AllMovie

As co-produced and directed by Keefe Murren and Gabriel Rhodes, August in the Empire State plunges into much of the tumult that characterized and shaped the 2004 Republican National Convention. Murren and Rhodes use a narrative strategy that involves intertwining the stories of two women and one man pivotal to the convention: Latino Republican businessperson Paul Rodriguez, who wants to draw media attention to bolster his run for Congress; freelance journalist Michelle Goldberg, who tries to break through the political hype and understand perspectives from Blue State and Red State representatives; and Poor People's Economic Human Rights Campaign leader Cheri Honkala, who will do anything to draw public attention to the plight of the impoverished - even if it means risking incarceration. Throughout all of this, the directors seek to convey the U.S. caught up in an ugly war abroad, and torn asunder internally.