DVD Review: Hesburgh

Father Theodore Martin Hesburgh, president of the University of Notre Dame for thirty-five years, was an incredibly influential figure who had a talent for creating bridges between people, between ideas, even between nations, and had an important impact on the civil rights movement. He was, as is said at the beginning of the documentary Hesburgh, “one of the outstanding figures of the twentieth century.” This film tells his story, which is also – because of his impact – largely the story of the country in the last century. It is an excellent documentary about a remarkable individual.

The film is narrated by Maurice LeMarche as the voice of Father Hesburgh, a title card at the beginning of the film telling us, “Narration inspired by the writings and recordings of Reverend Theodore M. Hesburgh, C.S.C.” How much of that narration is exact quotes from Hesburgh, and how much is loosely inspired from his words, we don’t know, but the narration certainly has the ring of truth and feels trustworthy. Hesburgh’s story is also told through many interviews with family members, colleagues, journalists and even students, and is presented in chronological order. A bit of background information is provided – about his wanting to be a priest from the age of six, for example – but the film focuses on his time as president of the University of Notre Dame.

Hesburgh was considered something of a renegade from the perspective of the Catholic Church, and the documentary provides some interesting information about the fight for religious liberty. It is also interesting that President Eisenhower appointed him to the National Science Board to advise him and Congress on science. He was also brought in on the issue of the nuclear threat in the 1950s, invited to speak to both the Russians and Americans to build a bridge between the two nations. As Ted Koppel says, “Father Hesburgh had an extraordinary ability to reach across lines.” That ability comes into play again and again.

The documentary touches on several important topics, because Father Hesburgh was involved in many issues, and the film moves quickly from the nuclear threat to civil rights. Hesburgh was part of the presidential commission addressing civil rights, and that issue becomes a central concern of the film. The documentary includes footage from Alabama at the time when that racist George Wallace was running for governor. It is still shocking that the members of the commission were refused accommodations in Alabama, even at the military base (until Eisenhower stepped in). Even more shocking is that the commission found that not a single black citizen in Montgomery County was registered to vote, though many had tried. Perhaps not as shocking is the fact that Eisenhower refused to turn the findings of the commission into law. What is fascinating is how the issue was handled by succeeding presidents, particularly the methods LBJ used to get civil rights legislation passed. The film includes footage of Hesburgh speaking at a civil rights rally with Martin Luther King in Chicago.

Not that Father Hesburgh was always on the right side of issues. The documentary gets into the anti-war protests on campuses in the late 1960s, and Father Hesburgh’s questionable way of handling students who engaged in them on the Notre Dame campus, a method that earned him praise from Richard Nixon. But soon he found himself on the opposite side of issues from Richard Nixon, who actually removed him from the civil rights commission. Yet again it was Hesburgh’s skill of bringing people together and bridging divides that came strongly into play regarding protests against the war. And this documentary leaves us with the thought that we could certainly use Father Hesburgh right now, as the nation feels more divided than ever before.

Special Features

The DVD’s special features contain a lot more footage from interviews, including more with Ted Koppel, more on admitting women to Notre Dame, and some interesting material on Hesburgh’s response to criticism from a student. There are approximately twenty-three minutes of bonus interviews.

The special features also include footage of three important speeches held on the campus of Notre Dame – President Eisenhower’s 1960 commencement remarks, Martin Luther King Jr’s 1963 speech, and Father Hesburgh’s 1987 commencement remarks. The sound drops out for a moment in Martin Luther King’s speech, but it is great to have this footage included. This footage is approximately twenty-four minutes.

The documentary’s trailer is also included.

Hesburgh was directed by Patrick Creadon, and was released on DVD on September 10, 2019 through Music Box Films.