Henry Fonda for President.

The article focuses on Alexander Horwath's 2024 essay film *Henry Fonda for President*, which explores the complex intersections of American history, politics, and Hollywood myth through the life and filmography of actor Henry Fonda. The film traces themes of injustice, conscience, and authenticity across Fonda’s roles—from iconic characters like Tom Joad in *The Grapes of Wrath* to portrayals of historical figures and political leaders—while situating these within broader American historical contexts, including settler colonialism, lynching, and Cold War tensions. Horwath’s work also contrasts Fonda’s skeptical liberalism with Ronald Reagan’s conservative ascendancy, using archival footage, historical sites, and Fonda’s own voice to examine the actor’s embodiment of moral complexity and his role as a demythologizer of American identity. The film serves as both a cinematic essay and a travelogue, offering an outsider’s perspective on America’s entwined realities and myths.