Everyones talking about the Benghazi movie. But almost no ones seen it.
“13 Hours,” the Hollywood movie based on the real-life attack on the U.S. embassy in Benghazi, is already rattling the cages of Washington’s political animals.
Conservatives are hailing it as a condemnation of Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton, who was secretary of state during the deadly bombing. It’s the subject of cable-TV chatter.
One minor detail? Almost no one talking about the film has actually seen it.
Unlike with other movies with Washington hooks — think the 2012 movie “Zero Dark Thirty” about the killing of Osama bin Laden — there have been no advance screenings for lawmakers or other “influencers.” The studio has kept the flick close to the vest, with only a few journalists given peeks, and a general press preview scheduled for Tuesday night.
The studio might be trying to tamp down the politics surrounding the film, given the cautionary tale offered by “Zero Dark Thirty”: backlash to the film’s depiction of torture was thought to have played a part in its Oscar snub. (Democratic Sen. Dianne Feinstein of California walked out of an advance screening and later issued a scathing condemnation. )
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But in a town where “Benghazi” has become synonymous with Clinton-bashing, separating “13 Hours” from presidential politicking is probably an impossible mission.
Colin Reed, the executive director of the conservative America Rising PAC, which is hosting a Friday screening of the movie followed by a panel discussion with Sen. Tom Cotton (R-Ark.), says he hasn’t seen the movie, but he’s confident that it will prove to be a powerful tool for shaping public opinion. “By reading the book it’s based on and the early reviews, it seems as though Hillary Clinton’s judgement is questioned, without her even appearing,” he says.
Still, there’s one Clinton critic who isn’t lining up for a ticket. Rep. Trey Gowdy, the South Carolina Republican heading the House committee investigating the Benghazi attack, was asked about it during a Tuesday Fox radio interview. “I will see it at some point,” he said. “My wife has a long list of Hallmark movies we have to see before we get to that point. “
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