Kelly Reichardt talks Night Moves

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Night_Moves_%282013_film%29

I love well made movies but wonder if the arts actually gear us up to act in the world or instead may provide us with the kind of relief/catharsis that drains from us the the very anxieties/pressures that might spur us to action? So too with blogging/commenting/tweeting, are we taking moral vacations or getting to work? People say all the time that some work of art changed their lives but what would be an actual example of someone getting politically involved as a result of such an experience, anyone out there have a case to share?