A Shift of Opinion

There are a number of problems with these vignettes, ranging from the individual characterizations of the men involved to the superficial nature of the historical details of the events being discussed. Sheppard overacts in portraying O. Henry as a barely coherent alcoholic. It is not credible that a person as "drunk" as O. Henry would be engaged in any serious discussion with the likes of Mark Twain and William Hearst, let alone Teddy Roosevelt or even Schiff. The performances don’t engage the viewer to care about who the character is and what he has to say. In a number of the scenes, the dialogue seems contrived to present a particular socio-political viewpoint without any explication or depth. [more]