Richard Linklater has never shied away from sharing a political opinion. And with the upcoming elections dominating the airwaves over the next month, the filmmaker, like many other US citizens, wants to involve himself however he can to make sure that his voice is heard. How better for a filmmaker to voice a political opinion than by making a film?
Linklater is responsible for the new political ad from the PAC “Fire Ted Cruz” that does exactly what you might think an ad from that organization might do. The 30-second ad focuses on one Texan sitting in a diner talking about Senator Ted Cruz and describing why he laughs when the politician is described as “tough as Texas.”
READ MORE: Richard Linklater Shooting A Mysterious New 1960s Set Movie
Basically, the man argues that Ted Cruz took Donald Trump & Company’s attacks and didn’t fight back. Instead, Cruz ending up “kissing their ass.” The Texan gets fired up and says that Cruz should have stuck a finger in their chest “and give them a few choice words.”
This isn’t the first time that the award-winning director stepped behind the camera for a political ad. Linklater also directed an ad opposing the controversial Texas Bathroom Bill that would have made it illegal for trans people to use their preferred bathroom. The ACLU teamed with the director for the ad last year.
As for what Linklater has coming up on the feature film front, he’s also stayed busy. He is putting the finishing touches on his next film “Where’d You Go, Bernadette,” which is expected to hit theaters next spring. In addition, there were talks of a new, mysterious ‘60s-set film that the director was working on in the state of Texas, as you might expect.
Watch the “Fired Ted Cruz” ad below (as well as last year’s Bathroom Bill ad):