Strange Justice: Discussion

1. Why was the (first) Bush administration so anxious to appoint Clarence Thomas to the U.S. Supreme Court?

2. What was Thomas’s background? Why was he a controversial nominee?

3. What are the arguments in Strange Justice?

How does it approach its subject?

Who is the main character here? Why?

What is the film’s position toward:

Thomas?

Anita Hill?

Ken Duberstein?

The Senate Judiciary Committee?

4. How does the film use and extend the characteristics we’ve discussed of MOW docudrama?

(For more on this film, you can read my article, "Sounding Out the Right: Clarence Thomas, Anita Hill, and Constructing Spin in the Name of Justice")