Cowardice, Not Caution: Why Conservatives Are Failing to Support the Arts

Conservatives, like France during World War II, saw the impending leftward cultural blitzkrieg and surrendered. Hoping to pick up crumbs from the victors, they retreated to ideological sidelines.

Subsequently, conservatives outside the movie industry have criticized Hollywood but remain passive in countering its malign influence.

The struggle against Hollywood’s dominance falls on independent producers who risk everything to expose audiences to viewpoints not rubber-stamped by California cultural overlords.

Harold Fickett has reviewed the book “Making Reagan” by Mark Joseph. The book demonstrates how difficult it is to create a film that expresses conservative perspectives.

Joseph aimed to fill a cultural void left intentionally empty by Hollywood’s groupthink.

In many ways, Ronald Reagan was an obvious biopic subject—alongside Pope John Paul II, he helped bring down the Soviet Union.

Yet in 2005, when Joseph began his project, no major film on Reagan existed. Hollywood’s leftward tilt and the cultural incompetence of the right shared responsibility.

The accepted wisdom in movieland was that Reagan was unworthy of remembrance. Critics dismissed him as a cheerful B-movie actor spouting conservative clichés—an actor who also starred in a movie with a monkey.

Joseph read “The Crusader: Ronald Reagan and the Fall of Communism” by Paul Kengor and became convinced Reagan deserved a film.

Joseph acquired the film rights and embarked on a 19-year journey to turn the book into a movie.

For 15 years, Joseph endured false starts, rewrites, and betrayals. At one point, Nicolas Cage agreed to play Reagan after meeting Joseph but later withdrew his support.

Funding was equally challenging. Joseph declined financiers who demanded creative control, fearing Hollywood would compromise Reagan’s story.

Joseph’s phone rang infrequently with calls from “conservative” wealthy individuals eager to invest in the project.

By 2020, Joseph had grown weary of waiting and began production with only partial funding.

His one advantage was Dennis Quaid agreeing to star as Reagan. He relocated the filming to Guthrie, Oklahoma and commenced production.

This risky move proved fruitful. The film debuted in 2024, achieving a 98% audience approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes and $30.1 million at the box office—reaching No. 1 both in theatrical releases and later on DVD charts.

Left-wing critics attempted to rate the film poorly with an 18% score, but audiences ignored their efforts.

The story of “Reagan” has a happy ending for the film, yet the fight against Hollywood’s corrosive influence continues.

Fickett concludes: “If we are ever to rebuild a healthy culture, it cannot take 19 years to make a movie about Ronald Reagan. Conservatives’ unwillingness to support the arts is not caution but cowardice. Without investment in culture, their ideals may vanish.”