Greg Whiteley, a director who spent six years filming Mitt Romney for the documentary Mitt, might have delivered Gov. Romney the presidency had his footage aired prior to election night. While that might be a touch of a stretch, there is little doubt based on a preview released by Netflix, Inc. (NASDAQ:NFLX) for its upcoming documentary that will be released on January 24, that Mitt Romney isn’t the robot that millions thought. That’s not to say that Romney is not a calculating politician that went to great lengths to present himself in a specific image, be it in a tux or “mom jeans”, just that his preening and grooming doesn’t tell the whole story.
Film shows the human side of Romney
The film, that will fittingly be debuted in Utah at the Sundance Film Festival, shows a side of “Mittbot” that almost seems human. In the preview, you see a Mitt Romney that you might enjoy having a beer with sometime. Not that he would have one with you, but you get the point.
On election night you see a dejected Romney and family that includes one of his sons saying, “I can’t believe you’re going to lose.”
Romney, looking to bring some brevity to this dejected realization, asks a question that he had hoped never to ask: “What do you think you say in a concession speech?” And then somewhat surprisingly, Mr. Romney asks with a joke, “By the way, does someone have the number for the president? I hadn’t thought about that,” and starts to laugh.
Netflix documentary covers span of 6 years
When Romney watches Mitt he may kick himself for not giving more and more Americans the access to himself that he gave to a filmmaker. Greg Whiteley had access to Romney starting Christmas 2006, as the former Massachusetts governor prepared for his 2008 bid for the GOP. His exclusive access to Romney and his family ended on election night 2012, as the Republican conceded the hard-fought race to President Obama.
Beyond the hotel scenes on election night, Netflix, Inc. (NASDAQ:NFLX)’s trailer, released on Wednesday shows a vulnerable, fun, Romney. A man unafraid to iron a shirt while he’s wearing it, a man who likes to play in the snow, a man who gets cold and needs a “blankie” on his tour bus.
A man, not a robot.
