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Ralph Nader, Jay Acton, Theresa Amato, Pat Buchanan, Peter Camejo ... see more see more... , Scott Carter , Joan Claybrook , John Conyers Jr , Karen Croft , Phil Donahue , James Fallows , Michael Feinstein , Todd Gitlin , Dr. Richard Grossman , Greg Kafoury , Jason Kafoury , Carl Mayer , Tarek Milleron , Morton Mintz , Ross Mirkarimi , Jim Musselman , Claire Nader , Laura Nader , Bryce Nelson , James Ridgeway , Harvey Rosenfield , Donald Ross , Robert Weissman , Dr. Sidney Wolfe

The life and career of one of America's most tenacious consumer advocates and political activists is brought to the screen in this richly detailed documentary. Born in a small town in Connecticut, Ral... read more read more...ph Nader was raised to believe the words of his father that "you can fight city hall," and Nader made a nationwide reputation for his willingness to take on the wealthy and powerful. After receiving a degree from Harvard Law School, Nader first became a household name in 1965 with his book Unsafe at Any Speed, in which he detailed the auto industry's willingness to sacrifice safety in the name of greater profits. The book so outraged General Motors that they hired investigators to dig up dirt on Nader and make trouble for him; the plan backfired when Nader sued for invasion of privacy and walked away with a 425,000-dollar settlement that he used to set up an activist group to investigate both public servants and private commerce and how they live up to their responsibilities. However, Nader's long career as a incorruptible watchdog was tarnished in 2004 when Nader ran for president in a campaign that attracted a great deal of attention for a third party candidate -- and was blamed by many Democrats for drawing enough votes away from Al Gore to allow George W. Bush to walk away with an extremely narrow victory. An Unreasonable Man was directed by Henriette Mantel and Stephen Skrovan, the former of whom worked as a member of Nader's staff in the '70s. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi

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80% liked it

5,310 ratings

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92% liked it

60 critics

Unrated, 2 hr. 2 min.

Directed by: Henriette Mantel, Stephen Skrovan

Release Date: January 31, 2007

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DVD Release Date: June 12, 2007

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Flixster Reviews (355)

  • hunterjt13
    November 27, 2011
    hunterjt13
    This documentary tells the story of Ralph Nader's life in the run up to the 2000 Presidential election.
    This film is bookended by liberals, who are incensed at Nader, talking about how he ruined the country and tarnished his legacy. Then, the film details his legacy in length, h... read moreighlighting Unsafe at any Speed and the several other initiatives Nader championed as a consumer advocate. But it eventually returns to a debate about Nader's decision to run in Florida, contrasting liberals' objections with Nader's defenses.
    I found myself liking Nader by the end of the film and dismissing his detractors. Nader's tenacity and moral commitment are things I admire, and the film does too.
    Overall, I think An Unreasonable Man is worth watching because there are reasons to respect this man no matter what his influence on American politics has been.
  • dhetteix
    August 8, 2007
    dhetteix
    The directors really know their stuff, and focus on keeping everything from Nader's perspective. Word has it from the directors that Nader enjoys the movie himself, but mostly spent his screening thinking about other ways of helping society. I'm sure most intelligent people will... read more do the same during the course of this picture. Less Nader biography, more "One Man Can Make A Difference" moral.
  • gator681
    February 4, 2007
    gator681
    [font=Century Gothic]"An Unreasonable Man" is an enlightening documentary about consumer advocate Ralph Nader, starting with his childhood in Connecticut, through his landmark case against the Big 3 automakers, writing "Unsafe at Any Speed", promoting safety and founding numerous... read more public interest groups. Throughout Nader's career, his relationship with Democratic Presidents is cordial starting with Lyndon Johnson and is optimistic when Jimmy Carter is elected, followed by the disappointment when reality sets in. That is followed by the eventual corporatization of the Democratic party through the rise of the Political Action Committees. Even when dicussing his work, the main focus is on Nader's controversial run for the Presidency in 2000. [/font][font=Century Gothic][/font]
    [font=Century Gothic][/font]
    [font=Century Gothic]It is clear that Nader presented a valid alternative to a right-wing party and a week-kneed corporate party in 2000. Through testimony from both supporters and detractors, the documentary makes an excellent case that Nader should not be held as the scapegoat for the results of the 2000 election, as there were many factors involved.(The 2000 Florida shenanigans are barely mentioned.) And please remember that all candidates have to earn their votes.[/font]
    [font=Century Gothic][/font]
    [font=Century Gothic]The documentary seeks to redeem Nader's reputation but he strikes me as somebody without an ego, whose job and life it is to fight the good fight, in saving lives. In short, he does not care about his legacy.[/font]
    [font=Century Gothic][/font]
    [font=Century Gothic]Note: I did vote for Ralph Nader in both 1996 and 2000. [/font]
  • sportsphenom1
    March 30, 2008
    sportsphenom1
    This is must see viewing for every human being that thinks he/she is in the know and for every American that considers himself/herself patriotic. This is "Mr. Smith Goes to Washington" meets Fox Mulder, but a true story, and without the happy ending. In a time in this country whe... read moren we need someone with integrity, honesty, perseverance, and diligence, one needs to look no further than the decades of unrewarded selfless acts of this man. Regardless of your political viewpoints, it is hard to argue that if any politician had an ounce of this man's fortitude, we would all be better off. Once in a while a documentary comes along that changes the way I view the world and moves me to act upon it. This is one of those movies.
  • briley9
    December 14, 2009
    briley9
    This film takes a hard look at Ralph Nader, his rise to prominence as an advocate for consumer change, his twenty year crusade against the corporatization of Washington, and his two presidential campaigns in 2000 and 2004. Nader is a complicated man who speaks truth to power and... read more has done a lot for the people of our country. I admire him a lot and nearly voted for him in 2000 (when I lived in Florida!). I decided not to for political gamesmanship reasons, but I strongly disagree with the people who blame him for Bush. I feel like the two party system is terrible and we need change, and we won?t get it voting for the same old same old.

    My favorite moment in the film is the oscillation between the bitter former Nader fans who blame Nader for spoiling the election and the political scientist who studied Nader?s movements and declared that his strategy was not at all about spoiling. Rabid opinion versus hard fact always makes for good cinema.
  • CHILIcheeseDONUTSwithTUNAonTOP
    September 4, 2009
    CHILIcheeseDONUTSwithTUNAonTOP
    A fair documentary with many interviews with people (including Pat Buchanan!) who have interacted with Ralph Nader throughout his years. The movie starts with a great George Benard Shaw quote, "All progress depends on unreasonable men," a statement with which I certainly agree. T... read morehis taught me a lot about the history of this man. I didn't know GM sent numerous people after him in an attempt to catch him in an uncompromising position (including a few hotties paid to bed him). Also, I didn't realize the amount of influence he had with Carter administration nor the fact that Jimmy apparently later kicked him to curb when he was getting in the way of party politics. He has attacked many agencies within the government in attempt to get them to do the job we give our money to them to do. The documentary kind of bogged down in the middle - maybe if I had more interest in him, I wouldn't have found it slow in parts. In fact, you can tell he actually understand how the system is supposed to work when he says in reference to the Dems trying to bribe him not to run for president, "Voting for a candidate of one's choice is a Constitutional right, and the Democrats who are asking me not to run are, without question, seeking to deny the Constitutional rights of voters who are, by law, otherwise free to choose to vote for me." He would have been a much wiser choice than the joke we are now stuck with.
  • soulxside
    November 29, 2008
    soulxside
    A fantastic documentary about Nader... I think it's really important for people to really know what an impact he's had on our lives.
  • triafnu07
    November 20, 2007
    triafnu07
    Presentation can seem a bit dry at first but if you want to know about who this Ralph Nader guy is this movie does accomplish that. I also like that is also willing to show many different opinions. Some still like him, some used to like him, while others flat out hate him for sup... read moreposedly being the 2000 spoiler. Also because this deals with the 2000 election and Nader's role in it I thought it was interesting to see how hard it is for 3rd parties to try to be heard.
  • victorwantsrevenge
    July 18, 2007
    victorwantsrevenge
    A fascinating documentary about a man I thought I knew about, but didn't know enough to scratch the surface. A true hero to our country and a defender of what we should all want for our lives now and in the future.
  • justindavis1
    July 13, 2007
    justindavis1
    I have been a long time Nader fan and supporter. I voted for him and contributed to his campaigns in both 2000 and 2004. This is a fantastic documentary that everyone should see. There are even some appearances by some perhaps unexpected figures like Patrick J. Buchanan. High... read morely recommended.

View All An Unreasonable Man Reviews

Critic Reviews

Jonathan F. Richards
May 2, 2007
Jonathan F. Richards, Film.com

This fascinating documentary examines the issues raised by Nader's runs for the presidency...that shone a powerful light into our grubby political shadows, and also played a part...that twice put Geor... Full Review

Terry Lawson
April 20, 2007
Terry Lawson, Detroit Free Press

It can't help but remind us that the man Nader prevented from becoming president has since been more instrumental in the war on environmental pollution than any other public figure. Irony abounds. Full Review

Jeff Strickler
March 29, 2007
Jeff Strickler, Minneapolis Star Tribune

This documentary starts out as a fascinating profile of consumer advocate Ralph Nader, but it ends up getting derailed by a political discussion marked by an abundance of whining. Full Review

Bruce Newman
March 16, 2007
Bruce Newman, San Jose Mercury News

The first half of the movie is an absorbing study of this part of Nader's public life, and then it switches -- as he did -- to politics, where the results for both him and the picture are less cheerful. Full Review

Michael Booth
March 16, 2007
Michael Booth, Denver Post

An Unreasonable Man pays true homage to a man of vehemently held ideas by forcing us to engage our brains at the same high level of consciousness. Full Review

Mick LaSalle
March 9, 2007
Mick LaSalle, San Francisco Chronicle

For most of an entertaining 122 minutes, the film simply tells the story of Nader's life and chronicles his struggles and crusades. Full Review

Amy Biancolli
March 2, 2007
Amy Biancolli, Houston Chronicle

Every time a belt gets buckled or an airbag inflates, the movie argues, somebody somewhere has Nader to thank for it. Full Review

J. R. Jones
March 2, 2007
J. R. Jones, Chicago Reader

Though filled with talking heads and clocking in at two full hours, it's thoroughly involving, and its two-part structure explicitly balances Nader's phenomenal career as an anticorporate gadfly in th... Full Review

Michael Wilmington
March 1, 2007
Michael Wilmington, Chicago Tribune

Surely, Ralph Nader deserves better press than he's been getting ever since the 2004 elections -- and the legendary consumer advocate and so-called presidential spoiler receives his due, from both sid... Full Review

Ann Hornaday
February 22, 2007
Ann Hornaday, Washington Post

Nader haters may not be mollified, but An Unreasonable Man, like its subject itself, is a one-stop civics lesson no one should miss. Full Review

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