In terms alarmingly reminiscent of President Jimmy Carter’s infamous “crisis of confidence” speech in 1979, President Obama’s rhetoric is filled with references to America’s “uncertain future,” our “dreams deferred” and our “falling confidence.”As in 1980, the liberal leadership in Congress today is offering the country little more than big spending, high taxes and despair.

“We Are in the Midst of a Spring Time of Hope for America. Greatness Lies Ahead of Us”President Ronald Reagan offered something very different.His was not a vision based on fear, but a vision based on optimism and, above all, faith in the American people.America’s “Rendezvous with Destiny” was President Ronald Reagan’s unique vision of a future of peace and prosperity at a time when Americans were being told that we had a crisis of confidence at home and needed to learn to live with our enemies abroad.

Our movie is the story of one remarkable man’s belief that America would have its Rendezvous with Destiny, and that our Shining City on the Hill would survive and prosper. On this, President Ronald Reagan never wavered.

Reagan Set Out to Achieve Three Goals – And He SucceededPresident Reagan’s story is still relevant today. At this time of challenge and uncertainty, it’s useful to be reminded of what a great leader who believes in free people, free markets, and peace through strength can achieve.

President Reagan set out to achieve three remarkable goals and achieved them all:

1. To cure an ailing American economy.

2. To revive the American spirit.

3. To promote freedom at home and abroad.

More then merely a great communicator, he was man who moved America and history forward. He achieved as much as he did because he relied on the American people, not himself, to make a better nation.

“I Know That For America, There Will Always Be a Bright Dawn Ahead.”

Throughout his life, President Ronald Reagan pursued his goals and promoted his beliefs -- above all, his belief in the American people -- with faith, optimism, and courage.Even in announcing to the country, the personal tragedy of his Alzheimer’s Disease diagnosis, Ronald Reagan had the goodness and greatness of America foremost in his thoughts. In 1994 he wrote:

“I now begin the journey that will lead me into the sunset of my life. I know that for America, there will always be a bright dawn ahead.”

It has been a tremendous honor for us to be a part of telling the story of such a great man.

From the Gdansk Shipyards To Normandy Beach To The Reagan RanchIn making “Rendezvous with Destiny,” we traveled to the places where President Reagan traveled. We went to the Lenin Shipyards in Gdansk, Poland, where he inspired the freedom movement, known as Solidarity.We went to the cliff tops above the coast of Normandy, where he paid tribute to “the boys of Pointe Du Hoc,” the men who charged the beach in 1944 and helped end World War II. And we went to the Reagan Ranch in the hills above Santa Barbara, California, the modest, unassuming refuge to which Ronald and Nancy Reagan returned for rest and inspiration throughout his presidency and long after.

“Rendezvous with Destiny” takes the viewer, as well, to all these places and more.“We Carry the Message They’re Waiting For.”

We encourage all of you to visit http://www.gingrichproductions.com/ to see a preview of our movie. Tell your friends to do so as well, and consider “Rendezvous with Destiny” as a gift for a loved one or a friend.

For all those who share President Reagan’s beliefs, our movie’s message is best expressed, as usual, in Reagan’s own remarkable words. “Better than we’ve ever done before,” said Ronald Reagan, “we’ve got to quit talking to each other and about each other and go out and communicate to the world that we may be fewer in number than we’ve ever been, but we carry the message they’re waiting for.”

We hope you will enjoy Ronald Reagan: Rendezvous with Destiny.

Your Friends,

Newt and Callista Gingrich

P.S. Matt Towery has written a terrific book: Paranoid Nation: The Real Story of the 2008 Fight for the Presidency. I have known Matt since he first got involved in politics as a teenager in the 1970s. His polling firm, Insider Advantage, was ranked by one site as one of the three best polling firms in 2008. His insights will surprise you and give you new perspectives.

P.P.S. For an alternative to the big government, pork-laden stimulus bill, visit www.americansolutions.com/jobs.

Mr. Gingrich is the former speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives and author of "Winning the Future" (published by Regnery, a HUMAN EVENTS sister company).

Click here to get his free Winning the Future e-mail newsletter.

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