America’s Burning Parent Guide

“America’s burning”, Michael Douglas solemnly tells us against a backdrop of riots and rage. Americans are “depressed, dysfunctional, alienated, and powerless”. For 83 minutes, this documentary attempts to describe, diagnose and prescribe a treatment for the country’s contemporary malaise.

America’s Burning is an ambitious documentary, and it has tried to do far, far too much in its 83-minute runtime. Through Douglas’s narration and interviews with a number of experts including Leon Panetta, James Carville, Amy Chua, and Arthur Brooks, the film tries to explore the economic, political and social causes behind the unraveling of American social cohesion and the decline of the citizenry’s faith in democracy.

The script draws a broad net, examining declining patriotism, growing polarization, increasing income inequality, cynical political strategies, runaway political donations, and the decline in civility and a corresponding rise in hate. Unfortunately, none of these issues are investigated in much depth – even a potential American civil war is quickly discussed, with an emphasis on the economic consequences. This film leaves me feeling like I’ve just hopped from slippery stone to slippery stone across a rushing stream. I feel mildly disoriented but haven’t really made it into the depths.

This doc’s other flaw is its habit of making sweeping assertions, without providing empirical backup. Honestly, it feels like a Michael Moore film: his movies have the same problem, in that even when they make interesting points, the invective undercuts the production’s overall message. Paradoxically, although America’s Burning is often passionate about making its point, it is determinedly nonpartisan: adherents to both political parties will plenty to agree with and be incensed by as well. What parents and teachers will not agree with is the movie’s profanity – with a handful of sexual expletives this unrated film has pushed itself into Restricted territory.

Perhaps the strongest theme in this hodgepodge of a film is its emphasis on the roots of hate and the need to cool the temperature of our social interactions. Columnist Arthur Brooks calls for a rise in empathy and the film repeatedly states that what America needs is a “revolution of the heart”. This is a squishy phrase, but the filmmakers seem to be using it as a call for understanding, listening, compassion, and civility. After all, as Ronald Reagan asked, “How can we love our country and not love our countrymen?” It’s a good message: I just wish it came in a more coherent package.