I went to the movies by myself for the first time in over a decade because I thought that you, Dear Reader, would be interested in my take on Knives Out, the politically charged and highly anticipated murder-mystery that is in theaters now. There is literally nothing I won’t do for my audience, including subject myself to the indoctrination of Hollywood moguls in a dark theater at noon with popcorn and no children anywhere. It was a true sacrifice. So I went, fully expecting to hate it. To my dismay and shock, I loved every minute of it and I don’t think that was the director’s intention, at least not in the way I loved it. Here’s the trailer.
The trailer doesn’t give away how political this film is. I heard through friends who saw it that it ventured into my territory, so naturally, I had to go, especially after this description by WalkAway panelist Mikey Harlow:
The Latina illegal immigrant is portrayed as a cross between Jesus Christ, Mother Theresa, and Glinda the Good Witch Of The North. The movie stops every 30 seconds to say what a “GOOD PERSON” she is… I’ve legitimately never seen a movie do that before.
He’s right. It did. I still loved it. [Warning, spoilers follow, but even if you read them it will not ruin the movie for you unless you absolutely can’t know whodunnit. It’s epic.]
Knives Out is an allegory for America’s open borders crisis that has been caused by both Democrats and Republicans who refuse to do anything substantial to address it. In fact, we are where we are due mostly to Republican GOP cocktail party waffling because they are the ones who have held the majority for most of my lifetime. Our betters, the ones with all the power and money, have decided to give America’s inheritance to usurpers who have no legitimate claim to it, do not understand it, who have done nothing to deserve it, nor shown any ability to keep it.
The story is about a wealthy aging writer who has amassed a fortune. His family has benefited from his fortune but also has shown that they are capable and interested in being independent workers. One of the sons runs the author’s publishing company; a daughter has her own business which she started with a loan from her father but has made it profitable. There are a few hangers-on and deadbeats who don’t do much, but on the whole, his family is thriving, mostly on their own, and love him very much. The children, even though grown, still go out of their way to indulge him with “games” he likes to play, like letters with invisible ink and actual board games. They’ve invested love, time, care, and affection into their relationships. They care deeply about their father’s legacy and him personally. No one can doubt this. His children love him. His in-laws, less so, but who among us can claim perfect relations with in-laws?
What the writer does to his family is shocking and unconscionable. The wealthy gentleman decides to change his will and cut out his entire family, not just the deadbeats, but the faithful children who have done right by him. He gives his entire estate to a Hispanic nurse with an illegal immigrant mother. She is a Dreamer. Does this sound familiar yet?
If it doesn’t, you haven’t been paying attention.
When the founding father of the fortune is found dead with his throat slashed in an apparent suicide, the family is thrown into chaos and upset upon finding out they’ve been disinherited. Chris Evans is cast as the grandson, who is ultimately the murderer. This is significant in a very obvious way. He is Captain America. Evans was cast for a specific purpose because of his embodiment of America. Try to soak this in: America murders the father who gave its rightful inheritance away to a foreigner.
Who is the father? The political establishment, of course. This would be Democrats and Republicans, the unibrow party or “swamp,” intent on handing America’s inheritance to foreigners who neither know nor care about America’s founding principals of freedom and individual liberty. The recipients of this massive gift have absolutely no hope of keeping it, unlike the genetic descendants who are rooted in rebellion, freedom, and commerce, and who have a vested interest in continuing their forebearer’s dream. These usurpers come from socialist countries and are accustomed to an overbearing nanny state. They are far easier to control, unburdened by any connection to the 1st, 2nd or any other number of bothersome amendments to the United States Constitution that would hamper a king. They are dependent on the goodwill of the father. They don’t bother with any of that self-reliance crap. Oh no! They are the good and faithful servants of the master, who work for low wages without complaint. They worship him. They do not see his faults nor criticize his methods. Not like those rightful heirs who want to protect a family legacy. Those people are meddlesome. They are difficult. They question authority. They are ungovernable.
The political digs throughout the movie may seem unnecessary, but are they? Yes, a teenaged nephew is described as a “literal Nazi,” who never utters any controversial statement and is clearly lied about. Was that purposeful? If felt so. Perhaps the Nazi-obsessed left is finally realizing they’ve lost touch with reality by calling every conservative person a brownshirt. Yes, a college-aged niece majoring in feminism is shown to be outwardly woke and sympathetic to “the help,” but still ends up being a part of the problem. Yes, the lone pro-borders character played by Don Johnson is shown to be a wife-betraying cad with a knack for making the sainted Hispanic nurse uncomfortable with his heavy-handed political statements about immigrating the legal way. But at the same time, his arguments ring true. America is for Americans. This is more than a throwaway line. It doesn’t exclude immigrants, but seeks to clarify that America’s legacy will only be carried and can only be carried out by actual Americans. Being American is a responsibility, not a geographic location. It is taking on the full weight of the legacy won by our forefathers in blood, who built something great, and promising them that we won’t f*ck it up.
Benjamin Franklin is famous for his answer to the question, “what is this new country you have given us?” His response should ring in our ears every day: “A republic, if you can keep it.” Can we? The answer is uncertain. America is facing the greatest challenge we’ve seen since 1776. Will we go quietly into the night and hand over our inheritance to third world usurpers with no legitimate claim because our betters prefer subservient subjects? Or will we insist, as the rightful inheritors of the American fortune bought by blood, that those seeking to become Americans must sacrifice the personal comfort it takes to understand and appreciate the gift that America is? Will we insist that they too follow in the footsteps of those who pledged their lives, their fortunes, and their sacred honor in pursuit of it, or will we watch the lights of the city on a hill go dark? Becoming an American requires more than an ability to scale a wall or ford a river. It requires a deep understanding of our founding documents and the sacrifice that was made to see those unique rebellious ideas come to fruition. It requires a deep respect for our laws and the understanding of the responsibility we have to take up arms against governments that have become unbearable. It also means that our lawmakers should respect those seeking to come here legally and enact reforms to make that process easier. They’ve had decades to fix this and yet they refuse. They choose to give it away instead of demand that it is earned. Damn them.
The question, American, is what do you choose? Never forget that this nation was founded by a handful of men who decided that individual liberty was worth everything.
Knives Out is a great movie. It was so good that even with a full-to-bursting bladder I sat there, uncomfortably refusing to go to the bathroom because I had to see where it was going (and for a woman who has had three babies, this is a situation that could go to DEFCON 5 at any moment). Do not miss this movie. Even if you don’t wax patriotic like I do after seeing it, you’ll still enjoy it. Five stars, two thumbs up, and one Uncle Sam pointer-finger approval. I WANT YOU to see this movie and let me know if I’m not 100% accurate.
Megan Fox is the author of “Believe Evidence; The Death of Due Process from Salome to #MeToo.” Follow on Twitter @MeganFoxWriter
