It was supposed to be a night to celebrate the work of documentary makers in Hollywood, including the 10 films nominated for Oscars in both the feature and short documentary categories. But the conversations at the International Documentary Association annual gala were pretty dark as many of the filmmakers talked about the tough subjects they broached, including young soldiers killed in Iraq and prisoners tortured in U.S. detention camps.
No one was more down, however, than Michael Moore, even though his film “Sicko” on the failures of U.S. healthcare has brought him his second Oscar nomination and new success at the box office.
“Not much shocks me in this country,” said Moore, who famously scolded President George W. Bush for taking the United States into war in Iraq when he won his first Oscar in 2003 for “Bowling for Columbine.” “The level of my disappointment is so profound, I don’t know how we’re going to crawl out of the hole we’ve dug ourselves in. I’m hoping we can do that — a lot of good people in this country, and I’ve got to believe that we’ll find our way.”
Moore wasn’t very generous about the 2008 presidential contenders either, though he did tell Reuters that “the two Democrats have many fine qualities.” He has not endorsed either Sen. Hillary Clinton or Sen. Barack Obama.
“I think the American public has been so bruised and battered over these last eight years, they’re going to stagger into the voting booth in November, they’re going to look for whoever the Democrat is on the ballot, that’s who they are going to vote for and the Republican are going to be removed in a huge way.”
Asked if he was counting the days to January 2009, when the next president will take office, the burly Moore said: “The only thing I am counting now is calories … trying to be healthier.” With that, he patted his belly and worked his way through a crowd of faithful followers.
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5 comments so far
Michael Moore is the Quentin Tarantino of American documentary films in that they have both released films that have raised the bar in their respective film genres.
- Posted by Cy NicalHowever, both have also lost credibility after becoming caractures of their former self due to the publicity they crave and both are guilty of trying too hard to be ‘cutting edge’.
Michael Moore is a good filmmaker who has opinions that start out as controversial and then become mainstream. Now, four years after Fahrenheit 9/11, the points he made in that film are accepted by almost everyone: Bush and his people lied to the Americans about “weapons of mass destruction” in Iraq. Bush manipulated public fears and exploited the events of September 11 to convince people we had to invade and occupy Iraq for our own safety. In 2004 this was considered cynical and biased. Now, only about 30% of the American people don’t believe it.
Moore’s views on the American for-profit, “health care” system, primarily designed to enrich insurance companies and their investors, is now considered radical. Sometime in the future, it will be considered mainstream as well.
But when you point out truth, you’re going to enrage some people. That’s just the way it is. Time will continue to prove Moore right.
- Posted by Steve NesichIt’s so funny that when people like Michal Moore, who has the money and the ability to publish the truth in the form of a documentary other people slam them for wanting publicity. Politicians lie every day and get their face plastered all over TV and newspapers, and are always hungry for publicity, but nobody slams them for that, while they steal our money. Michael Moore isn’t stealing anybody’s money. People go see his documentaries because they want to.
The truth hurts, but just because some don’t want to see the truth doesn’t make what he (or anyone else, like Eugene Jarecki) says any less true. It is like in the Bible, where prophets are always most hated in their own societies. And in this country, telling the truth suddenly makes you unAmerican, unpatriotic, and treasonous, if you do not agree with Bush. I never saw anything like this before in America, and frankly, am sick of the last eight years of Bush and his fascism, and sick of 23 years of the Republican brand of fascism, and I will not be staggering to the voting booth. I will be running full tilt to vote Democrat, just as I voted Democrat in the mid-terms.
Better dead than red. I hope Michael Moore gets the Oscar, because he really deserves it for turning a light on in the dark room this country has become under eight years of Bush rule.
- Posted by Truth HurtsMichael Moore is a good filmaker if Britney’s a good parent.
- Posted by C ThunderWow. It never fails to surprise me when people don’t understand. The average American seems to forget how easy we we have it in the US of A. Some of you really need to see how other people on this earth live. How many of you are really concerned on where your next meal is going to come from? None of you! Unless you are spending all of your money on cars, cell phones, Internet, a house that is too large for your budget, cable TV, etc.
- Posted by A VoterSpend some money and invest in yourself. Put money away for a “rainy day” and save before you buy. Live and enjoy what you have today instead of what you don’t have.
I want more, more, more. It’s pure selfishness and nothing else.
Like global warming - very stuck up of us to think we can control the environment.
WAKE UP AMERICA