Mitt Romney and John McCain are both Republicans, and they also seem to have a similar taste in movies.
Both have used the line, “C’mon in boys, the water is fine,” when asked about a new candidate getting into the race. The line is from the 2000 Coen Brothers movie, “O Brother, Where Art Thou” (In the movie, the character Delmar spoke the line when he took a preacher up on a deal to wash away all his sins, if Delmar would be baptized.)
In a recent telephone interview, Romney’s oldest son, Tagg, explained why he and his dad see something meaningful in that film.
Q. Your blog mentioned your favorite movies. “O Brother, Where Art Thou” is first. Why do you like it?
A. Because it’s very funny and very insightful about the political process. It’s just a thinking man’s political comedy. You can watch it seven times and pick up new insights and see new humor. As you know, it’s based on Homer’s “Odyssey”.
Q. But you enjoy “O Brother, Where Art Thou” as a political comedy?
A. The first three times I watched it, I didn’t see the political stuff as much. My dad uses lines from that movie a lot. Remember the scene where they’re locked in the radio station and Pappy O’Daniel said, “You don’t tell your pappy how to court the electorate. We ain’t one-at-a-timin’ here. We’re MASS communicating.”
And about all the candidates getting in the race, my father says, “C’mon in boys, the water’s fine.”
