Let Us Watch! : The Trials of Ted Haggard

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We watch movies. Some of us forget that we watch movies. This is a place where we can make little annotations, lists, ratings, contemplations, etc. after we watch a movie. A movie should be honored that we spend some of our precious lifetime with it... A movie is an investment, usually, of at least two hours of our life (not including traveling to the film, contemplations, discussions, etc.). Anyway, feel free to share with us the films that you watch. Feel free to share as little or as much as you wish about the movies that you watch. Send an e-mail to bonnaroojo@gmail.com for an invite to join Let Us Watch. Oh yeah, please include your name with each post..

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The Trials of Ted Haggard

by pianorollblues February 15, 2009

The Trials of Ted Haggard: a film by Alexandra Pelosi

This is a 42 minute documentary chronicling some of the life journey of Ted Haggard, formerly Pastor Ted Haggard of New Life Church and formerly one of the spiritual advisors for the George W. Bush White House. This documentary focuses primarily on some tribulations for Ted Haggard following his admission of sexual and substance practices that led his church to exile him from Colorado and his church.

While watching Ted’s difficulties in finding and maintaining employment I can not help but think of Willy Loman from Arthur Miller’s Death of a Salesman. Megachurches, personal sexual battles, and ostracism are all topics that interest me.

This was quite the watchable documentary, it did suffer from my watching it in the same day that I also watched Born Into Brothels. This documentary is far less cinematographic, more sparse, and substantially less inspiring than Born Into Brothels. Just as some viewers who may hold negative feelings about George W. Bush can find themselves somewhat liking George W. Bush as a human when watching Oliver Stone’s W., some viewers who hold negative feelings about Ted Haggard may find themselves empathizing or sympathizing with Ted Haggard on some levels. This documentary, like all good documentaries, should encourage most viewers to think as they view it. What you decide to think about (in regards to Ted Haggard, sexuality, ostracism, mega-evangelicalism, family dynamics, faith, addictions, shame, psychology, etc.) when watching this documentary will be based on your own life journey.