Political documentaries

Political documentaries: "Given its reception, 'Fahrenheit' will redefine further the unwritten rules about the boxoffice potential of nonfiction films that long have governed documentaries. But bucking the system is nothing if not expected from Moore, who drew fire from conservatives in March 2003 for blasting President Bush during his Oscar acceptance speech for 'Bowling for Columbine.' Some distribution executives say 'Bowling,' formerly the highest-grossing nonfiction film with a $21.2 million domestic boxoffice take, paved the way for the politically themed docus now flooding theaters.

'Maybe 'Bowling for Columbine' started it, but I think filmmakers are making films that are meant to make a political statement,' Roadside co-president Howard Cohen says. 'I think (Moore) may have started a trend where people believe that if you have a point of view, you can make a documentary and air the argument -- (and) if you make it in a way that also includes entertainment, you may even get further.'

For the time being, though, "Hunting" director Harry Thomason tips his hat to Moore for encouraging nonfiction filmmakers to speak their minds. "All documentary filmmakers owe Michael Moore a debt of gratitude because he's the one that made documentary films cross over into the mainstream," Thomason says. "He's helped create this new market."


By Gina McIntyre