Atlas Shrugged Part 1

A new film entitled Atlas Shrugged, Part 1 was released on April 15, 2011 and is still in theaters as I write this post. Most people who have seen the movie have enjoyed it in spite of the fact that few movie critics gave it a chance of success. In fact, many movie critics have proclaimed that Atlas Shrugged, Part I has collapsed at the box office.

According to Matt Kibbe from FreedomWorks, "The film is set in a not-so-distant future [2016] in which government has taken control of the means of production, bureaucrats have imposed harmful regulations on business, and turmoil in the Middle East has sent oil prices skyrocketing. Sound familiar?" The movie opened in 300 theaters nationwide and was sent to more theaters the following weekend.

I was pleased to learn that Atlas Shrugged Part 1 was at a theater in my home town and was anxious to see it. I watched the movie and liked it very much. I also enjoyed the book a lot, and the movie followed the book closely in my opinion. I also enjoyed the acting even though there were no big-name actors. Taylor Schilling who portrays the heroine Dagny Taggart is realistic as a beautiful, courageous, and intelligent railroad tycoon. Grant Bowler makes Henry Rearden handsome and likeable - not exactly the feeling I had to the character in the book. Jsu Garcia plays the handsome and rich playboy known as Francisco D'Anconia and fully looks and acts the part. I found the movie to be very enjoyable and felt it was well worth my time and money. In fact, I plan to purchase Part 1 as soon as it is available and will see Parts 2 and 3 when they are available.

My husband enjoyed the movie even though he had not read the book and did not know the story line. After I explained a little of the story line, his only complaint was the sad ending. I assured him that the book has a positive ending and am confident that he will want to see Parts 2 and 3. I considered his interest in the movie to be important because he is not as conservative or as politically involved as I am.

Ayn Rand's classic novel entitled Atlas Shrugged was first published in 1957, and it continues to generate inspiration and controversy. The theme of the book and the movie is the importance of individual achievement in society, and the goal of both is to "demonstrate what can happen when individual achievement is undervalued, suppressed, and demonized" and "celebrates limited government, free markets, and individual liberty."

I am writing this post to encourage you to read Atlas Shrugged and/or go see the movie Atlas Shrugged, Part I. Do not believe the critics of the liberal-leaning media. Especially if you consider yourself to be conservative or moderate, go see the movie.
In my opinion, those who have not seen Atlas Shrugged do not realize what they are missing! I was disappointed that more people were not in the theater, and I fear that liberal/progressive critics have frightened viewers away from this movie. I hope that Americans are not still "asleep" to the perils of our nation. We are not too late to save our nation, but we have to realize the danger we are facing.

Atlas Shrugged, both the book and the movie, depicts the vast damage caused by the application of progressive ideas.