Fahrenheit 9/11

Michael Moore's documentary on the Bush administration after 11 September, the Iraq war, and the connections with the Bin Laden family. The distribution story is no less interesting than the subject. Disney blocked Miramax from releasing it. CEO Michael Eisner told Harvey Weinstein to drop it and Disney sent several letters demanding Miramax let it go, arguing that the 6 million dollar budget required Disney's approval. Weinstein maintained the film fell below that threshold. In the end the Weinsteins bought the rights personally and repaid Disney the 6 million in costs. It won the Palme d'Or at Cannes in 2004, only the second documentary to do so. Weinstein called the reception the longest standing ovation he had seen in over twenty-five years. Whether the prize rewarded filmmaking or politics was argued over; jury member Quentin Tarantino later defended it on the film's merits. It broke records, grossing over 222 million dollars worldwide on a 6 million budget. The opening weekend alone, 23.9 million, exceeded the entire theatrical runs of previous documentaries including Moore's own Bowling for Columbine. Moore appealed the R rating hoping for PG-13. His lawyer, former New York governor Mario Cuomo, was excluded from the hearing and the appeal failed. Critics including Christopher Hitchens challenged its claims, and former New York mayor Ed Koch called it propaganda containing blatant lies. Who it is for: viewers interested in political documentary and the American argument of the 2000s. Who it is not for: anyone expecting balance. This is a prosecution case, not a survey.