Moore movie prompts more political debate
Connie Cone Sexton
The Arizona Republic
Jul. 1, 2004 12:00 AM
Phoenix resident Jon Barker had pretty much made up his mind on who would get his vote for president.
Seeing the red-hot Fahrenheit 9/11 on Tuesday night sealed the deal.
Dustin Riley, 18, caught the film the same night at a Scottsdale theater. The Republican emerged shaking his head but calling filmmaker Michael Moore a "master at wordplay."
Chandler resident Brian Johnson, 47, went just to see what all the controversy was about.
With T-minus four months to the Nov. 2 election, moviegoers are flocking to the film, breaking records along the way. Fahrenheit's debut weekend drew in .5 million, making it the highest-grossing documentary in history, with filmmaker Moore even surpassing his earlier smash, Bowling for Columbine. And with a three-day weekend at hand, theater owners are bowing to the demand.
Nationwide, the movie is expanding from 868 to 1,710 theaters.
Spider-Man 2's opening may slightly cool the Fahrenheit frenzy, but the pending election should keep the political film a top ticket.
Voters are waking up to the looming election and are focusing on the main choices for president: Republican incumbent George Bush or Democrat John Kerry, a senator from Massachusetts. And many are rushing to see the film like they're cramming for a final exam.
There is still so much uncertainty among many Americans about the war in Iraq "and whether we should still be there," said Joe Foote, a professor in the Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication at Arizona State University. "With the run-up to the presidential election, anyone who is politically involved would want to see this movie, including those who are undecided but have heard things about it."
Pop culture prompting more interest in politics? "I think it's a positive development," Foote said, especially if "entertainment media spurs somebody's curiosity and makes them seek information."
Keith Olbermann, who hosts Countdown With Keith Olbermann on MSNBC, thinks the most likely impact on voters probably won't be on those politically astute people who see the film, who probably have their minds made up anyway, but on undecided, underinformed people who catch the movie because it's a box-office attraction.
"They may be substantially influenced," he said.
Valley residents this weekend will find it easier to catch the film.
Dan Harkins, chief executive and owner of Harkins Theatres, is adding five more screens, bringing the total to 13. He is confident that Fahrenheit 9/11 will match its total from last weekend.
"I think this baby is going to stay even in the second week," he said.
Harkins said he received a half-dozen letters supporting his decision to show the film. He said he never considered passing on the movie, though one angry letter writer threatened to boycott his theaters.
The documentary label has generated debate, with some critics charging that Moore didn't provide a balanced look at Bush. Moore doesn't hide his outrage at the president as he gives the film's narration.
Despite the debate, Harkins said he is "always going to show it."
"I think moviegoers have a right to see it and make their own decision," he said. "And furthermore, I think moviegoers are intelligent enough to make their own decision."
For 20-year-old Jon Barker, seeing the film was a mode of research. "It saved me hours looking up information on the Internet," the ASU education major said. "It put it into perspective."
His choice for president? Barker, a registered independent, is giving his vote to Kerry.
Riley, the 18-year-old Valley resident who questioned Moore's filmmaking methods, didn't think Moore said anything false.
"He's a master at wordplay. He's great at taking clips and quotes to twist and display what he wants to get across. And it's convenient that this is happening in an election year. My friends are all arguing about it."
Johnson, a Democrat, is supporting Kerry. His take on the Moore film? "There are very few non-biased documentaries."
Only a handful of calls complaining about the movie has come in to the Republican Party headquarters in Phoenix.
"They are calling to vent frustrations, not really (to) ask questions," spokesman Colin McCracken, 22, said. "A lot of people are perceiving the movie as nothing but a two-hour attack."
McCracken said he is curious about the movie and plans to see it. "I'll have to see it during a matinee. I can't justify paying full price."
He understands the allure of the film. "It's creating a buzz, and that's what people want to see."
Registered Republicans Jeff and Karen Miller of Scottsdale were not impressed. They caught a showing Monday night.
They support Bush and did not applaud, like some moviegoers have been, during the closing credits.
"When people started clapping, it made me nauseous," said Jeff, 40. "It was obvious that almost the entire audience were people who subscribe to Moore's point of view. Although there were some things I didn't know about, the movie showed extremely poor taste."
Karen, 38, said that she saw one man get up and leave. "I thought about walking out, too, but I wanted to see where Moore was going with this."
Arizona Gov. Janet Napolitano gave Fahrenheit 9/11 two thumbs up.
You might think that's a predictable review considering that Napolitano is a Democrat and has been frequently mentioned by pundits as a possible running mate for Kerry.
But Napolitano said she liked the film more because it was well-made, rather than for its relentless attack on Bush, adding, "Regardless of your political persuasion, it's just a good movie."
