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Fahrenheit 9/11 breaking box-office records

27. June 2004 • Ari Paul
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Numbers are coming in which vindicate that the long line from Michigan Theater to Division represented a national popularity of Moore’s new movie like no other work of reality film or cinematic journalism has created before.

CNN reports:

“Michael Moore’s ‘Fahrenheit 9/11’ took in a whopping $21.8 million in its first three days, becoming the first documentary ever to debut as Hollywood’s top weekend film.

If Sunday’s estimates hold when final numbers are released Monday, ‘Fahrenheit 9/11’ would set a record in a single weekend as the top-grossing documentary ever outside of concert films and movies made for huge-screen IMAX theaters.

Adding the film’s haul at two New York City theaters where it opened Wednesday, two days earlier than the rest of the country, boosted ‘Fahrenheit 9/11’ to $21.96 million.

‘Bowling for Columbine,’ Moore’s 2002 Academy Award-winning documentary, previously held the documentary record with $21.6 million.”

Does this, somehow indicate who Americans will be voting for (or rather, voting against) in November?



  1. No ari it doesn’t. My parents are included in that estimate and they are voting Bush, as are a great number of people I konw who saw the movie, but more to see why it won at Canne, and not because they agree with him.

    also – i’d be interested to see where the people are watching, b/c it doesn’t matter if Kerry wins NY 99-1; if he looses Oh, Mi, In, Il, adn the rest of the swing states.
       —David Livshiz    Jun. 27 '04 - 08:20PM    #
  2. my guess is that bush will lose michigan and other rust belt states if kerry plays his cards right…

    i know remain obediant to bush/ashcroft/rumsfeld’s commands, and remain loyal to their christian fundamenalist and racist dogma, but do you know what his approval rating is??? he doesn’t enjoy the stranglehold on american opinion as he once did…and with more and more americans doubting the war, he has less to stand on…

    face it, you warriors against peace, the poor, homosexuals, women, people of color and all that is desent can, and i feel have a very good chance, of losing in democratic election (if we have one)...

    cry about that,
    ari p.
       —Ari P.    Jun. 27 '04 - 08:25PM    #
  3. Ari –
    Once, just once, can you respond without ad homenum. Especially as you know that I just don’t fit your cookie cutter definition of Republican (or democract).

    I think that Kerry most likely looses. I agree that he can win the rust belt, but we’ll see.

    Does bush have a chance at loosing – YES. Will he – that depends. Economy (however you spin it) is going up – by most standard indicators, and while this wont help those that are out of jobs, it creates an immage of a good economy that is hard to fight against. and lets face it, most voters are employed.

    In short we’ll see. I sort of wish Dems were running someone I like more then Kerry (Edwards perhaps) but we’ll see. crow about that, Dave
       —David Livshiz    Jun. 27 '04 - 08:42PM    #
  4. i voted for edwards…because he was by far the best candidate…

    indicators shmidicators…most people don’t live like you and me, livshiz…working class people in michigan or indiana don’t judge their socio-economic standings by what so-and-so economist at the univeristy of chicago has to say about it in the new york times…

    as long as people are unemployed, underemployed, lacking health care, working for less, they are going to see that their state is the shit no matter how YOU spin the recovery…

    you say kerry will lose…you also said a week before the ruling that the scotus would rule against michigan in BOTH a.a. cases…your prediction is looking dim…

    i need new clothes, i need somwhere to stay,
    ari p.
       —Ari P.    Jun. 27 '04 - 08:51PM    #
  5. I don’t know.. Moore’s film breaks an opening-weekend record. Clinton’s book breaks a first-week record. To me, these are indicators that the American people have it in them to elect Kerry. People all over the political and religious spectrum are starting to perk up and wonder where their Capitalist Boom or Eschaton are. It seems almost daily that one hears about disenfranchised conservatives or Religious Right members criticizing Bush.

    We’ll see.. In the mean time, let’s keep our fingers crossed, and urge possible Bush-voters in our family/friend circles to see F9/11. It can’t hurt.. and I think it will help further undermine the eroding war support base.
       —Eric Goldberg    Jun. 28 '04 - 10:43AM    #
  6. I saw Fahrenheit 9/11 last night and I thought it was great. True, like any of Michael Moore’s films, you need to to take it with a grain of salt, but in the end he brings things to our attention that have been lost over the past four years. Things that hopefully the American public will realize come election time.

    Oh, and Ari, you do know that the website already signs your name, right? I’m not criticizing, I just think it’s funny to see your name signed twice. I’m just saying it’s funny.
       —Jared Goldberg    Jun. 28 '04 - 12:03PM    #
  7. Jared has a good point. :)

    Sincerely,
       —Eric Goldberg    Jun. 28 '04 - 01:28PM    #
  8. an alternative explanation

    http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A19320-2004Jun30.html
       —David Livshiz    Jul. 1 '04 - 11:36AM    #