In just 20 minutes, this short film gives us compelling insights into the pressure on politicians; into women's rights at the height of the Second Wave of Feminism in the 1960s and 1970s; and the fraught issue of abortion, still a subject of fierce debate in 2023. This is not a drama, it's a true-life story about a noble politician who faces vilification in casting a decisive vote that will make American history. Whether he votes yes or no he will be condemned by a great many people across the country. Finally, we see the importance here of state politics, that a decision made by legislators in Albany - or in Austin, Sacramento or Lansing - will have a national impact. Those debates tend to be more intense, personal and raw than the polite sparring in Washington, and make for great drama as in this movie.
Review of Deciding Vote
