By: Valerie Milano – Pasadena, CA (Hollywood Today) 2-20-12

 The interesting and amazing story that is the life of William Jefferson Clinton is studied in depth on Monday 2/20  and Tuesday 2/21 evening in a two-part documentary:  “American Experience: Bill Clinton”.

 The deep look at the life and times of one of our most successful and flawed President, Clinton’s life is studied from his childhood in Hope, Arkansas, his early life with Hillary Rodham and his eventual rise through the political system to becoming our 42^nd President.

 Interviews with dozens of supporters and detractors are put together to study the several faces of Clinton from his worthy and driven goals and accomplishments to his poor choices and extramarital affairs, he was still always the smartest man in the room with the ability to recover from devastation over and over again.

 None of the scandals are overlooked in this film, and particular attention is paid to the Lewinsky affair. His many defeats and losses and sadness are covered heavily through archival footage, still photographs and interviews, the film walks viewers through the Clinton’s many battles. Though the positive events are covered and the fact that he and Hillary are driven by honest idealism and belief that they could get the goals they wanted done for the American people, the cynics and nay-sayers were so strong, and whether or not you are a Friend of Bill, it was difficult not to feel exhausted after viewing this study.

 Producer Barak Goodman talked to HT about the Clinton administration compared to the present administration, “Every battle’s different, of course, and certainly no one can do what Clinton did exactly because he’s sui generis. There is nobody on the political scene now or before him that had the peculiar combination of gifts that he did the ability to connect with the American people: The suppleness, (some people would say use a different word for it), his ideological suppleness.”

 Goodman summed up to reporters: Joe Klein had said it best: “I thought it captured the wild ride that Bill Clinton took us on and that the film hopefully reprises for the viewer. I mean, I think you can’t – I also like one of the final interview bites in the film. It says that Clinton is an argument without end.” Goodman added, “ I like the sense that there was; there is no resolution. There is no sort of conclusion that he is good or bad. It will be argued, you know argued forever, and he’ll go up and down in history’s estimation. But one thing you have to say about it was that it was sheer it was entertaining and it was fascinating and it was an incredible ride.”