Disney Wants to Dump Michael Moore flick
Show of hands: Who's surprised about this?
...
Didn't think so.
http://www.nytimes.com/2004/05/05/national/05DISN.html?ei=5006&en=89982416bdce50c0&ex=1084334400&partner=ALTAVISTA1&pagewanted=print&position=
Here's the basics: Michael Moore has a documentary, "Farenheit 911," which he claims is largely about connections between the Bush and Saudi families and the possible effects of such on the current War On Terror. Miramax was set to distribute the film domestically in the U.S. Disney owns Miramax. Disney is "asking" Miramax not to distribute the film for fear of controversy. Everybody got that? Okay. Here's what's going on here:
However you feel about Michael Moore, his films are consistently two things: High-profile and controversial. Whatever you think of it's intent, "Farenheit 911" is going to be interpreted on all sides as an unsubtle indictment of the president and his policies timed for release in an election year. This makes for a doubly-controversial situation.
What we have here is a clash of wills between two parts of a studio which, collectively, is lacking almost entirely in guts. Disney is just about the most spineless of all the major studios, terrified of offending ANYONE. Miramax is not exactly huge in the bravery department, if not for Tarantino's "Kill Bill" films they would have had virtually NOTHING worth legitimately bragging about for the last five years, at least.
Spineless they may be, both sides are driven by profit and shoring up their "base appeal." Miramax's desire to distribute the film has NOTHING to do with politics or a yearning to be involved with edgy material and EVERYTHING to do with solidifying the Weinstein's cozy relationship with the film community in Western Europe, where Moore's films have a wider political appeal than most other American political documentaries tend to. Likewise, politically-correct Disney is NO ONE'S idea of a "right wing" studio ideologically, but they worship at the altar of wide-as-possible appeal and Moore's films are always largely divisive: Disney wants NO part of any film that can't be hyped to appeal to every last demographic on Earth and beyond.
This was innevitable. Earlier in the year, the big gossip was that Mel Gibson's "Icon Productions" was going to distribute the film, an odd match considering Gibson's ultra-cozy relationship with the extremist Religious Right in general and the Bush family itself. Icon dropped out and Miramax dropped in.
My prediction: Miramax can always be counted on to buckle under the threat of controversy, especially with big boss Eisner cracking the whip as of late. I doubt that they'll want to stand up against the barrage of media scrutiny that'll be "afforded" the film by the Republican party, Fox News Channel and the like. It really doesn't make any financial sense for them to do so: Documentaries, even big ones, are seldom blockbusters, and no matter what side of it your on Moore's film IS going to be largely a polemic. His films aren't designed to change minds so much as give those who already agree with him ample ammunition with which to atriculate their beliefs.
The juiciest rumor here, of course, is "The Florida Connection." Some in Moore's camp are accusing Disney of making the decision not out of political or ideological concerns of their own, but rather to avoid having Florida's governor, (the President's brother Jeb) of yanking the special tax breaks Disney gets on their Florida theme parks. Whether thats true or not we'll likely never know, but it makes things much more interesting.
Overall, this is all mostly smoke-and-mirrors damage control: Moore's film will be playing at Cannes, already has European distributors, etc. It will find an U.S. distributor and all of the "trouble" it's had getting made will become part of it's "legend." Moore's fans have nothing to fear about the film being "surpressed," while his detractors are probably overreacting to the amount of "damage" the film can do to Bush politically as Moore (again, all personal feelings about him aside) is usually seen by both his fans and haters as largely preaching to the choir.
That being said.. Disney, do us all a favor and grow a spine.
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