Brooks sees future in Ossoff

Albert Brooks, the 79-year-old director of 'Lost in America,' has watched the political landscape shift and believes his 2011 novel, 'Twenty Thirty,' has become a roadmap for the future. While the book predicted weight-loss drugs, self-driving cars, and a generational rift, the prediction that struck Brooks as most chilling was the election of a Jewish president. He drew a direct parallel between that fictional candidate and Georgia Senator Jon Ossoff, noting that both men share a Jewish father and a non-Jewish mother. Brooks called a close friend upon seeing Ossoff’s final campaign speech, exclaiming, 'God damn it. My entire book is going to come true.'

The novel, written in 2010 and published in 2011, features a candidate named Matthew Bernstein who wins the 2028 election. Brooks argues that Ossoff produces a similar political energy to that of Barack Obama’s emergence. He believes voters are drawn to Ossoff’s ability to speak directly about economic concerns like pocketbooks and Medicare, rather than religious identity. 'People are desperate to have someone talk to them intelligently,' Brooks said, adding that Ossoff’s captivating delivery allows him to bypass the usual questions about religion or background.

Brooks also sees the fictional conflict between young and old citizens as playing out in the real world. In the book, younger generations resent the older population for consuming national wealth. Brooks points to Europe, specifically France, where he says this revolution is already on the ground. He argues that as life expectancy extends to 120 years through medical advances, the burden on 25-year-olds to support 75-year-olds will intensify. The gig economy has replaced long-term employment, making healthcare and financial stability difficult for younger workers, a dynamic Brooks feels is accelerating in the United States.

The director views artificial intelligence as a tool that delays inevitable economic adjustments rather than solving them. He questions what roles will remain for humans once robots take over manufacturing, joking about a future where people are paid $20 to clean robot wheels. This aligns with his skepticism of universal basic income proposals, which he views as insufficient for a population that does not know how to sit idle for decades. He notes that while the 'Big One' earthquake from his book has not yet occurred, the slow pace of rebuilding after recent fires in Pacific Palisades and Altadena confirms his prediction that the country struggles to respond quickly to major disasters.

Brooks has attempted to bring the story to a wider audience through television. He presented the project as a series to FX before the pandemic, and the network bought four episodes. However, the show sat in development limbo for three years and did not survive the studio’s shifting priorities. Brooks still considers the book a vital narrative for understanding the current moment, particularly regarding the fragmentation of news sources and the loss of shared truth. He believes that until the public sees the story on screen, they will not fully comprehend the scale of the societal changes he predicted.

The director remains confident in his assessment of the presidential race. He does not know if Ossoff will win in 2028 or 2032, but he observes a widespread desire among people he meets for a leader who can undo current political chaos. 'I haven't seen a person who so many people that I run into say, "Oh boy" he said, looking for a candidate who can speak to voters without cliches. For Brooks, Ossoff’s combination of physical presence, intelligence, and communication style represents the specific package he envisioned 15 years ago.