Regards, Ivan
Posted on 07/01/2004 10:40:16 AM PDT by MadIvan
Walt Disney, which refused to distribute Michael Moore's controversial Fahrenheit 9/11, is using the Fourth of July holiday to launch a feelgood feature film about the American people.
Borrowing a tactic from the grassroots campaign that made Mel Gibson's The Passion of the Christ a surprise hit, the media giant has used early screenings for select groups and is encouraging people to "spread the word" about the patriotic film, with invitations, posters, and guidelines for group outings on its website.
America's Heart & Soul, which opens today on 100 screens across the US, offers a flag-draped look at the country. The 88- minute film, directed by Louis Schwartzberg, is told through the voices of "ordinary Americans with extraordinary stories": an Olympic boxer, a blind mountain climber, a dairy farmer and an aerobatic pilot.
Disney's support for America's Heart & Soul is in stark contrast to its treatment of Fahrenheit 9/11, a caustic and critical portrayal of the Bush administration which Moore hopes will motivate disenfranchised voters to help oust the president in November.
Michael Eisner, Disney's chief executive, last year told executives at Miramax, the company's independent subsidiary, that he would not approve the release of Moore's film. Shortly before the Cannes film festival, Eisner repeated his edict, sparking accusations of censorship and a row with Miramax's founders, Harvey and Bob Weinstein, all of which helped to fuel the publicity for Fahrenheit 9/11.
The Weinsteins eventually bought the rights to the film with their own money and distributed it through Lion's Gate and IFC films. Last weekend, Fahrenheit 9/11 raked in $24m (£13m) at the box office, a record for a documentary. By Wednesday the release had been widened from 868 to an estimated 1,200 screens, and total takings had expanded to almost $36m.
Despite the film's treatment of Bush, rightwing critics have generally kept quiet about it, not wanting to give Moore further ammunition for claims of attempted censorship.
In the new film, Disney says Schwartzberg has tried to capture "both the unparalleled beauty of the land and the incomparable spirit of the people".
Indeed, Disney is being anything but bashful about the spiritual aspects of the film. Telephone callers to its advance ticket sales office may order a free bible study guide designed to go with the film.
"It's a peek into someone's heart, a journey into the soul of another human being, and a thrill ride into the sights and sounds of our cultural diversity," adds Disney of America's Heart & Soul. Continuing with the Independence Day theme, Disney's Buena Vista Home Entertainment is promoting new DVDs for the holiday weekend, including Walt Disney on the Front Lines, including rare training and propaganda films created by Disney Studios during the second world war. Other new DVD releases include Miracle, the true story of the 1980 US Olympic hockey team, and American Legends, animated films about heroes of US history.
The heroes profiled in Legends include Johnny Appleseed, the American icon who planted trees across the country, and Casey Jones, the train engineer who delivered the mail in record time.
Regards, Ivan
Ping!
Someone screwed up and thought the object of a corporation was to make a profit.
Did Hell freeze over in Disney World?
Now this is a movie that I might pay to see.
Matinee, of course.
Glenn Beck was talking about this movie today....told his listeners to see it.
What a strange sentence. Further ammunition for claims of attempted censorship.??????
BTTT
That's just...strange. It smells wrong.
How so?
Strange doesn't begin to describe this.
This HAS to have been written by Moore-niacs. Decidedly leftist smell to it.
Regards, Ivan
Regards, Ivan
These focus groups if used correctly would show that about 30% of Americans hate America. You can't successfully run a Disney directed to that perverted group.
To run a successful Disney, Disney will have to appeal to the larger group. Then, your comment below becomes the priority if Disney is to survive:
"Someone screwed up and thought the object of a corporation was to make a profit.!"
Good for them.
Red
Looks like this one will be a good one.
Thanks, Ivan.
Yep. I can't imagine Disney offering "bibles" under any circumstances with Eisner in charge.
I will say I have a copy of "Miracle" and I highly recommend it.
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