Coming hard on the heels of many recent Presidential orders from the 47th incumbent, this documentary by Nick Beaulieu feels very pertinent as he explores the impasse between his liberal, democratic ideals and his deeply conservative, Trump-supporting father.
They are based in Omaha, a town long torn in two by racism, segregation, and white privilege, a situation Nick Beaulieu understands only too well but which his father Randy sees as wilful misinformation.
A lot of the film consists of conversations between the two, neither giving way on their political differences. Nick documents Omaha’s activism movement that underlines a system where police inertia greets black deaths.
When Randy is diagnosed with stage 4 pancreatic cancer they find an uneasy peace in which Randy heads to his final days worried about his son not ‘discovering the truth’ and Nick sad that his father is unable to see any other side than that of the simple single-mindedness of the MAGA Republican.
It’s clear where Beaulieu Jr. sits on the political spectrum, but he ensures that his father is not presented as a bad man. There is a letter written during Obama’s presidency quoted as an example of Randy’s right-wing beliefs, but family friends reveal a person who could be trusted and relied on.
Watching this from a UK perspective, one which is aware of George Floyd and the risks of gun ownership, as well as the threats to diversity, inclusion, and equity both in Omaha and in the wider United States, I may be missing some nuances in the discussion of the two-party system, but can appreciate the father-son tensions.
Randy Beaulieu dies during filming, without ever really accepting his son could have a different perspective, which feels right for him. But he is never represented as someone to be despised. His conservatism is fed by the media he consumes, for better or worse.
This is a valuable look at the personal and political from the perspective of two people, set against a changing Nebraska.
My Omaha showed at the Slamdance Film Festival in Feb 2025. I reviewed from an online screener.