Stewart Udall: The Politics of Beauty

According to the website, BullfrogFilms.com, this 2023 film is about “the life and legacy of unsung hero Stewart Udall, one of America’s most effective environmentalists in his role as Secretary of the Interior protecting our shared natural heritage and beauty.

The Politics of Beauty examines the trajectory of Udall’s life from his childhood through his Mormon mission, his World War II service, his student years at the University of Arizona, his time in Congress, and then, most significantly, his years as Secretary of the Interior under the Kennedy and Johnson administrations, focusing on his effectiveness as a dedicated, bi-partisan public servant. The film introduces us to the early inception of modern environmental politics, to figures like Aldo Leopold, Rachel Carson, and David Brower. Udall fought tirelessly against greed and injustice, and for the protection of our planet and its natural beauty. Throughout the film, we see how Udall’s ideas evolved, best illustrated in his conversion from a pro-power dam Arizona representative to the Interior Secretary who dealt the death blow to more proposed Grand Canyon dams. He acknowledged his mistakes while also doing his best to find common ground within the political process.
After his work as a politician, the film highlights his long fight to win compensation for Navajo Indians and “downwinders” who acquired cancer from their exposure to radiation during the Cold War atomic bomb testing – without being warned of the dangers. Udall was also a well-respected author who called on all Americans to move away from our emphasis on economic growth and consumerism toward quality of life, and a new political ethos centered on beauty, simplicity, appreciation of nature and the arts, and a recognition of Earth’s limits – a message that still resonates today!”