On the stage, screen and street.

The only difference between Hollywood and Washington is that, while audiences understand Hollywood's leading men and women to be acting, this same ability to distinguish fantasy from fact disappears when the executive producer is Uncle Sam.

This is true, but not the whole truth. For example, I know that Keira Knightley was merely acting in Pride & Prejudice, but I still ended up crushing on her. I know that is was really the character she played, Elizabeth Bennett, that appealed to me, but I still give other films a glance just because she is in them. Similarly, even when we do understand that the actors in Washington are just playing roles we can still end up with irrational affection, or even hatred, for the characters they play. People are like that.

Worse perhaps, in many ways it wasn't Keira Knightley or Elizabeth Bennett who appealed to me, it was the direction of Joe Wright and the music of Dario Marianelli. My dear Elizabeth was well displayed and accompanied. But, knowing all of this and more, my heart still stirs when I see the film . . . again.

Fortunately, politics sucks and I have never had any interest in politicians. This is a blessing for a romantic like me since I'm so easily moved.