Greenstreet does an excellent job of allowing all sides of the debate to voice their opinions, and we hear from many students, UVSC professors, and members of the community discussing how they feel about Moore's pending visit.
We watch a segment from Hannity's appearance, where he engages in his usual liberal baiting, smoothly dishing out his Republican talking points. During a Q&A session, liberal members of the audience are shouted down by the hostile crowd, and people are interviewed afterwards about how they were "embarrassed" by the liberal professors who dared to challenge Hannity — professors who, gasp! Are teaching their children. The horrors!
Orem is definitely a microcosm of the greater debate going on throughout the United States — although more heavily tilted to the right. Back during the 2004 presidential election there was a lot of talk about "red" states and "blue" states, and the differences between the two (red=conservative, blue=liberal). Emotions run high in these political discussions, and it's a bit scary how some of the Republicans in the film are so willing to shut down the discourse, the irony that they stand for American values yet with a cashiers check are willing to stifle a voice of opposition. Or, if the money doesn't work, a lawsuit, as Kay Anderson attempted, wanting to sue the school for spending the money to bring Moore to campus (but, apparently, not for spending money to bring Hannity to campus who, although he waived his usual $100,000 fee, charged his travel expenses to the college), alleging the student government didn't have the authority to spend the funds.
When we finally get to Moore's speech — which is a bit more respectful of his oppostion than Hannity's speech was — he, like Hannity, asks members of the audience to stand. But, unlike Hannity, who wants liberals to stand (for ridicule by the audience, no doubt), Moore asks that veterans in the audience stand for applause.
Article comments
1 - El Bicho
Scott,
This film sounds very intriguing. I was on the fence about seeing it, but you have convinced me that should. Where did you get it?
Also, you have a sentence that reads, "I think the man was spinning was spinning in his grave" Feel free to have the editors remove this paragraph when the error gets corrected.
2 - Scott C. Smith
You can order the film via Amazon.com or directly from the link I provided in the review. And thanks for pointing out my typo! That's what happens when you write something in the wee hours of the morning.
3 - Ken W.
If you belong to Netflix, you can get the film there. It is one of my favorite documentary films.