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This Divided State (2005)
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Reviews Counted: 24
Fresh: 20
Rotten:4
Average Rating: 6.8/10
Theatrical Release:Aug 4, 2005 Limited
Synopsis: In a conflict that epitomized the battle between red versus blue states in the days leading up to the 2005 election, Michael Moore's invitation to speak at Utah Valley State College created a... In a conflict that epitomized the battle between red versus blue states in the days leading up to the 2005 election, Michael Moore's invitation to speak at Utah Valley State College created a controversy previously unheard-of in the quiet community. Nestled within a deeply conservative state, the university is located in the heart of Mormon country, and when the invitation to Moore was issued, complete chaos broke out, with vitriol being spewed by proponents of both the right and the left. Petitions were launched, forums and protests held, while Moore supporters were accused of demeaning their religion, the apotheosis of offense. Prominent local businessman Kay Anderson offered a bribe to prevent Moore's engagement, while the UVSC student body president feared for his safety. Fox's Sean Hannity was eventually invited to speak as a counter-balance to Moore, and both speeches are included with with illuminating results. Documentarian Steven Greenstreet was there to document the entire process, after dropping out of college when he heard what was going on. The result is a non-judgmental presentation of the facts that, miraculously, avoids caricature and manages to capture the many shades of gray that are so often eclipsed in the deep divide between the right and the left. [More]
Starring: Kay Anderson, Michael Moore, Sean Hannity
Starring: Kay Anderson, Michael Moore, Sean Hannity
Director: Steven Greenstreet
Director: Steven Greenstreet
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Reviews for This Divided State
The approach to recording the story is everything its subjects aren't.
The intensity of the opposition and the deep fissures it revealed in the fabric of American civil discourse are still astonishing.
If there's a weakness here, it's that there's no challenge whatsoever in making a closed-minded right-wing nutcase look crazy
It's a discomfiting film, bringing up all the ugly emotion of last year's electoral shouting match, concentrated in one town in one state and in one short 88-minute film.
The problem is that Greenstreet apparently had no idea what kind of movie he wanted to make.
Greenstreet’s film works as yet another painful reminder of the death of political discourse.
A hard-hitting documentary about the heated nature of the cultural wars in America and the hallowedness of free speech.
No matter where you stand, This Divided State has a patriotic, galvanizing effect.
It's a brave and highly commendable effort that's chock-full of chilling moments.
The 25-year-old filmmaker takes no sides himself. Wisely, he allows folks of all opinions to put their feet in their mouths all by themselves.
Director Steve Greenstreet captures all the hubbub on film but, while he makes the point that we are indeed a house divided, he can't quite persuade us that this particular situation is a metaphoric example of our national malaise.
Raw, chaotic and engagingly eager, This Divided State juxtaposes candid interviews with scenes of unrest as Mr. Greenstreet rushes gamely from one hot spot to another.
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