I just watched HBO’s Confirmation, which told the story, but mostly the back story, of Clarence Thomas’ appointment and ultimate confirmation as an associate justice to the U.S. Supreme Court in 1991. Unlike my reaction to FX’s The People v. O.J. Simpson, which I found much too painful to endure, I found Confirmation oddly validating and inspiring, even as it steered clear of taking a hard side. Some reviews have described it as boring, particularly compared with the 10-hour O.J. miniseries. (I’ve only watched one episode.) But I had lived through the salacious version of the confirmation story – the real-time television saga of 1991. I was glad that in the age when reality TV pervades every aspect of our lives, including presidential politics, a historical drama could be produced without hysteria in every scene. I was happy to see Kerry Washington, whom I’ve loved since I first saw her in Save the Last Dance, show her understated emotional range as Anita Hill, and Wendell Pierce’s controlled and searing portrayal of Thomas under siege. Jeffrey Wright as Charles Ogletree was an added treat.
Back in 1991, I wrote a few columns about the Thomas, Hill and the confirmation process. Here’s one that imagines a big screen portrayal of the hearings, with a bit of commentary on Hollywood.
Copyright: The Boston Globe, October 1991.
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