--- title: John Lewis: Good Trouble Is a Stirring, Joyous Documentary description: The new film by Dawn Porter portrays a defender of democracy who advocates for speaking up even when those in power would prefer your silence. canonical: https://time.com/5861179/john-lewis-good-trouble-review/ author: Stephanie Zacharek article:opinion: false article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2020-06-30T12:00:34.000Z article:modified_time: 2026-02-24T08:56:46.403Z article:section: Entertainment og:title: John Lewis: Good Trouble Is a Stirring Documentary About a Tireless Freedom Fighter og:description: The new film portrays a defender of democracy who advocates for speaking up even when those in power would prefer your silence og:url: https://time.com/5861179/john-lewis-good-trouble-review/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltc1f66d45fb614129/698a0fd6457a5260b6d6424c/john-lewis.jpg?branch=production&width=3840&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 og:image:width: 1200 og:image:height: 675 og:image:alt: john-lewis og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: John Lewis: Good Trouble Is a Stirring Documentary About a Tireless Freedom Fighter twitter:description: The new film portrays a defender of democracy who advocates for speaking up even when those in power would prefer your silence twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltc1f66d45fb614129/698a0fd6457a5260b6d6424c/john-lewis.jpg?branch=production&width=3840&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  # _John Lewis: Good Trouble_ Is a Stirring, Joyous Documentary About a Tireless Freedom Fighter > Sponsored content. 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Terms and conditions apply. * Savings buckets are a feature of Ally Bank's Savings Account. * No ATM fees from Ally Bank at Allpoint and Moneypass ATMs plus we reimburse for fees charged by other ATM owners nationwide up to $10 per statement cycle. * Early direct deposit offers eligible direct deposits up to two days sooner. * Spending buckets are a feature of Ally Bank's Spending Account.  by [Stephanie Zacharek](https://time.com/author/stephanie-zacharek/)  ## Stephanie Zacharek Film Critic Jun 30, 2020 12:00 PM UTC  Congressman John Lewis in the film 'Good Trouble.' Congressman John Lewis in the film 'Good Trouble.'Courtesy of Magnolia Pictures  by [Stephanie Zacharek](https://time.com/author/stephanie-zacharek/)  ## Stephanie Zacharek Film Critic Jun 30, 2020 12:00 PM UTC When [John Lewis](https://time.com/4558795/john-lewis-influential-photo/) was growing up in Troy, Ala., his ambition was to become a minister: He’d practice by preaching to the chicken populace of the family farm. Lewis, who is today the U.S. representative for Georgia’s 5th congressional district, has told that story so often that it’s become something of a joke. But it also says something about his spirit, his faith in the power of communication and his sense of humor, all of which are on display in Dawn Porter’s stirring, joyous documentary [_John Lewis: Good Trouble_](https://time.com/5834312/john-lewis-good-trouble-documentary-trailer/)_._ Lewis is both a [revered Civil Rights hero](https://time.com/collection/2017-time-100/4736273/john-lewis/) and a politician who knows that dialogue and compromise are sometimes key to achieving difficult goals. Those two identities don’t always dovetail neatly. Yet _Good Trouble_ shows that Lewis has never lost sight of the principles that are essential to his country’s survival and well-being: “One of my greatest fears,” he says, “is one day we wake up and our democracy is gone.” To that end, Lewis, now 80, advocates the importance of getting into “[necessary trouble](https://time.com/5087349/why-getting-into-trouble-is-necessary-to-make-change/),” of speaking up even when those in power would prefer your silence. _Good Trouble_ traces Lewis’ story from his youth in the rural South, to his key role in the Civil Rights movement, to his long career in the U.S. House of Representatives. And it shows how many of the freedoms Lewis and his colleagues fought for during the Civil Rights era—just clearing the way for African Americans to be able to register to vote was a Herculean task—are once again in danger. In 2013 the Supreme Court dismantled the landmark Voting Rights Act of 1965 by freeing nine states, most of them in the South, to change their election laws without federal approval. The resulting changes in many states—including the redrawing of districts, a reduced number of polling locations and restrictive voter-ID laws—have turned the clock back on some of the gains Lewis fought so hard to achieve. And he has fought: Lewis was arrested 40 times in the 1960s, and he’s been arrested 5 times since he’s been in Congress. He has been, on numerous occasions, beaten by the police while participating in staunchly nonviolent protests: _Good Trouble_ includes footage from the historic 1965 Selma to Montgomery marches, led by Martin Luther King Jr., that show Lewis with bandaged head wounds. He was one of the original Freedom Riders, a group of activists who rode interstate buses to protest segregation in public buses and bus terminals, and he led the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee from 1963 to 1966\. In November 1986 he was elected to Congress, after defeating his close friend and fellow activist Julian Bond in the August primaries. That defeat strained the friendship, but it was also the beginning of an enduring career dedicated to changing the system from within: Lewis is currently serving his 17th term. Porter’s documentary—which was executive-produced by TIME Studios, along with CNN Films and AGC Studios—also gives us a strong sense of Lewis the man, an individual whose mere presence can change the tenor of a room. There are accolades from his colleagues: “He challenges the conscience of the Congress every day that he is here,” says House Speaker Nancy Pelosi. The camera captures him spryly racing up the steps of the Capitol building, but moving very slowly through an airport: That’s because he can’t walk 10 steps without being approached by someone who wants to thank him for his service and hard work. We see Lewis getting his groove on to Pharrell Williams’ “Happy,” in a video shot by one of his aides during a birthday party his staff had thrown for him. (It ended up going viral.) And Lewis’ fondness for chickens has not abated: His office contains a beautiful wooden bird cage, which he’s filled with chicken figurines, and when he visits his sister’s farm, he eagerly asks if he can feed her flock. _John Lewis: Good Trouble_ shows us an activist and an effective politician—as well as a powerful and passionate public speaker—who has devoted his life to public service, often putting himself at risk to defend basic human rights. It all began with attempts to get small creatures to gather and listen. 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