The LBJ School of Public Affairs at The University of Texas at Austin will host an advance screening of the major motion picture LBJ, with special guests Rob Reiner, the film’s director, and Woody Harrelson, the actor who plays Lyndon B. Johnson. Following the screening, Reiner and Harrelson will participate in a panel discussion with American historian and UT professor H.W. Brands. The Honorable Julián Castro, currently the Dean’s Distinguished Fellow and Fellow of the Dávila Chair in International Trade Policy at the LBJ School, will moderate the panel.
The screening, to be held in the Lady Bird Johnson Auditorium at 2315 Red River Street, begins at 6:30 p.m. Tickets are being made available to UT students and more information is forthcoming regarding ticket distribution. Doors open at 5:30 p.m., and seating is on a first-come, first-serve basis.
About the Film
LBJ takes a deeper look at the life and complex legacy of real-life political figure President Lyndon Baines Johnson, the LBJ School’s founder and namesake. After losing the 1960 presidential primary to Massachusetts Senator John F. Kennedy (Jeffrey Donovan), Senate Majority Leader LBJ takes on the role of the Democratic presidential candidate’s running mate—hopeful he can transform the vice presidency into an impactful office.
Though disappointed with the results of that effort, the tragedy of November 22, 1963, changed everything. JFK’s assassination in Dallas thrust Johnson, with his wife Lady Bird (Jennifer Jason Leigh) by his side, into the most powerful office in the world.
Despite the climate of a deeply divided country, as well as a strained relationship with Attorney General Robert F. Kennedy (Michael Stahl-David), LBJ uses his lifetime of legislative experience and an alliance with Texas Senator Ralph Yarborough (Bill Pullman) to honor JFK’s legacy by championing passage of the historic Civil Rights Act of 1964.
“We wanted to paint a more detailed, complex picture of Johnson,” said Reiner. “Hopefully, this movie will enable people to see LBJ in a more human light. Now that I’m older, having spent a lot of time in politics, I’ve come to understand more about what it takes to get things done. I now admire LBJ a lot more than I used to.”
For Harrelson, the legacy of LBJ remains complex. “I can’t even make a judgment on the good or bad of Lyndon Johnson,” he said. “I mean, where can you make a judgment? Vietnam: bad. But the domestic programs he got going—Head Start, the Civil Rights Act, the Voting Rights Act—he pushed through dozens of things. Had he not gotten bogged down in Vietnam, I think Johnson might be considered one of the greatest presidents ever.”
LBJ will open in theaters nationwide on November 3, 2017.
Parking and Accommodations
Parking will be available in the LBJ Library Lot (lot 38 off Red River Street)
Please be advised that LBJ School of Public Affairs events may be photographed and/or filmed. Your attendance constitutes your authorization for the School to use your photograph, voice, or other likeness for purposes related to the mission of the LBJ School including but not limited to marketing and promotion in both print and electronic forms.
Please request ASL or ADA accommodation in advance by contacting Eileen Dunn at 512-232-4010 or via email at Eileen.dunn@austin.utexas.edu