California State of Mind: The Legacy of Pat Brown Trailer (2011)

Trailer for the documentary California State of Mind: The Legacy of Pat Brown.

Governor Pat Brown was California’s most important governor of the post-World War II era and the patriarch of the so-called “West Coast Kennedys.” Incredibly, his story has never before been portrayed on film. Now, from a filmmaker in a unique position to tell that story—his granddaughter Sascha Rice—comes a thoroughly engaging documentary of his career and family, and of the times he helped shape. Key episodes depicted include the creation of California’s Master Plan for higher education, the massive state water project that pitted Northern and Southern California against each other, the controversial fair housing act, and Brown’s epic political campaigns against Richard Nixon and Ronald Reagan. Especially poignant are the relationships between Gov. Brown and his son, Jerry (the current Governor), with daughter Kathleen (the filmmaker’s mother and gubernatorial candidate), and wife Bernice.