Posted on 12/29/2004 12:43:00 PM PST by Keyes2000mt
For more than a decade and a half, Michael Moore has been the hunter, preying on politicians, political leaders, and anyone he wants to "expose." First time filmmaker Michael Wilson does a superb job turning the tables on Moore in "Michael Moore Hates America," an ambitious documentary that contrary to its title isn't a flaming anti-Moore screed.
Wilson's film focuses on four central ideas: 1) Pursuing Moore while debunking his lies, 2) Can a Documentary be truthful? 3) the American dream, and 4) the shrillness of our political dialogue.
Taking the second point first, Wilson's anger at Moore centers around his twisting facts to suit his own purposes. A key point of contention is a scene in "Bowling for Columbine" in which Moore makes the audience believe that at the 1999 NRA Convention held in Denver following Columbine, Charlton Heston callously waived a rifle in the air and screamed, "From my cold dead hands" when the statement was made at another meeting.
Throughout the Film, Wilson struggles with how open to be about his film. At first, Wilson is quite open about the film and its title. However, the strength of the reaction he receives leads him to deceive the City Manager of Davison, Michigan (Michael Moore's real hometown) to get some good quotes. Wilson was stunned to find himself being as deceptive as Moore. He sent an apology to the city manager, who did allow him to use the footage. In later segments, Wilson doesn't misrepresent the project but kept the title secret unless someone asked so that he would get an honest answer rather than someone trying to prove that Michael Moore does/does not hate America.
The theme of the American dream was shown not just through success stories like the brief appearances by Former Congressman J.C. Watts and Conservative columnist Dinesh D'Souza, but also those who are fighting for their American dreams. Back in Moore's "hometown" of Flint, Wilson found people working hard to build their American dreams, not simply despairing about how corporations have ruined their lives.
Wilson himself doesn't believe Michael Moore hates America, but plenty of people do Most on the right (excluding David Horowitz) were nervous about making such a loaded allegation. Others were less reserved. When Wilson presented liberal documentarian Albert Maysles with the title of the film, he expected a stern rebuke only to have Maysles reply, "I think he does."
After getting shouted down in his attempt to get an interview with Moore, a dozen or so leftists (of the 7,000 watching) came out to praise Wilson for his courage and to say that Moore behaved badly. Another leftist at an alternative newspaper in Flint said Moore should not be so vicious in his attacks and feared that if Moore "is the face of liberal people in America, we're going to look like a bunch of fools."
The thing that stood out to me is that the leftists Wilson interviews (with the notable exception of Maysles) were uninterested in the truth of Moore's films. When he asks several average liberals on the street what their reaction would be if they found parts of Moore's films were inaccurate, most said it didn't matter or if it did, it still wouldn't change their opinion of the film. As hard as one might wish, a culture of civility can't be established if truth is irrelevant to one side of the political debate.
Wilson's film goes after multiple Moore movie lies and half truths with mixed success. Wilson showed how Moore exploited a disabled veteran in the filming of "Fahrenheit 9-1-1,". However, Wilson's attempt to prove that Moore lied when he claimed to be from Flint (when he lived 10 miles a way in Davison) was a stretch, and Wilson mercifully cut a segment that sought to prove Americans were not just liberals and conservatives, they're moderates too.
The film's greatest success is in revealing the real Michael Moore. Moore's persona as an everyday man in search of the truth will be forever tarnished for anyone who sees this film. When Wilson asked Moore for an interview in the course of a Q & A session at the University of Minnesota, Moore lashed out angrily. In a later scene, a reporter from an entertainment magazine informs an incredulous Mike Wilson that Moore alleged the film Wilson spent his life savings making doesn't even exist.
Moore is shown dodging Wilson's interview when confronted by cable news hosts. He first says that he doesn't appear in anyone's movies but his own (apparently forgetting films such as Lucky Numbers and edTV). A TV host mentioned that Wilson had been in advertising got a sarcastic elitist response from the big Hollywood director. "We need more movies made by advertising people."
Wilson ran a gauntlet of lackeys in Moore's New York City office in his quest to get an interview but came up short, as Moore clearly didn't want to talk. Michael Moore has become Roger Smith. Moore may be many things, but a man of the people he's not.
Magician Penn Jillettte, whose philosophical musings are almost worth the price of the DVD said he is haunted by a phrase from a Bob Dylan song, "Fearing not that I'd become my enemy In the instant that I preach." Moore clearly has become the out of touch elitist that he has for so long vilified.
All in all, the film is a fun movie with a lot of depth and I strongly recommend it. Michael Moore Hates America is available now on DVD. It's rated R for strong language but a family friendly version is available (please note that the Deleted Scenes have not been edited on the family friendly version).
Bump! It is about time for such a film.
Saw it at the Hollywood premiere. Liked it a lot. I would say it's less about how much Michael Moore hates America and more about all of the people that Mr. Wilson meets in the course of trying to interview MM that truly love this country.</p>
Browsing at B&N last night, I noticed a stack of MM books with letters from soldier's families against the war. What an awful person, seeking fortune off the hardships of others like some loathsome great tick. The man really is disgusting.
Bump!
One look at their policy goals will confirm that they're a bunch of fools!
Somebody needs to post the image of the Fat One wearing a suicide belt, from "Team America", on this thread...
Can I get some reviews of this film from average Freepers? Is it worth the cost of a DVD?
Well put and you are so right!
Have you seen the documented Moore material on the web on the Flint "Mike Westfall Papers"?
It was done by the "real" historic Flint rebels who Moore now pretends to be.These people do not like Moore!
It is interesting how an American icon like Ralph Nader would align himself with Moore.
Moore and his ramblings have done a lot of damage to our culture and our society unfortunately keeps enriching him.
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