It’s a work of political fiction, one that ended up including a real-life sit down with then-presidential hopeful Michele Bachmann and a hug from Mitt Romney on the evening of the Iowa caucuses.
Jane Edith Wilson, star of “Janeane From Des Moines,” joined The Last Word Friday to talk about her unique film opening in New York theaters Friday.
The mockumentary follows the fictional character of Janeane Wilson, an avid conservative who goes on the campaign trail in the spring of 2011 in search of a Republican candidate to support. She does this while facing mounting economic, financial, and health difficulties.
“It’s part-fiction, part-reality, just like politics,” Wilson told O’Donnell.
Wilson, with her film crew, is so effective at improvising and acting that a moment she was able to steal with Gov. Romney at a public event ended up on the ABC News evening broadcast. She dramatically pleads with Romney to “save the small families of America.” He tells her that he will pray for her, and that people in her situation are among the reasons he’s running for president.
Reports about Wilson and her encounter were also mentioned by the Des Moines Register, Talking Points Memo, and Washington Post. For O’Donnell, the film’s formula is unusual. “I love this movie, and I don’t know what this movie is,” he said. “Borat” is its only artistic precursor. Wilson’s credits include Curb Your Enthusiasm, ER, and Seinfeld, and several TV ads for Tide detergent and Hyundai. Critics have given the film kudos for refusing “to go the predictable route of ‘punking’ the candidates for easy satire or cheap laughs.”
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