April 15 inspires a coupling: tax day and ‘Atlas Shrugged’ premiere

April 15 is the day when even clear heads grow muddled over the amount of money due the federal government. Nonpayers of income tax don’t have the muddle—they get refunds in a best case scenario. On April 15, 2011, however, there will be a counterweight to the roundup of federal revenue. On that day the film ‘Atlas Shrugged’ (Pt. I) will premiere in cities in California, Colorado, Florida, Illinois, New York, Texas and other states.

‘Atlas Shrugged’ is based on the novel by Ayn Rand. Bringing the lengthy novel to the screen had to be one of the greatest challenges in contemporary film-making, one reason the film will tackle only a part of her novel with (hopefully) additional films to air.

Many readers realize how prophetic Rand, who died in 1982, was in her fictional work revolving around themes of individualism and capitalism. A primary motif in the novel is the central idea of the sacred contract between individuals—an exchange of goods or services for labor. Rand’s novel depicts the ultimate failure of a government bent on managing wealth for political power to the detriment of both rich and poor.

The novel was first published in 1957. Now, 54 years later, people still bring up Rand’s iconic question—“Who is John Galt?”

The US Report featured stories about a businessman who erected a billboard with a John Galt message on I-95. Those stories are among the most popular at this website.

A news release about the film 'Atlas Shrugged' said a new company, The Strike Productions, was formed for the purpose of bringing the novel to the screen.

Rand’s works continue to sell well more than half a century after publication.

The official website for the movie 'Atlas Shrugged, Pt. 1' has select clips. There’s also a simple form you can complete to request the movie in your area.  The site provides a list of cities where the film will be shown and new cities are added on an ongoing basis. If you're a fan of the novel, you may need to go activist to lobby for a showing in your city. Rand's themes are in direct conflict with the majority of statists who control the US film industry, one reason that industry more often than not turns out mediocre works.

There’s a review of the film 'Atlas Shrugged' posted at Big Hollywood; the review is largely positive.

As Main Street eyes an ever-expanding centralized government, Rand’s words will strike home with people who are concerned about the impact of central power on individual liberty.

Forbes has an excellent analysis of the welfare state. Lawrence Hunter writes in an essay Rand would likely approve:

“The central dynamic of the welfare state is constant redistribution and political reallocation of resources.  The pursuit of equality is the philosophical justification behind which this organized theft hides.

Ultimately, this game leads to a fiscal crisis of the welfare state as the political dynamic stimulates an insatiable appetite for forcibly taking resources from other people to be allocated from the center to satisfy political demands.  As the wheels and vacuum pumps of the redistributive welfare state grind and suck, they create enormous political friction and massive economic inefficiency.”

If that reasoning sounds familiar, you know John Galt.

Related Articles and Sites

The Ayn Rand Institute
Authoritative site on Rand's works at the Center for Individual Rights. The site has a remarkable collection of photos of Rand at various ages.

John Galt billboard fits the times
The US Report launched a successful effort to find out who erected the billboard.

(Commentary by Kay B. Day/March 14, 2011)