Michael Moore's movie is a box office smash: The Political 'Fahrenheit' Sets Record at Box Office. Preaching to the choir, or a signal about the election?
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by Michael Froomkin
Laurie Silvers & Mitchell Rubenstein Distinguished Professor of Law
University of Miami School of Law
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This is big. I just saw Fahrenheit 911…. It was intense. The crowd was all sorts of different people, really tough to stereotype. Waiting to get in, people were snaked all around the place in lines that are typically found only at Disney World or the premiere of a Star Wars movie. The crowd turned out to be very interactive, with clapping, gasping, applauding, and so on. There was a standing ovation at the end. This is a POWERFUL movie. I already knew most of what is in there, but its heartening to know that now everyone else in that theatre does too… If this country re-elects Bush, we cannot claim lack of knowledge as a defense.
We know all about him. We know what he said.. We know what he ordered. We know who said what about torture. We know who signed a presidential order claiming the power to unilaterally set aside/ suspend U.S. law and ratified treaties.
I have a feeling there may be a rush to register to vote from those who see this movie. It really leaves you wanting to do something to stop these people.
I changed my registration from Republican to Democrat back in December, and for the first time this year found myself contributing to political campaigns… first fifty bucks to Dean, then fifty to Kerry after Dean dropped out, even though I am unemployed. I have a feeling I am not the only one who has paid attention a little more than the media thinks, and who realizes what is going on in OUR name. One thing is for certain, this movie will lead to a few others like me drawing the same conclusions. Hopefully.
Peace.
Well, as long as the choir consists of more than 50% of the country, its a good idea to get them all singing.
The NYT is reporting that the film will be on twice the number of screens next weekend. So the real test of its reach will probably come in the next two to three weeks. It’s possible they will have more viewers next weekend than they did this weekend.
On the other hand big blockbusters are coming out. It helped Moore that this weekend the only competition was trash like “White Chicks” and “Dodge-Ball.”
I don’t think it will convert anyone, but I agree with a previous commentor that it will energize a lot of apathetic democrats who often don’t bother to register.
Moore made the comment on a talk show, ( I do believe with Katie Couric), that if his film could wake up the choir, that would be a success. Yesterday, when he received word that his film broke two records (first time a documentary was #1 at the boxoffice and becoming top grossing documentary film, in three days no less), Moore thanked the conservative groups and media for making a big deal about Farenheit because it fueled people’s interest and curiousity enough to get them to the theater.
I too hope this film wakes up both sides of the aisle to realize we don’t have to believe everything this administration (and their shock troops) is telling us. Intuition doesn’t always predict reality accurately, but it seems like this is our time. I hope we can make things happen and get Bush out.
Michael, you’ve asked a very good question about whether Moore is preaching to the choir, and most of those commenting on it in the media are too self-interested to trust.
The closest thing to responsible (and I use that term VERY loosely) social science I could find was mentioned in the Washington Post, and apparently there was some poll work done on the people watching Fahrenheit 9/11. But the poll only measured basic demographic characteristics (gender, age), reactions to the movie , and NOT political affiliation. Sigh. Without those data, we can only speculate…
The choir is filled with sopranos–no balls to stand up to islamofascism and defend this great nation.
MP, I take back what I said about you earlier! You’re too much of a hoot to ignore!
A couple of questions, if you don’t mind:
1. Why do you think “islamofascists” far across the ocean are a more salient threat than “neocon-fascists” who already control our government? It seems your disagreement with Moore–and with many posters here–revolves around who the greater threat to our country is.
2. You imply that those who question Bush lack the courage to defend “our great nation.” Except for the tardy invasion of Afghanistan, how have any of Bush’s actions defended our nation? (And you can’t count enemies that Bush unilaterally created either through his lack of diplomatic skills or his preemptive wars against enemies that were not a threat to us).
“Except for the tardy invasion of Afghanistan,…”
You think it should have been done sooner? September 12, perhaps? Or maybe even September 11, while he was still at Booker elementary school?
I don’t suppose you think there’s any need for a President to get authorization from Congress to wage war?
Mark, I think you misunderstand me. My feelings on the President’s war-making powers are thus: he may only unilaterally authorize an attack on an enemy that is en route to attacking us (like, if FDR had learned about the Japanese fleet secretly closing with the Hawaiian Islands in December 1941). He may never otherwise make war without the authorization from Congress in the form of a declaration of war.
But our armed forces nevertheless invaded Afghanistan, and nothing can take that fact back. IMO, at least, that operation had some hope of doing harm to those responsible for attacking us on 9/11. But by the time any military action was taken against Afghanistan, al-Quaida and its allies had lots of time to disperse their operations all over the countryside and overseas (i.e., they aren’t stupid enough to twiddle their thumbs while we made up our minds). Thus my characterization of the invasion of Afghanistan as “tardy.” Perhaps tardiness was inevitable, given the constraints our government must work under in order to function as it should. But I would rather have that than an executive branch that can assume the prerogatives of the legislature and judiciary whenever it damn well feels like doing it–to my mind, al-Quaida would have to wake up pretty early in the morning to match the hurt a home-grown dictatorship can do to us.