AllMovie

Discover how language impacts our lives and our political discourse in this documentary featuring Academy Award-winner Sean Penn. When we speak, every word we utter is connected to a concept. This is known as "framing," and it influences our language on every level. By repeating certain phrases, the speaker holds the power to shape ideology, behavior, and the thought process in the listener. The system has been proven to work, but the key is to understand why "framing" is so effective. George Lakoff is a professor of cognitive linguistics at the University of California, Berkley and the author of Moral Politics: What Conservatives Know and Liberals Don't and Don't Think of an Elephant: Know Your Values and Frame the Debate. He's been dissecting conservative dialogue for the last 25 years, and now he shares that information with the public by revealing precisely how the conservatives have been perfecting their ideas and language. If you've ever wanted to understand the real message behind framed speaking, here's your chance.