"One useless man is called a disgrace; two useless men are called a law firm; and three or more useless men are a congress" John Adams
MoveOn member,
When Fahrenheit 9/11 opened in New York on Wednesday, it broke box-office records, beating out even Men in Black with wall-to-wall sold-out shows. And tonight, despite the right-wing campaigns to stop it, it will open at over 800 theaters across the country -- totally unprecedented for a documentary. Well over one hundred thousand MoveOn members will be there over the course of the weekend, and we hope you can come, too.
But this huge opening for Fahrenheit 9/11 is just the beginning. On Monday night, tens of thousands of MoveOn members are gathering at house parties across the country in "Turn Up the Heat," a nation-wide virtual town meeting with Michael Moore. Together, we'll take the enormous momentum of Fahrenheit 9/11 and channel it into strategic action to win back the White House.
There are over 1,400 house parties planned so far, from Delray Beach, Florida to Salem, Oregon. To find a party near you, or host one of your own, just go to:
http://action.moveonpac.org/f911/
We launched this campaign around Fahrenheit 9/11 because to the media, the pundits, and the politicians in power, the movie's success will be seen as a cultural referendum on the Bush administration and the Iraq war. Together, we have an opportunity to knock this ball out of the park -- to powerfully prove that when someone has the courage to publicly speak the truth, the American people will be right behind them.
Plus, it's a great movie.
To find out where Fahrenheit 9/11 is playing and get tickets, just go to:
http://www.f911tix.com/
And if you do go, don't forget to wear blue -- our way of helping MoveOn members identify each other.
We've attached our take on the movie below. Of course, MoveOn isn't known for our movie reviews, but across the board, film critics have also given Fahrenheit 9/11 very high marks. Here's a sampling of what they have to say:
"As much as some might try to marginalize this film as a screed against President George Bush, "F9/11" -- as we saw last night -- is a tribute to patriotism, to the American sense of duty -- and at the same time a indictment of stupidity and avarice."
-- Roger Friedman, FOX NEWS
"Among the movies everyone should see this year--whatever your film taste or your political bent--Michael Moore's incendiary documentary 'Fahrenheit 9/11' heads the list. 'Fahrenheit' may provoke, delight or divide its audience. But no one will react indifferently to this shocking, sad and funny look at the Bush administration's handling of terrorism and the Iraqi war."
-- Michael Wilmington, CHICAGO TRIBUNE
"[A]n explosive and heart wrenching piece of cinema . . ."
-- Mark Salisbury, PREMIERE MAGAZINE
"It is worth seeing, debating and thinking about, regardless of your political allegiances."
-- A.O. Scott, THE NEW YORK TIMES
Fahrenheit 9/11 may be the most important cultural event of this election cycle. Right-wing groups like Citizens United are complaining that the movie will help defeat Bush. Let's prove them right.
Sincerely,
--Eli Pariser
MoveOn PAC
Friday, June 25th, 2004
P.S. Here's the review I wrote after seeing the film last Tuesday:
Fahrenheit 9/11 isn't just the most powerful and complete indictment of the Bush administration that I've ever seen -- it's one of the best movies I've ever seen. It's a knockout blow: a poignant, darkly funny film that deftly interweaves footage of the President, his allies, and the Americans his policies betrayed. As Fox News' reviewer put it, the movie "is a tribute to patriotism, to the American sense of duty -- and at the same time an indictment of stupidity and avarice." (See
http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,122680,00.html for the full review.)
Despite years of television coverage on Iraq and the war on terror, most of the movie consists of footage you'd never see on TV. There are heart-breaking interviews with troops in Iraq, chilling scenes of the civilian consequences of that war, and footage of Bush so candid and revealing that it's hard to imagine how Moore got his hands on it. In one unforgettable scene from the morning of September 11th, Bush blithely reads a children's book to a classroom of kids for seven long minutes after his chief of staff quietly informs him that the second plane has hit the World Trade Center and "we're under attack." The film is filled with this stuff, and it's hard to imagine seeing it and not being moved, shocked, and outraged.
Fahrenheit 9/11 opens with footage of Bush administration officials putting on their TV makeup. Paul Wolfowitz sticks his comb in his mouth, slathers it with spit, brushes it through his hair, and grins a toothy grin. Colin Powell eyes the camera nervously as a makeup artist dusts his face. And, moments before President Bush goes on TV to somberly announce the beginning of the Iraq war, we see him goofing around, making funny faces at the folks behind the camera.
These candid portraits encapsulate the genius of Moore's documentary. Compared to his other films, there's little pranking or moralizing. Moore basically stays out of the picture: he doesn't have to indict the Bush administration, because with powerful and indisputable video, Bush and the rest indict themselves.
As Moore unravels Bush's story, he joins it with the stories of the real Americans who have shouldered the burden of the post-9/11 war policy. In Flint, Michigan, we hear from a group of inner-city kids whose only option for education and a better life is to enlist in the Army -- and then, in a scene that's both humorous and deeply creepy, join two Marine recruiters as they case a local mall for possible enlistees. We watch a California peace group that was infiltrated by the local police department under the Patriot Act. And, in the final heartbreaking scenes, we witness the pain of a mother who lost her son in Iraq.
In the hands of other directors, the content could easily feel exploitative. But Moore is grounded by a patriotism that rings through every frame of the film. Compassion and love of country give the film its striking authenticity: it's clear that what stings most about the President's behavior, for the subjects of the film, is Bush's betrayal of our country's soul.
Fahrenheit 9/11 is a film with the power to change hearts and minds. It's brilliant, funny, moving, and authentic. And together, we can make it a huge success.
BY MOVEON
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