What America Needs: From Sea to Shining Sea

在这部纪录片中,向500个人询问了"美国需要什么"这个问题。导演兼制作人在后9/11时期，使用火车、巴士、活动房，从纽约到洛杉矶，走访9个州。在整个过程中，只询问这么一个简单的问题。得到的回答有的简单，有的复杂，有的滑稽，就如同每个被访者的个性那么多样。
　　然而，在这次旅行结束时会发现，的确有几个被关注的主题会反映过去几年在美国发生的事件和对未来大选之年的期望。被访者的真挚和体贴使得这部电影早已不仅仅是一部旅行纪录片或反映典型日常生活的影片。它其实是一种发人深省的，用来洞察美国人到底是什么人，以及他们的天性和直觉怎么反映出来。
　　整个电影的编排就是导演自己旅程，他避免去影响受访者的回答，包括他们对“美国需要什么”的解读。这是一次非常值得的旅行。
　　That is the question asked to more than 500 Americans in the documentary What America Needs - From Sea to Shining Sea. Filmmaker Mark Wojahn traveled, post 9/11, from New York City to Los Angeles by train, bus and motor home, visiting 9 states to ask Americans from all walks of life one simple question. The responses were sometimes simple, sometimes complex, sometimes funny, and as varied as the individuals and characters he met. By the end of the journey, however, it appears that several themes do emerge as Americans reflect on the events of the last several years and anticipate the upcoming election year. The sincerity and thoughtfulness with which people responded makes this film more than a travelogue or slice-of-life documentary, rather it is a thought-provoking look at who Americans are and what they instinctively know. Wojahn's personal journey is woven throughout the film, yet he resists influencing the responses of the interviewees, including their interpretation of the question, "What does America need?" It is a journey worth taking with him.