The Truth About Joe Biden's Favorite Movie
It's no secret that the United States is currently inundated with political news right now, thanks completely to the conclusion of the 2020 Presidential race between former Vice President Joe Biden and the incumbent President, Donald Trump. On November 7, many news outlets began reporting that Biden had won in his bid for office after overshooting the 270 required electoral votes to become the victor, coming away with 290 total. As a result, he and his Vice President, Kamala Harris, will be sworn in on January 20, 2021, thus ushering in a new era for the country under a new administration.
With his inauguration on the way, now is as good a time as any to get better acquainted with the man who will lead the United States for the next four years. Though it's easy to forget, behind the suits and teleprompters is a real human who is no different from the average Joe (pun intended), complete with common interests and hobbies. That includes having favorite movies, which he made sure to share with CBS back during his Vice Presidential run alongside Barack Obama in 2008.
Here's the truth about Joe Biden's top film pick, Hugh Hudson's 1981 sports drama, Chariots of Fire.
Chariots of Fire inspired hope and dedication in Joe Biden
Set in the United Kingdom of the mid-1920s, Chariots of Fire stars Ben Cross and Ian Charleson as Harold Abrahams and Eric Liddell — two Olympic athletes training for the 1924 Paris games. The film follows their personal and professional journeys, as they navigate the intersections between their religions and their sport in a tale that won a handful of Oscars at the 54th Academy Awards. The movie is a pretty solid entry into the historical drama genre, and certainly left the Avengers-backed Joe Biden impressed upon viewing it.
"Chariots of Fire is, I think, probably my favorite movie," he told CBS over a decade ago, going on to tell why the story struck him as something special. "The truth of the matter is the thing about it, there is a place where someone put personal fame and glory behind principles. That to me, is the mark of real heroism, when someone would do that." At the end of the day, Chariots of Fire is a story about staying true to your convictions, even if it means abandoning the perks that come with being in the history books.
To follow up on his initial comments, Biden also revealed his favorite part of the film. "I think the favorite scene is when he is making the decision and talking to his...about do I do this? What do I do? He so desperately wanted to run, but concluded he couldn't," he explained to CBS, citing this moment of conflict as one of the film's defining features for him. "It was that, you know, that moment of decision, I think that was my favorite scene. I also like the scene on the beach where, you know, he's just running," he concluded.
It's clear that Joe Biden values traits like integrity, honesty, and morality, both in his movies and in the political realm. If he takes notes from Chariots of Fire and the message behind it, he'll undoubtedly serve the US well over the next four years.