Fahrenheit 9/11' burns up box office in Knoxville

By MEGAN WILLIAMS, williamsm@utk.edu
June 26, 2004

Hundreds of moviegoers lined up at Regal Downtown West Cinema 8 on Friday night waiting to see Michael Moore's controversial "Fahrenheit 9/11," while dozens of patrons were told every showing of the politically charged film was sold out.

Local Democrats and at least one Libertarian came in carpools to the theater or met outside. Two women held clipboards and registered people to vote, and one woman handed out thick packets of information from Web sites and newspapers about the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist strikes.

In the film, Moore comments on President Bush's performance before and after Sept. 11, and also explores Bush family ties to Saudi oil interests and his motivation for the Iraq war.

Leaving the 5:10 showing of the film, Lori Barnes fought back tears.

"I just can't believe our president would lie to us the way he has," she said. The most powerful thing was "seeing the mother talk about her son (who died in the Iraq war), because my husband was in the first Iraq war."

Republicans have said the film skews the facts and that Moore has a political agenda.

"This movie couldn't be more wrong," Knox County Mayor Mike Ragsdale, a Republican, said Thursday. "President Bush did a magnificent job during the crisis following the cowardly attack on America. Frankly, (Moore's) trying to use the Sept. 11 tragedy for personal gain is reprehensible."

Chad Tindell, chairman of the Knox County Republican Party, said he does not plan to see the movie and thinks it will only be of interest to people who dislike Bush.

"It is portrayed as a documentary but I think most people who've seen it have said it is fiction," Tindell said. "Without question it has political purpose by Michael Moore. Events are slanted and not necessarily correct. They're not factually accurate."

But Kevin Barry, Knox County Chairman for Sen. John Kerry's presidential campaign, said he hopes people will see the movie before judging it.

"Michael Moore's an independent filmmaker and he's not a Democrat, which I think many people get confused about," he said, pointing out that Moore has been critical of both liberals and conservatives.

Libertarian Party member Chris Fortner came to the movie with some local Democrats.

"I'm in tune with them as far as the Iraq situation. I saw 'Bowling for Columbine' and I thought this would be good," he said, referring to one of Moore's previous films.

Waiting in line for the 7:50 show, Chattanooga resident Howie Sompayrac said he was afraid the movie would confirm what he already knows.

"I'm both excited and scared to see this movie because I think it will be mindboggling to see how corrupted our government is," said Sompayrac, who has voted for both Democrats and Republicans in the past. "It's created a big stir among Republicans so I figure he must have something good."

While many went to see the movie because they agree with Moore on political issues, University of Tennessee student Nathan Ault said the film only had entertainment value for him.

"I didn't learn anything from that movie," he said on his way out of the theater. "People who learn things from movies like that are just as bad as the people it makes fun of."

Megan Williams may be reached at 865-342-6397.

Copyright Knoxville News Sentinel 2004