Chief Justice John Roberts, film critic?
Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts has a favorite movie! No, it's not 鈥�Transformers 2.鈥�
At a judical conference in West Virginia last weekend, Chief Justice Roberts was asked about his favorite film, and he confirmed previous reports that it is 鈥�Dr. Zhivago.鈥�
But then Roberts went on and on, waxing lyrical in a very good imitation of a USC film school grad. He praised 鈥淒r. Zhivago鈥� 鈥� a story of a man torn between two women against the backdrop of the 1917 Russian Revolution 鈥� for its 鈥渁stounding鈥� cast, its 鈥渨onderful鈥� cinematography, and its 鈥済reat鈥� drama. Then he began to dissect its themes, among them its message that art endures even in the midst of great peril.
鈥淪ee, once you get me started on 鈥楧r. Zhivago鈥�...,鈥� he said, to general laughter. 鈥淵ou know ... the symbolism of these people triumphing over the Russian winter and the storyline of their fundamental human emotions persisting through human oppression, I just think it all comes together, and it鈥檚 a great story,鈥� he said.
Amazingly, the conference moderator, Judge J. Harvie Wilkinson of the Fourth US Circuit Court of Appeals, admitted that 鈥淒r. Zhivago鈥� was his favorite movie, too. Surely that has nothing to do with the fact that Roberts can sit in judgment of Judge Wilkinson鈥檚 rulings.
Note to Supreme Court nominee Sonia Sotomayor: this movie is widely available on DVD. You know, just in case you are interested.
