'Atlas Shrugged' Movie And The Rampant Rise Of Ayn Rand-O-Mania : NPR

'Atlas Shrugged' Movie And The Rampant Rise Of Ayn Rand-O-Mania : NPR

"Burns says: "I think the movie is going to reinforce that Rand is not just a novelist, but a propagandist." And the film "will provide a clear window into the ideas and ideals that are motivating a segment of today's political right. As such, I think it will be eye-opening for viewers from all parts of the political spectrum."

Rand's dystopian tale taps into the fears of conservative Americans about government spending, deficits and the social priorities of a Democratic president like Obama, Burns says. "On the one hand, Rand's popularity points to the vigor and growth of the American right, particularly as seen in the Tea Party. On the other hand, it points to a certain intellectual weakness amid the conservative movement, given that their leading intellectual is a novelist who has been dead for almost 30 years."