Favorable Reviews for Fahrenheit 9/11

Link courtesy of Drudge Report

Editor & Publisher

Editor & Publisher surveyed 54 newspapers around the country, and 48 of them had favorable reviews. Looks like the film reviewers like the movie, even though Farenheit 9/11 has received brutal treatment from the national media, at least what I have seen.

For example, on Friday, NBC News featured an absolute hatchet job by Lisa Myers. The entire piece was Lisa Myers saying "The film says this, that is not true" over and over. No proof of her assertions, no alternative point of view. ABC News did a similar hit piece, cutting away after each assertion about what the film said to Richard Clarke saying "That is not true." Again, no proof of Clarke's assertions, no alternative point of view. These are supposed to be news broadcasts. Yet Moore is criticized because he does not present both sides of the story.

Moore's point is that the media has been telling one side of the story for four years, now he is telling the other side. Moore's movie is as much a criticism of the mass media as of President Bush.

By contrast, on Friday PBS News Hour had two film critics discussing the movie. The critic from the New York Post was very critical of Fahrenheit 9/11, while the critic from the Los Angeles Times had a very positive view of the movie. That is the way controversial issues should be presented. Give both sides of the story.

I predict that Fahrenheit 9/11 will be a strong contender not just for best documentary, but best picture, at next year's academy awards. Michael Moore could also be up for best director. Imagine if Moore won three oscars. Could America survive three acceptance speeches from Michael Moore in one evening?