The temperature where freedom burns!
In this film, muckraker Michael Moore turns his eye on George W. Bush and his War on Terrorism agenda. He illustrates his argument about how this failed businessman with deep connections to the royal house of Saud of Saudia Arabia and the Bin Ladins got elected on fraudulent circumstances and proceeded to blunder through his duties while ignoring warnings of the looming betrayal by his foreign partners. When that treachery hits with the 9/11 attacks, Moore explains how Bush failed to take immediate action to defend his nation, only to later cynically manipulate it to serve his wealthy backers' corrupt ambitions. Through facts, footage and interviews, Moore illustrates his contention of how Bush and his cronies have gotten America into worse trouble than ever before and why Americans should not stand for it.
TRIVIA:
In May 2004, Michael Moore announced that Disney (which owns Miramax, the film's distributor) had officially prohibited Miramax from releasing the film and expressed his frustration that the film was being stifled. Disney said that the decision had been made a year earlier in May 2003 when it told Miramax that it would not be willing to distribute the film. Disney chief executive, 'Michael Eisner' , said that Moore was announcing it at that time to create publicity for the film's screening at the Cannes Film Festival. Moore claimed that Eisner had expressed concern that the film might jeopardize tax breaks granted to Disney for its theme park, hotels, and other ventures in Florida, where Jeb Bush, President George W. Bush's brother, is governor.
Footage showing US Soldiers boasting about the adrenalising music they listened to during the invasion of Iraq is taken from the documentary "Soundtrack to War" by freelance Australian photographer and artist George Gittoes.
Director Trademark: [Michael Moore] [flint] Marine recruiters look for volunteers in Flint, Michigan.
Ray Bradbury, author of "Fahrenheit 451", has voiced his displeasure at Michael Moore appropriating the title of his book. Ray Bradbury is the author of "Beyond 1984," a title adapted from the Orwell novel, "Another Tale of Two Cities," a title that references a Dickens title, and "Something Wicked This Way Comes," a title that quotes Shakespeare's "Macbeth."
On the first submission to the MPAA, the film received an "R"-rating. Michael Moore, stating that if kids that are 15 or 16 years old right now may be drafted to fight for the war in Iraq, they should be able to see this movie. Former New York State governor Mario Cuomo appealed to the MPAA on Moore's behalf to request a "PG-13" rating. The appeal was not successful, and the movie ended up with the current rating of R for "some violent and disturbing images, and for language".
After its official showing at the 2004 Cannes Film Festival the movie was given what has been called "the longest standing ovation in the history of the festival". Although the exact length of the applause is a matter of debate, journalists at the screening have reported it being in the area of 15 to 25 minutes.
Moore interviewed American contractor Nicholas Berg, who was later kidnapped and killed by insurgents in Iraq, but removed the interview from the final cut. He said that the interview would not be released to the media and dealt privately with Berg's family.
Michael Moore retained Chris Lehane, a Democratic Party strategist or opposition research, used to discredit detractors. He also hired outside fact-checkers of The New Yorker to vet the film. He has consulted with lawyers who can bring defamation suits against anyone who maligns the film or damages his reputation.
Became the widest number of screens for a documentary three weeks in a row:
Opening weekend (week of June 25-27, 2004): 868
Second week of release (week of July 2-5): 1,725
Third week of release (week of July 9-11, 2004): 2,011
The highest-grossing documentary in its opening weekend: $23,920,637 (equalling the three-month run total of Moore's last film Bowling for Columbine (2002))
Moore said his film is targeted at "the 50 per cent of the American people who don't vote. Are they the elite? Are they the rich? Are they the well-educated? They are the poor, the working class, the single moms, the young people and the African-Americans."
The song used in the trailer is "I'd Love To Change the World" by the band "Ten Years After".
Ranked number one in American box office receipts despite being on the fewest number of screens than its mainstream competition.
The first documentary in history to debut at number one at the box office.
Michael Moore approved the film to be downloaded onto computers, because of his need for the film to reach every potential American.
The segment with Bush talking about the nations of the world having to condemn the terrorist actions while he was golfing was about the suicide bombing in Israel on 4 August 2002 in which 13 people died in a bus that was bombed.
First ever documentary to cross the $100 million mark in the United States.
Broke Rocky III (1982)'s record for the biggest box office opening weekend ever for any film that opened in less than a thousand theaters. The record was broken again in 2006 by Borat: Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan (2006).
The story read in the classroom on 11 September 2001 was "The Pet Goat" by Siegfried Engelmann in the textbook Reading Mastery 2, Storybook 1.
The music used at the beginning of the film (amid the chaos of the September 11 attack) is "Cantus in Memory of Benjamin Britten, for string orchestra and bell", written in 1977 by Estonian composer Arvo Pärt.
Was nearly disqualified for Oscar consideration because of a July 2004 airing on Cuban television. After this was revealed to be an illegal broadcast from a bootleg disk, the Academy cleared it for eligibility.
Due to an agreement between Walt Disney Co. and Miramax Films, roughly 60% of the net profit generated by the film will be donated to charity.
A headline from the Pantagraph (a newspaper in Bloomington-Normal, Illinois) dated 19 December 2001, is shown in big letters to read, "Latest Florida recount shows Gore won election." In fact, the only time those words appeared in that newspaper was in a headline over a letter to the editor dated 5 December 2001.
Moore decided not to submit the film for consideration for the Best Feature Documentary Oscar because he wanted to attempt to have it broadcast prior to the US Presidential Election on 2 November 2004 and the rules for that Oscar dictate a longer waiting time for an eligible film to be broadcast. In addition, since he already won an Oscar in that category, he felt the above reason took precedence and he might as well let other documentarians have a fair chance at the award. Instead, Moore announced his intention to have his film compete in the Best Picture category which has less strict submission rules.
Michael Moore states in the film that only one member of Congress has an enlisted son in the Armed Forces. That member is South Dakota senator Tim Johnson, a democrat.
The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences changed the rule for Best Feature Documentary nominations after this film was knocked out of consideration for airing on television. The new rule qualifies films for Oscar consideration even if they are shown on television, provided that they are given a minimum of 25 commercial theatrical exhibitions in 15 states.
Michael Moore was still fighting with the MPAA over their verdict of giving the film an "R" rating during time it was being played in limited release. Because of the MPAA's indecision, the film was initially released as "Not Rated" until the surprise box office success and inevitable wide release. Moore lost his bid for "PG-13" and the film carried an "R" rating from then onward
Rated #3 of the 25 most controversial movies of all time. Entertainment Weekly 16 June 2006.
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