September 13, 2004
Wrapping up the festival
Jessica and I spent the first part of the day seeing a little bit of Dallas. We ate some Texas bbq, went to the grassy knoll and saw the building from where Lee Harvey Oswald shot JFK. This is the plaque that hangs on the building:
I guess it is because Oswald never went to trial (as opposed to all the theories that claim him innocent) that the word 'allegedly' is included.
We headed over to the festival in the afternoon. The first film we saw was 'Stolen Honor', a film about Vietnam POWs and their feelings on a certain presidential candidate. I know I'm a partisan. I just prefer the Republican party as they seem to represent most closely my own opinions on different issues. This film is not about party. It is about men that spent years (some 5, 6 and 7 years) in POW camps while John Kerry testified that they were monsters. The line in the film that stood out for me was 'he was saying the same things we were tortured to say'. The Swift Boat veterans and the men that made this film do have an agenda but it is not to support the Republican party. It is to destroy the man who tried to destroy them. I got it after seeing this film. I can't understand John Kerry running on Vietnam. I can't imagine why any Vietnam war veteran would support him after he called them rapists and murderers.
After this film, we took a break to the theatre bar. Have I mentioned how much I love the idea of a movie theatre with a bar? Our beer of choice all weekend has been this Texan beer:
After our beer drinking, it was time for the most hyped movie of the festival: Michael Moore Hates America. This movie is director Mike Wilson's love letter to America. As in 'Stolen Honor', this movie has motives outside of parties and who wins an election. Wilson seems genuinely pissed off about Moore's talking down of America. Wilson thinks this is a great country and sets out to prove it. He interviews people in Flint, Michigan- Michael Moore's imaginary hometown. Moore is actually from Davidson, Michigan which, as someone mentions in the film, is 'further from Flint than Beverley Hills is from South Central, LA'.
The movie's most powerful scenes came from Wilson's interview with a soldier that had lost both of his arms, and found himself used in Michael Moore's 'Fahrenheit 9/11'. He calls Moore's film 'propaganda' and said that each soldier knows there is a chance they will be killed, 'we're not idiots' he says.
Other parts of the film that were really interesting included Wilson's struggle with telling the truth to his interviewees. At one point he interviews a city official from Davidson and he asks him if there are any famous people that hail from that city. The official says 'Michael Moore'. Wilson's partner in the film calls him on bluffing the official and Wilson ends up writing a letter of apology and asking for permission to still use the footage. It was kind of touching to see that kind of integrity, the kind that Michael Moore himself clearly lacks.
I don't think Michael Moore hates America, just Americans. I think he would be just fine with this country if it wasn't for all the damn people disagreeing with him. Wilson points this all out in a clever, clear way. The filmmakers are in negotation with distributors right now so hopefully this movie will be coming to a theatre near you soon. I've been saying recently that I don't think Fox News is conservative, just unabashedly pro-American and that that is seen as 'conservative' these days. This film is the same way. It's pride in this country can't be overstated. And it was a great thing to see on the weekend of the third anniversary of our country being attacked, to remember to be happy to live here and how lucky we all are.
Posted by Karol at September 13, 2004 01:04 AM | TrackBackTechnorati Tags:
You neglected to really give much indication of what you thought of Michael Moore Hates America vis-a-vis the quality of the end product itself. That's what I'm really interested in.
Posted by: TribeHasSpoken at September 13, 2004 03:15 AMI thought it was excellent, I thought I had made that clear. It was uplifting and funny and you could tell that the filmmaker was challenged on many levels while making it.
Posted by: Karol at September 13, 2004 04:43 AMShiner Bock truly is the Nectar of the Gods.
Posted by: Shawn at September 13, 2004 09:23 AMGlad to hear y'all had a good time in Texas. Yes, Shiner is good stuff. I have a college buddy now living in NYC who's told me that Shiner is quite possibly what he misses most about Texas.
Did you get to actually make it into the JFK Assassination museum? I took that tour last Fall and it was worth it. Looking out of that window to the spot where the President was shot was a sombering experience.
Posted by: Drew at September 13, 2004 10:20 AM[I think he would be just fine with this country if it wasn't for all the damn people disagreeing with him.]
Yes, I'm sure that's what must be bugging Moore -- some existential problem with disagreement.
[...just unabashedly pro-American...]
So is it possible to be (even unabashedly) opposed to the war in Iraq and still be "pro-American"? Or at least not be accused of being anti-American? Or only if you don't make a movie about it? This is what some people are wondering.
[...that is seen as 'conservative' these days.]
This is rather self-serving, wouldn't you say?
[I don't think Michael Moore hates America, just Americans.]
All of them? Which ones?
Posted by: eh at September 13, 2004 10:57 AMIt is definitely possible to oppose the war in Iraq and still be pro-America. It's possible to oppose Bush on every level and still be pro-America. But these positions do not, in and of themselves, prove any pro-America position. Michael Moore tells people of other country that Americans are idiots, that our country is a disaster area and they we are nothing but violent. These are statements by a man that hates us. Again, he may love democracy and freedom and lord knows he loves our capitalism, but he hates us, and again, in particular when we dare disagree with him.
As for being pro-American being linked with conservatives, I wish it wasn't so. When I see someone with a flag on their lapel, it's almost always safe to assume they are a Republican. Why? Why should it be that way? Another examples is Fox News. As I've written before, there is very little 'conservative' about Fox. They are just pro-American, they want America to succeed and they like portraying America in a positive light. And yet, because of this, they're called 'conservative'. Again, why?
Posted by: Karol at September 13, 2004 01:08 PMI'm with you on Moore- ever since "Roger & Me" my opinion on him is that he'd love America, if it weren't for all those damn Americans.
But come on- OF COURSE Fox is conservative. It's not the flags that bother me, it's that they root for the Republicans the way the YES network roots for the Yankees.
Posted by: Stephen Silver at September 13, 2004 02:00 PMeh:
Oh, yeah... Liberals don't hate America...they're just disgusted by anyone who expresses patriotism in any form. Most of my liberal friends would rather die than have a flag on their car, for example.
As for Moore, as far as I can tell, he hates any American he can't plug into the category of "victim." (The fact that he has gained enormous power and influece, is a multi-millionnaire, and sends his child to private school--all things he despises in others--don't count, somehow)
Stephen, could you provide any examples of newscasters being pro-Republican in any way, say in the same way that Dan Rather is clearly pro-Democrat?
Posted by: Karol at September 13, 2004 07:21 PMKarol, hi! This is Katie, we met at the YCT party on Saturday night :) Just wanted to pop my head in, and give a big thumbs up to your reviews here of Stolen Honor and MMHA. I've added you to my favorites, and I'll try to stop by regularly :)
Posted by: Katie at September 14, 2004 12:13 AMAs a former Austin resident, let me confirm that your taste in Texas beer makes you one of the cognocenti. Lone Star is dreck.
Posted by: Yehudit at September 14, 2004 03:15 AMkarol, any idea how we can see some of these films having missed the festival? thanks for your reports.
Posted by: emily at September 14, 2004 02:46 PM
