Review: Pelosi in the House Is a Nepotistic Puff Piece

Though it was released under the “HBO Documentary Films” banner, Pelosi in the House—which depicts Nancy Pelosi’s two tenures as speaker of the House of Representatives—bills itself as a “home movie.” That’s because the film is directed by her daughter Alexandra Pelosi, using candid hand-held footage of the speaker at home and behind the scenes.

The film takes a broad view of Pelosi’s life but devotes much of its run time to the two years her speakership overlapped with Donald Trump’s presidency. As could be expected from a movie made within the family, the film selects the footage most likely to make the speaker look forthright, prescient, and independent.

She works the phones to corral votes for key legislation. She refers