Hollywood Hearts Hot-Button Issues
By
Brigid Brown
|
Monday, October 06, 2008
HOLLYWOOD - With the presidential election nearing and the campaigns heating up it’s not surprising that Hollywood is coming out this fall with a slew of political movies hitting all the hot-button topics.
From religion to patriotism, gay rights and the presidency of George W. Bush, directors are wearing their political colors on their sleeves, using comedy, true stories and fantasy to send not-so-subtle messages to Americans preparing to choose between Democrat Barack Obama or Republican John McCain on November 4, reports Reuters.
"There is a sense now that these political films can really be successful, and they're a genre aimed at one side of the political spectrum or the other," Robert Thompson, professor of media and popular culture at Syracuse University, tells Reuters.
Next week, controversial director Oliver Stone lands his satirical biopic W. that attempts to deconstruct Bush's faith and marriage and the days leading up to the 2003 Iraq invasion.
"We don't attempt to shape society, but we do reflect it," said Tom Ortenberg, executive producer of W. "The movie is an examination of how a man like George W. Bush became president, and frankly how anyone can become president."
Director David Zucker's farce An American Carol and talk show host Bill Maher's documentary that mocks faith Religulous opened on the same day in movie theaters last week.
An American Carol is a fictional version of left-wing populist Michael Moore who in the movie comes around to loving America just like Scrooge learns to love Christmas.
Moore himself released his latest documentary Slacker Uprising on the Internet for free last month. It was seen by 2 million viewers in the first three days.
With the debate over gay marriage in California it seems to be perfect timing for the release of the biopic Milk. Sean Penn plays California's first openly gay elected official, Harvey Milk, who was assassinated in 1978 when the gay rights movement was in its infancy.
What other topics do you think should make it to the big screen?
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