"Fahrenheit 9/11" is not the movie fans or foes were expecting

[wyldwolf]

But why should we hear about body bags, and deaths, and how many, what day it's gonna happen, and how many this or what do you suppose? Or, I mean, it's, it's not relevant. So why should I waste my beautiful mind on something like that? And watch him suffer."
— Barbara Bush on "Good Morning America,"
March 18, 2003


SHE needn't have worried. Her son wasn't suffering. In one of the several pieces of startling video exhibited for the first time in Michael Moore's "Fahrenheit 9/11," we catch a candid glimpse of President Bush some 36 hours after his mother's breakfast TV interview — minutes before he makes his own prime-time TV address to take the nation to war in Iraq. He is sitting at his desk in the Oval Office. A makeup woman is doing his face. And Mr. Bush is having a high old time. He darts his eyes about and grins, as if he were playing a peek-a-boo game with someone just off-camera. He could be a teenager goofing with his buds to relieve the passing tedium of a haircut.

In your wildest dreams you couldn't imagine Franklin Roosevelt behaving this way 30 seconds before declaring war, with grave decisions and their consequences at stake," said Mr. Moore in an interview before his new documentary's premiere at Cannes last Monday. "But that may be giving him credit for thinking that the decisions were grave." As we spoke, the consequences of those decisions kept coming. The premiere of "Fahrenheit 9/11" took place as news spread of the assassination of a widely admired post-Saddam Iraqi leader, Ezzedine Salim, blown up by a suicide bomber just a hundred yards from the entrance to America's "safe" headquarters, the Green Zone, in Baghdad.

In particular, the movie's second hour is carried by the wrenching story of Lila Lipscomb, a flag-waving, self-described "conservative Democrat" from Mr. Moore's hometown of Flint, Mich., whose son, Sgt. Michael Pedersen, was killed in Iraq. We watch Mrs. Lipscomb, who by her own account "always hated" antiwar protesters, come undone with grief and rage. As her extended family gathers around her in the living room, she clutches her son's last letter home and reads it aloud, her shaking voice and hand contrasting with his precise handwriting on lined notebook paper. A good son, Sergeant Pedersen thanks his mother for sending "the bible and books and candy," but not before writing of the president: "He got us out here for nothing whatsoever. I am so furious right now, Mama."

http://www.nytimes.com/2004/05/23/arts/23RICH.html?pagewanted=2

[NYCGirl]

1. Wow. (eom)

[Terran]

2. I can't wait to see this! n/t

[Political_Junkie]

3. Great article,

thanks for the heads up.

[burythehatchet]

4. It sure sounds like this may have an impact in November

[Alerter_]

5. This is going to be so huge

wow

[AP]

6. Man, you can tell Frank Rich isn't worried about job security at the NYT.

Good for him.

[powergirl]

7. UNBELIEVABLE ARTICLE

I am waiting with baited breath to see this masterpiece. Once the movie is released in the US, I am going to invite a group of my progressive friends (Actually down here in Texas it's not that large of a group!)to a viewing party.

God bless those poor souls who died and their families. I'm glad Michael Moore is going to shine the light on the Administration so we can see them scurrying about trying to spin this one.

:mad:

[Radical Activist]

12. The spin will start now

Pretty soon every conservative talk show host, every Republican leader and office holder will be bad-mouthing Moore. We'll all hear about what a liar he is and his big publicity stunt with the film distribution. They'll make sure no Republican steps a foot into the theater to be exposed to its message, and everyone will make up their mind about the film without having ever seen it.

Don't invite your progressive friends to see it. Invite any Republicans you know to see it because the right wing media will be hard at work making sure they don't.

[powergirl]

16. That's a good idea,

I'll invite the republicans I know. They are just misguided and especially the women republicans I know are not happy with the war and Bush's position on women's issues - but they are still trying to hang on to him. This movie could push them over the edge. I don't get in their face about their convervatism. I just listen and give my opinion when asked. I've suceeded in the conversion of a few friends and my 68 year old dad with this approach. I like your idea!

[SpaceCatMeetsMars]

21. They must have started it already because

my MIL was saying 2 weeks ago how Michael Moore is just so awful, which is a big laugh coming from somebody who listens to Limbaugh and watches Fox News all day!

[nostamj]

8. bravo!

here's the pic of the POS before making the 'war' announcement:

[powergirl]

17. That picture reminds me of those cat clocks with the shifty eyes

You know how the eyes move east to west as the tail wags. HA!

[beyurslf]

9. I got chills reading the article.... WHEN CAN I SEE THE MOVIE already!

:)

[Eric J in MN]

11. Michael Moore wants July 4, 2004, but Michael Eisner keeps

Michael Moore wants July 4, 2004, but Michael Eisner of Disney keeps raising the price/conditions for selling the movie to Miramax, which could delay it.

I don't know if Michael Eisner is motivated by greed or he wants to help Bush or both.

[nostamj]

13. simple: he's motivated by GREED to help BUSH n/t

[CityZen-X]

19. Pirate F/911

If their plan is to delay the release of Fahrenheit 9/11 then maybe someone should let a copy out to be pirated and copied so it can be disseminated.

[Eric J in MN]

10. Frank Rich is optimistic that the movie will be released soon, since

Frank Rich is optimistic that the movie will be released soon, since there is a lot of money to be made.

I hope he's right.

[the_real_38]

14. Man, looks like he really nailed them ...

... this time. If he can just get it out at the right time, I think some people are really going to see what's going on over there.

Including me.

[lanparty]

15. Great IDEA!!!!!

We need VOUCHERS that can be purchased and given as gifts. They would be movie passes that are good for "Fahrenheit 9/11" only.

People could identify those "on the fence" and make these vouchers gifts for them.

[schyzo-nas]

18. Palme d'Or.

The film won the Palme d'Or at Cannes, biggest prize. Michael Moore is speaking at the moment.

[Bombero1956]

20. how about

a second Academy Award for Moore. I know it will be after the elections but this is just as powerful a film as Bowling for Columbine.

[FreakinDJ]

22. Sequel to Farhrenheit 911.........Iraqi torture by an American President

looking forward to seeing it