The U.S. vs. John Lennon (2006)

A documentary on the life of John Lennon, with a focus on the time in his life when he transformed from a musician into an antiwar activist.

Directors:

David Leaf, John Scheinfeld

Writers:

David Leaf, John Scheinfeld

Stars:

John Lennon, Yoko Ono, Stew Albert

2 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
John Lennon	...	Himself (archive footage)
Stew Albert	...	Himself
Tariq Ali	...	Himself
Carl Bernstein	...	Himself
Robin Blackburn	...	Himself
Chris Charlesworth	...	Himself
Noam Chomsky	...	Himself
Walter Cronkite	...	Himself
Mario Cuomo	...	Himself
Angela Davis	...	Herself
John Dean	...	Himself
Felix Dennis	...	Himself
David Fenton	...	Himself
Bob Gruen	...	Himself
Ron Kovic	...	Himself

Storyline

After background about the childhood and youth of John Lennon (1940-1980) and the birth of Vietnam-War protests, the film plunges into Lennon's quest for world peace: compositions such as "Give Peace a Chance", the lie-in following his marriage to Yoko Ono, appearances at concerts, "War Is Over" posters, and plans for a series of concerts in 1972 in U.S. presidential primary states reach newly-enfranchised young voters. This plan for concerts, in particular, led a prominent Senator, the FBI's J. Edgar Hoover, and Nixon's White House to initiate a concerted and illegal effort to deport Lennon. Thirty talking heads, led by Yoko, comment on Lennon and these events.

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Plot Keywords:

briton abroad | subversive | concert | peace | talking head | 

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Taglines:

Musician. Humanitarian. National Threat.

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Genres:

Documentary | Biography | Music | Romance

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated PG-13 for some strong language, violent images and drug references

Details

Official Sites:

Lions Gate Films [United States]

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

7 December 2006 (Netherlands)

Also Known As:

Akte USA vs. John Lennon

Box Office

Opening Weekend:

$69,143 (USA) (15 September 2006)

Gross:

$1,102,937 (USA) (22 November 2006)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Lionsgate, VH1 Rock Docs, Authorized Pictures

Technical Specs

Runtime:

99 min

Color:

Color Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.78 : 1

Did You Know?

Quotes

Yoko Ono: They tried to kill John, but they couldn't because his message is still alive.

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Connections

Features Ten for Two: The John Sinclair Freedom Rally (1971)

User Reviews

Fascinating and Enlightening Documentary

I was in high school in 1980 when John Lennon was assassinated and all I really knew about him was that he was a musician and a member of the Beatles. I found this documentary fascinating, which gave an excellent insight into Lennon's participation in and effect on the anti-war movement in the US during the Vietnam War. I came away with a greater respect of the man and what he tried to do along with with his wife and the pressures they faced from the US government who wanted to silence them. Although some parts were something of a rehash about the anti-war movement in general, the skillful editing along with use of numerous interviews and recorded material still made it enjoyable and informative. One can not help but draw a comparison between this film and message and the on-going debate over the Iraq war, which I suspect was one of the goals of those who made it. I saw this film at a suburban Washington DC theater this weekend, and when one of the interviewees said "John Lennon represented light, and Mr. Nixon and Mr. Bush represented death" at least half the audience clapped. I guess it made its point to this audience. If you get a chance to see it, I highly recommend it.