Pete's Log: Fahrenheit 9/11

Entry #1357, (Movies)
(posted when I was 25 years old.)

Meg and I saw Michael Moore's Fahrenheit 9/11 at the Landmark in Bethesda last night. The only show we could get tickets for was the quarter past midnight one. So after dinner we played cards at a coffee shop for a while to pass the time. We got to the theater maybe 20-25 minutes early and found ourselves pretty far back in the line to get into the theater. I've never seen this sort of crowd at a "documentary" before. I guess the controversial publicity Disney gave this movie didn't hurt.

I have to say one thing. This movie was incredibly entertaining. That said, I don't exactly know if it's going to accomplish much of anything. Moore is so up front with his bias and lays it on so thick in the opening minutes of the movie that anybody who doesn't already agree with him will probably be turned off right away. Which is too bad, because there are a few moments when Moore eases up on the propaganda and shuts up and lets the people in the movie tell their stories, which are incredibly moving.

I also was very unhappy to see Moore put dates on clips of the administration when it suited his point and leave other clips undated. I know this movie is less documentary than personal political rant, but I still would hope Moore could get his point across without these less than honest tactics.

But the scenes of Moore driving around DC reading the USA PATRIOT act over the loudspeaker of an ice cream truck or trying to get congressmen to enlist their children in the armed services are definitely amusing. And it was nice to see that Moore did not spare the Democrats from criticism.

The movie may help the Kerry campaign, but only because I think it will motivate more liberals to be active, not because I think it will change many minds.

Regardless, I still want to start my own country.