On Screen

March 14 - 20, 2020—3 The Greeneville Sun, Greeneville, TN The Greeneville Sun, Greeneville, TN March 14 - 20, 2020 — 3 2 x 3.5" ad a) greene cnty farmers b) swango's 2 x 4" ad williams electric 2 x 1.5" ad ymca 2 x 1.5" ad doughty stevens 2 x 1.5" ad midway const. By George Dickie It's November 1940 and aviation hero Charles Lindbergh has just defeated Franklin Delano Roosevelt in the presi - dential election. What lay ahead for the people of the United States are deep divi- sions and rampant anti-semitism as the xenophobic populist turns the country toward fascism. That's the alternate history premise of "The Plot Against America," a six-part miniseries premiering Monday, March 16, on HBO. Written and executive pro - duced by David Simon ("The Wire") and Ed Burns ("The Brothers McMullen"), the series views the storyline through the eyes of a working-class Jewish family in Newark, N.J. Herman Levin (Morgan Spector, "Homeland") is a family man and insur - ance agent with ambition and many opinions and he isn't enthralled with the new chief executive. Neither is his homemaker wife Bess (Zoe Kazan, "Ruby Sparks"), especially when they both notice anti-Jewish sentiment roiling in their community during a house-hunting ex - cursion with their sons Philip and Sandy (Azhy Robertson, Caleb Malis). Bess's sister Evelyn (Winona Ryder, "Stranger Things") also isn't particularly crazy about the new president but she is very fond of one of his key support- ers, Rabbi Lionel Bengelsdorf (John Turturro, "The Night Of "), so in the interest of perhaps snagging a husband, the middle-aged woman starts attending pro-Lindbergh rallies, unbeknownst to her family. The story is based on the 2004 Philip Roth novel of the same name, which Si- mon feels has particular resonance today. "I think it's fairly apparent that the po- litical paradigm that's now — not only in America, but internationally you're seeing it, in terms of populism and nationalism and the rise of xenophobia and fear of the other, that's the reason this got made," Simon explains. "... Somebody came to me with the book about five years ago ... and said, 'I think this would make a great miniseries.' And I said to him, 'I enjoyed the novel. It's a nice little artifact. It was fascinating in its moment, but ... that doesn't seem to be our political moment.' "So, you know, how wrong was I?" he continues. "The reason to do this is that ... because of the forces that are now in play politically, the piece is incredibly relevant." Comparisons have been made to the Amazon series "The Man in the High Castle," which imagines life in an America had Axis powers won World War II, but Kazan insists this is a completely different beast. "It isn't about the Nazis conquer - ing America," she argues. "It's about American ideology being turned into a nationalistic, edging on fascistic ideology. It's about how our thinking can be turned so easily and it's really about in some ways the history of our country, those ideolo- gies coming to the fore and that it could happen again." "It will," Simon agrees. "There will al- ways be a moment at which there is some political advantage to saying, 'Somebody is less American.' And you should be wor- ried about that." Celebrity Scoop Celebrity Scoop Division and fascism strike America when 'Lucky Lindy' becomes president Cover Story Cover Story By George Dickie Step onto a "Wicked Tuna" boat and one is almost immediately impressed by how inobtrusive the video equip - ment is. There are tiny GoPro cameras positioned all around the vessel, including in the cabin and on the transom, and there also is a cam- eraman with another GoPro on an extension arm to provide the underwater shots. He or she, too, is good at staying out of the way, generally speaking. But in the case of the video per- son aboard the Fat Tuna, owned and operated by Captain Bob Cook, a newcomer to the Sunday National Geographic series ... well, he couldn't help but get tangled in the harpoon line during a fight with a bluefin. "He stepped on the line and it stopped short of the fish and I didn't get upset," Cook explains. "But then he did it again on the Checking in with Captain Bob Cook same fish. And we were lucky to get a second opportunity at throw- ing the dart at the fish, but to get a third opportunity is almost unheard of and we got a third op- portunity. "And I'll tell you," he admits, "I lost my mind on him, and that's just what you do in the moment. You know, you've got that money on the line and he stepped on it. I was apologetic after, yeah." As for his first season on the Gloucester, Mass.-based series, the 47-year-old native of nearby Beverly says the competition took him and his crew out of the hum - drum of just making a paycheck and into the excitement of vying with holdovers Dave Marciano, Tyler McLaughlin, Sam Law and defending champion Dave Carraro of the FV-Tuna.com for first place. Cook considers Carraro, the five-time series winner, his chief rival. "I would honestly say that Dave is one of the, if not the, best out there," Cook says. "... I like the way that he runs his operation — most of the time. When we're on land, we're friends. When we're out there, we're not friends, and that's because we're out there to both be the best and be No. 1 and be on the top of our game and catch more than anybody else. And that's not always friendly." Name: Robert Roy Cook Birth date: Oct. 7, 1972 Birthplace: Beverly, Mass. Residence: Beverly, Mass. Marital status: Married Largest tuna caught: A 920-pound bluefin. "I have not got a grander yet," he says. Side business: In addition to of - fering fishing charters aboard the Fat Tuna, Cook is the owner of Little Italy Pizzeria in Beverly. Doughty-Stevens Funeral Home 423-638-4141 www.doughty-stevens.com 1125 Tusculum Blvd. Greeneville, Tennessee Established 1892 Serving the community for 127 years! One Y. One Community. Greene County YMCA 423-639-6107 www.greenecounty-ymca.org 921 W. Main St. Offi ce - 423-638-3652 www.gcfarmersmutual.com Get the Protection You Need • Fire • Wind • Lightning • Hail Liability Insurance • Farm Machinery • Barn • Residence • Modular Home "Serving Your Complete Lighting Needs Since 1960" 3195 E. Andrew Johnson Hwy. • 638-2241 Mon.-Fri. 7:30-5:00; Sat. 8:30-12:00 Lighting Fixtures PINK TAG Clearance Sale UP TO 80 % OFF W I L L I A M S E L E C T R I C S U P P L Y

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