LYNNWOOD – When was the last time you saw groups of teenagers waiting in a line all fired up about politics?
That was the scene Friday afternoon at Grand Cinemas at Alderwood Mall, the only theater in Snohomish County showing Michael Moore’s controversial new film “Fahrenheit 9/11” on its national release day.
The heavily one-sided crowd cheered, sighed, laughed and applauded as Moore made his case against President Bush and his administration’s response to the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001.
Moore also alleged business ties between the Bush family and the Saudi Arabian royal family, as well as Al-Qaida leader Osama bin Laden’s family. Moore implies that because of those connections, Saudi Arabia was spared blame despite allegedly housing terrorists and the fact that 15 of the 19 Sept. 11 hijackers were Saudis.
On her way into the movie, Maryam Mohamed, 18, of Mill Creek was fired up. She and her brother Tariq, 16, were with a group of friends.
Bush “is an embarrassment to this country and what it stands for – or used to stand for,” she said.
Mohamed thinks it means something that large numbers of people her own age turned out to see the movie on Friday.
“I think this year a lot more young people are going to get out and vote,” she said, adding that Moore’s movie will no doubt help fuel them.
Shannon Gowens, 24, of Brier said the film was painful and hard to watch.
“It was difficult to watch young children who were dead and being taken away in trucks,” she said.
Gowens grew up on a military base and described herself as a “Democrat by birth.” She went to the movie with her father, Larry Boyce, 61, of Seattle, who taught in the Department of Defense for 20 years and was a counselor there for 11 years.
“There’s nothing in this film that I would disagree with,” he said.
The film “solidified” his already strong views.
“The lies about the weapons of mass destruction – those lies have never been rescinded, and we know they’re lies,” he said. “The truth doesn’t seem to be important.”
Pat DeRyke and Bill Thorp of Seattle said the movie was powerful and exceeded their expectations.
“Everyone in the country needs to see it, but we’re so polarized,” DeRyke said. “I think it’s finally a chance for those of us who never supported the war to feel some vindication.”
Thorp, who served in the Army during the Vietnam War, said neither the movie nor the anti-war movement is “about being against the troops.” He said he knows how U.S. soldiers feel, fighting in a controversial war.
“You just go and do your job and come back,” he said. “I feel sorry for the kids that are over there right now. It’s not a just cause.”
Jacob and Aney Velloth of Edmonds walked out of the movie wide-eyed but not surprised. They’ve seen shows on the British Broadcasting Corp. that dealt with much of the same subject matter.
Although the movie provided her with little new information, Aney Velloth said she felt anger, frustration and betrayal and was moved to tears when Moore interviewed the mother of a dead U.S. soldier.
“You feel so helpless,” she said. “But I think this movie shows that someone can speak about what’s really going on.”
Jacob Velloth said people have been “brainwashed” by the Bush administration’s propaganda.
“Of course, there is propaganda in this film, but most of it is true,” he said. “The biggest problem is that people who should be seeing it won’t see it.”
Moore opponents were tough to find at Friday’s showing, but some readers polled in a Herald e-mail survey earlier this week made it clear that they wouldn’t be watching the movie anytime soon.
“I would not spend a dime to see this man’s work,” said Brian Starr of Snohomish. “He manipulates facts to prove his agenda.”
Dan Niemeyer has an even stronger reaction.
“I despise how ultraliberal Michael Moore is, and would (not) stop and take time to wet on him if I saw him on fire,” Niemeyer said. “I will not watch (the movie), and the reason is the bias (Moore) will obviously show in it.”
Reporter Victor Balta: 425-339-3455 or vbalta@heraldnet.com.
Associated Press
Filmmaker Michael Moore (right) talks with U.S. Rep. John Tanner, D-Tenn., in the movie “Fahrenheit 9/11.” In the film, Moore approaches members of Congress who supported the Iraq war in order to recruit their children to fight in Iraq.
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