Rating: 
Summary: Great Political Flick
Review: "JWG" is a very entertaining and interesting documentary which allows us to see the President's evolution as a candidate and public figure. I especially enjoyed watching him let his guard down on occasion. Though a bit too much of a video diary by an often-complainy Alexandra Pelosi, it is overall a very good political film.I believe Pelosi's original intention was to smear George W. Bush or show him to be a cretin, but Bush proves himself to be extremely personable and seems to endear himself to the press corps (and us) as the campaign rolls along. The documentary spares us too much commentary and just takes us along for the ride, as a good documentary should. Overall, "JWG" is a great behind the scenes look at an extraordinary man.
Rating: 
Summary: Great buy
Review: A must see movie. If you are at all interested in the inner-workings of a national political campaign and if you would like to see Dubya letting his gaurd down, you need JWG. I think that the Bush supporters will like him even more after seeing this and the Bush-haters out there will hate him even more. This film is very well put together.
Rating:
Summary: Although Ms. Pelosi is Liberal, I Still Enjoyed this Video
Review: Alexandra Pelosi, the youngest daughter of U.S. Rep. Nancy Pelosi, the House Minority Leader, created an interesting documentary of the Bush 2000 campaign. In this video, viewers are shown the election campaign through a perspective that is rarely seen: from the eyes and ears of the media. From the back of the campaign bus, to photo-op opportunities, to the charter airplane, the most striking thing about the media is that it is not a disinterested and objected observer of the news. Journalists are human beings who are unable to separate their beliefs from their reporting. There are varying degrees of bias, of course, but it is clear from this documentary that the reporters personally disliked Bush's proposals yet liked the man personally. That is mainly because most reporters are -- according to many anonymous profiles -- quite liberal. Mrs. Pelosi, the documentarian, obviously did not agree with Mr. Bush, and she tried to disagree with him in her cutesy-kind-of-way, although it was clear that he found her to be somewhat of an annoyance after time. This video provides a very "intimate" portrayal of Bush the candidate -- closer than any I've ever seen. It is quite exciting to see the man when he can be loose and act natural, without having to please the expected norms of the media. And although Ms. Pelosi may be a liberal, this Bush supporter still enjoyed this documentary. Michael Gordon
Rating:
Summary: Although Ms. Pelosi is Liberal, I Still Enjoyed this Video
Review: Alexandra Pelosi, the youngest daughter of U.S. Rep. Nancy Pelosi, the House Minority Leader, created an interesting documentary of the Bush 2000 campaign. In this video, viewers are shown the election campaign through a perspective that is rarely seen: from the eyes and ears of the media. From the back of the campaign bus, to photo-op opportunities, to the charter airplane, the most striking thing about the media is that it is not a disinterested and objected observer of the news. Journalists are human beings who are unable to separate their beliefs from their reporting. There are varying degrees of bias, of course, but it is clear from this documentary that the reporters personally disliked Bush's proposals yet liked the man personally. That is mainly because most reporters are -- according to many anonymous profiles -- quite liberal. Mrs. Pelosi, the documentarian, obviously did not agree with Mr. Bush, and she tried to disagree with him in her cutesy-kind-of-way, although it was clear that he found her to be somewhat of an annoyance after time. This video provides a very "intimate" portrayal of Bush the candidate -- closer than any I've ever seen. It is quite exciting to see the man when he can be loose and act natural, without having to please the expected norms of the media. And although Ms. Pelosi may be a liberal, this Bush supporter still enjoyed this documentary. Michael Gordon
Rating:
Summary: Wonderful, rare look behind the scenes
Review: Besides highlighting President Bush's warmth, and lack of pompsity, it is a rare look inside a presidential campaign. Ms.Pelosi, though poking fun at the President from time to time, actually crafts a rather positive picture of him. I was impressed at her ability to put aside her misgivings and bias feelings while shooting. In doing so she showed what many of us in this country today do not get, which is that we can maintain friendships with one another despite political differences. It was fun to see her develop what seemed like genuine affection for President Bush, and him for her as well. It was the kind of glimpse into a campaign that we just cannot get in political science classes or textbooks. Despite what became a rather intense campaign, these people really came together, and managed to stay light hearted no matter how tired or frustrated they became. Whether you are a Bush fan or not, it was a truly humorous, entertaining, and enlightening documentary. Hats off to Ms.Pelosi!!!
Rating:
Summary: George W : What you see is what you get
Review: I have been looking for a copy of this documentary for at least two years and finally found it! This is everything a documentary should be. Not only does it cover the essence of what it was like to travel with a presidential campaign, but it also documents the personalities, the nuances, and the the scenes behind the scenes. I was completely mesmerized from beginning to end. It is a chronicle that "moves." As a Bush fan, I had braced myslef for 76 minutes of Bush-bashing, but much to my surprise, the things that liberals make fun of Bush for (the malapropisms, his disdain for micro-managing, and his inherent playful spirit), are the very things that endear him to so many people. NBC reporter Alexandra Pelosi openly admits at the open that she began this project with some deep-seeded biases regarding Republicans. But she balanced thoses biases well - maybe even too well, or we would see this DVD available on more shelves. I would guess that her supervisors back at the network were probably more than a little disappointed with the final product in that George W. Bush comes across as likeable, intelligent, empathetic, and an all around good guy who now happens to be the leader of the free world. The most telling scene into Mr. Bush's persona comes when Alexandra is undergoing some scorn amongst her fellow reporters. She shares in a voice-over how Gov. Bush took her aside and reminded her who her "real" friends truly were. Even though we do not "see" the conversation, Alexandra paints the picture quite well - probably to the chagrin of her mother. After viewing this documentary, I am now more convinced than ever that "what you see is what you get" with GW Bush. This man truly was at the right place at the right time in our nation's history. I am proud that he is our President. This documentary also tells me that liberals "just don't get it" - even when it's staring them right in the lens. Thank you, Alexandra Pelosi, for a job well done. I hope you will be taping Part II in 2004.
Rating:
Summary: Great little movie
Review: I hesitate to call this a documentary, it's more a well-edited video diary, and should be judged as such. George Bush is humanized to a great degree, in a way we heard about but rarely ever saw (or see) in the never-ceasing effort to mythologize the man. The relationship between the Governor and Pelosi is kind of sweet and unpretentious. Their encounter over her California absentee ballot, where GWB2 gives her some really amusing politician schtick about why she should vote for him is a great scene. The "Newsweek Man" flirtation theme was also great. One gets the sense that a lot of this press pool was very young, fairly inexperienced, and not nearly as sophisticated as they thought they were. The segues with the Texas print reporters (who, I think, were later responsible for the critical Rove bio "Bush's Brain") were also interesting, they actually knowing something about politics and about Bush. One gives an impromptu monologue analogizing Republican campaigns with a baloney sandwich that is priceless. One of the most noticeable features is the absence of much real journalism being practiced by the press pool. The closest we get to that is the late revelation of Bush's DUI, and we see Karen Hughes skillfully handling that. She is rarely in the film, but comes across as impressive, especially vis-a-vis Rove's pomposity. But in actuality, the press pool spent most of the time going through the motions, messing around, and being bored in an extended tour. I think a lack of curiosity became their most prevalent trait. So really, as is seen from the evident relief of other reviewers, this isn't by any means a Bush-bashing movie. Pelosi's liberal pedigree is clear from the start, and actually shapes her friendship with the Governor. He's a lot quicker than she is too, and she knows it. While there is a lot of tongue-in-cheek sequences poking fun at Bush-as-campaigner, most of the irony is directed at the travelling campaign circus, and we get a sense from Pelosi that she thinks of Bush and herself in a similar way: as sort of accidental participants in a fairly surreal process. So Bush Fans, ever wary of a devious liberal media out to persecute them, can rest easy. JOURNEYS WITH GEORGE, in the end, really critiques the pseudo-journalism of the press pool, and its evident mediocrity. If anything, it goes far to puncture one cherished myth, that the press is of some coordinated liberal conspiracy to destroy their heroes. That requires competence and will. Pelosi's only departure from utter docility was to question Bush about Texas executions, and she quickly retreated to docility after that. One reviewer below apparently sees this sheep-tendency of campaign journalists, "knowing their bounds," as their duty. I tend to think a press obedient to the powerful is anti-thetical to the whole profession, and Pelosi's diary here is one example of why hundreds of millions of dollars are used to run campaigns that the majority of the country is only dimly aware of.
Rating: 
Summary: See it
Review: I liked it. I am into Docs and this one shows Bush as he truly is. See it. See it!!
Rating:
Summary: See it
Review: I liked it. I am into Docs and this one shows Bush as he truly is. See it. See it!!
Rating: 
Summary: Pelosi Misses the Mark and the Zoom-Out Button
Review: Shallow, uninformative and mostly toothless, "Journeys with George" documents the jovial atmosphere on the road with W's 2000 campaign. We are tempted to share the laughs as George & Crew stumble towards their ultimate victory, but by the end of the film, one realizes that the film's central point -- that Bush is likeable -- is something we already knew.
Further thumbs-down to camerawoman Pelosi for her constant, excruciatingly extreme close-ups.
If you're looking for a political documentary with any real depth or entertainment value, look elsewhere.
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