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Michael Francis Moore (born April 23, 1954) is an Academy Award-winning American filmmaker, author, and liberal political commentator. He is the director and producer of Fahrenheit 9/11, Sicko, and Bowling for Columbine, three of the top five highest-grossing documentaries of all time. He has also written and starred in the TV shows TV Nation and The Awful Truth, both of which continue his trademark style of presenting serious documentaries in humorous ways. Moore is a self-described liberal who has criticized globalization, large corporations, gun ownership, the Iraq War, U.S. President George W. Bush and the American health care system in his written and cinematic works. In 2005 Time magazine named him one of the world's 100 most influential people. A gadfly to some; a godsend to others, documentary filmmaker Michael Moore succeeded in ticking off the right and galvanizing the left with his controversial, yet highly entertaining documentaries. Whether he was skewering a president taking a nation to war under false pretenses, challenging the violent nature of American culture or exposing a woefully dismal health care system in the wealthiest country on Earth, Moore managed to spark both enlightened conversation and frothing vitriol with his movies. Though often accused of misrepresenting facts to fit a preconceived notion something that surfaced with his first film “Roger & Me” (1989), and stuck to him like gum on a shoe throughout his career Moore nonetheless wielded a mighty sword against the powers-that-be. But even in moments of high honor and box office success – namely winning the Best Documentary Oscar for “Bowling for Columbine” (2002) and breaking box office records for “Fahrenheit 9/11” (2004), "Sicko (2007)", Moore had a knack for raising the hackles of his enemies, using over-the-top controversy as a means of marketing his most important product himself. Michael started working as an editor for the journal of the University he attended at the beginning to his journalism career. He then turned to filmmaking, and to earn the money for the budget of his first film Roger & Me (1989) he ran neighborhood bingo games. He eventually got himself into leading a string of documentaries and TV series all predominantly around the same subject; attacks on politicians and business corporations, getting his opinion around and about. He landed his first big hit with Bowling for Columbine (2002) about the bad points of the freedom of weapon holding in America, which earned him an Oscar and a big reputation. He then shook the world with his even bigger hit Fahrenheit 9/11 (2004) - making fun of President George W. Bush. Michael is known for having the guts to give his opinion in public, which not many people are courageous enough to do, and for that is respected by many. Moore was born in Davison, Michigan to parents Veronica, a secretary, and Frank Moore, an automotive assembly-line worker. He grew up in the city of Davison, becoming a lifetime member of the National Rifle Association upon winning an NRA tournament as a youth. At that time, the neighboring city of Flint was home to many General Motors factories, where his parents and grandfather worked. His uncle was one of the founders of the United Automobile Workers labor union and participated in the Flint Sit-Down Strike. Moore has described his parents as "Irish Catholic Democrats, basic liberal good people." Moore was brought up Roman Catholic and attended St. John's Elementary School for primary school, as well as a Diocesan seminary at age 14. He then attended Davison High School, where he was active in both drama and debate, graduating in 1972. At the age of 18, he was elected to the Davison school board. After dropping out of the University of Michigan-Flint (where he wrote for the student newspaper The Michigan Times) and working for a day at the General Motors plant, at 22 he founded the alternative weekly magazine The Flint Voice, which soon changed its name to The Michigan Voice as it expanded to cover the entire state, which Moore later regretted. In 1986, when Moore became the editor of Mother Jones, a liberal political magazine, he moved to California and The Michigan Voice was shut down. After four months at Mother Jones, Moore was fired for refusing to print an article by Paul Berman that was critical of the Sandinista human rights record in Nicaragua. Moore stated that he would not run the article because Ronald Reagan "could easily hold it up, saying, 'See, even Mother Jones agrees with me.'" Berman described Moore as a "very ideological guy and not a very well-educated guy" when asked about the incident. Moore sued for wrongful dismissal, and settled out of court for $58,000, providing him with seed money for his first film, Roger & Me. Was arrested during filming of the video "Sleep Now In The Fire" by Rage Against the Machine, protesting Wall Street and the investment of American money overseas (i.e. in hostile and Communist countries). The filming also shut down the New York Stock Exchange early that day when band members tried to enter the floor uninvited. His favourite films are Smultronstället (1957) and Taxi Driver (1976). It was announced on March 13, 2002 his book "Stupid White Men...and Other Sorry Excuses for the State of the Nation", had reached #1 on the New York Times non-fiction list. Briefly served as both editor and columnist for Mother Jones magazine. Raised money for the production of his first film, Roger & Me (1989), by running neighborhood bingo games in his house. Irish-American. Is a card-carrying member of the National Rifle Association. Moore told Tim Russert that he joined so as to be elected its president and then dismantle the organization. On the day after his infamous "Oscar Backlash", where he attacked both George W. Bush and the Iraq war, attendance for his movie Bowling for Columbine (2002) went up 110%. The following weekend, the box office for the film was up 73%. Throughout his film Bowling for Columbine (2002) Moore proudly sports a Michigan State University baseball hat. Has a daughter, Natalie. Lives in New York City. Elected to Davison, Michigan board of education at age 18; this is described and elaborated upon in chapter 5 "Idiot Nation" in his book "Stupid White Men." His movie Fahrenheit 9/11 (2004) was shown at the Cannes Film festival, making it the most sought-after movie there. Attended the University of Michigan-Flint in the 1970s. Supported Ralph Nader in the 2000 presidential elections. Although he owns a VW Beetle, he is now said to travel about by chauffered limo. Early in Fahrenheit 9/11 (2004) a celebrity-filled rally for Al Gore is shown and Moore (in his narration) refers to Ben Affleck, "Little Stevie" Wonder, and "the guy from Taxi Driver (1976)," that "guy" being Robert De Niro. This was perhaps a bit of joke because Taxi Driver (1976) is Moore's favorite film and De Niro is one of the actors Moore respects the most. Senator John McCain referred to him as a "disingenuous filmmaker" during his speech at the 2004 Republican National Convention. Moore, who was present at the convention in the press area, stood and waved both arms at the crowd, which started chanting "four more years!" Moore then flashed a sign language L (for "loser") at the crowd and, according to "The Guardian" newspaper, said, "Two more months!" While the press tried to pit Moore and his Fahrenheit 9/11 (2004) against Mel Gibson and his The Passion of the Christ (2004) against each other as the representation of "blue" and "red" states in the election year of 2004, the two men get along well personally and find their opposition to be an invention of the press. Actually Moore, a practicing Catholic, loved "Passion" and saw it many times and Gibson, who opposed the invasion of Iraq despite his conservative reputation, greatly enjoyed "Fahrenheit." Another of his favorite films is also his favorite documentary, Hearts and Minds (1974). After the box office failure of Canadian Bacon (1995), a very depressed Moore briefly contemplated early retirement. However, famous producer rep John Pierson and filmmaker Kevin Smith changed Moore's mind and gave him inspiration during Pierson's "Spike, Mike, Slackers and Dykes" book tour. Smith could identify with Moore's grief, having just experienced the box office failure of Mallrats (1995). 2007 - Ranked #27 on EW's The 50 Smartest People in Hollywood. Though born in Flint, it is not actually his hometown. He grew up 10 miles east of Flint in Davison, which doesn't have a hospital. Moore was a high-profile guest at the 2004 Democratic National Convention, prominently seated in a box with former President Jimmy Carter and his wife. Moore also attended the 2004 Republican National Convention, (for a daily column chronicling his impressions of the convention in USA Today), where he was criticized in a speech by Republican Senator John McCain as "a disingenuous film-maker." Moore laughed and waved as Republican attendees jeered, later chanting "Four more years." Moore gestured his thumb and finger at the crowd, which translates into "loser." During September and October 2004, Moore spoke at universities and colleges in swing states during his "Slacker Uprising Tour". The tour gave away ramen and underwear to young people who promised to vote. This provoked public denunciations from the Michigan Republican Party and attempts to convince the government that Moore should be arrested for buying votes, but since Moore did not tell the "slackers" involved for whom to vote, just to vote, district attorneys refused to get involved. The "Underwear" tour was a popular success. Quite possibly the most controversial stop during the tour was Utah Valley State College in Orem, Utah. A fight for his right to speak ensued and resulted in massive public debates and a media blitz. Death threats, bribes and lawsuits followed. The event was chronicled in the documentary film This Divided State. He has also dabbled in acting, following a 2000 supporting role in Lucky Numbers as the cousin of Lisa Kudrow's character, who agrees to be part of the scheme concocted by John Travolta's character. He also had a cameo in his Canadian Bacon as an anti-Canada activist. Since 1990, Moore has been married to producer Kathleen Glynn, with whom he has a stepdaughter named Natalie. They live in New York City and spend quite a bit of time in Traverse City, Michigan. Moore is also a practicing Catholic. However, he openly disagrees with the Catholic Church on issues such as abortion, gay marriage and stem cell research. Between 1994 and 1995, he directed and hosted the BBC television series TV Nation, which followed the format of news magazine shows but covered topics they avoid. The series aired on BBC2 in the UK. The series was also aired in the US on NBC in 1994 for 9 episodes and again for 8 episodes on FOX in 1995. His other major series was The Awful Truth, which satirized actions by big corporations and politicians. It aired on Channel 4 in the UK, and the Bravo network in the US, in 1999 and 2000. Another 1999 series, Michael Moore Live, was aired in the UK only on Channel 4, though it was broadcast from New York. This show had a similar format to The Awful Truth, but also incorporated phone-ins and a live stunt each week. The show was performed around midday local time, which due to the time difference made it a late-night show in the UK. In 1999 Moore won the Hugh M. Hefner First Amendment Award in Arts and Entertainment, for being the executive producer and host of The Awful Truth, where he was also described as "muckraker, author and documentary filmmaker". Moore has directed several music videos, including two for Rage Against the Machine for songs from "The Battle of Los Angeles": "Sleep Now in the Fire" and "Testify". He was threatened with arrest during the shooting of "Sleep Now in the Fire", which was filmed on Wall Street; the city of New York had denied the band permission to play there, although the band and Moore had secured a federal permit to perform. He also directed video for "R.E.M." single "All the Way to Reno (You're Gonna Be a Star)" in 2001. In 2003 Moore directed a video for "System of a Down" song "Boom!". Though Moore rejects the label "political activist,"he has been active in promoting his political views. According to John Flesher of the Associated Press, Moore is known for his "fiery left-wing populism.". Moore has authored three best-selling books: Downsize This! (1996), about politics and corporate crime in the United States, Stupid White Men (2001), ostensibly a critique of American domestic and foreign policy but, by Moore's own admission, "a book of political humor," and Dude, Where's My Country? (2003), an examination of the Bush family's relationships with Saudi royalty, the Bin Laden family, and the energy industry, and a call-to-action for liberals in the 2004 election. Despite having supported Ralph Nader in 2000, Moore urged Nader not to run in the 2004 election so as not to split the left vote. (Moore joined Bill Maher on the latter's television show in kneeling before Nader to plead with him to stay out of the race.) In June 2004, Moore claimed he is not a member of the Democratic party. Although Moore endorsed General Wesley Clark for the Democratic nomination on January 14, Clark withdrew from the primary race on February 11. Moore drew attention when charging publicly that Bush was AWOL during his service in the National Guard (see George W. Bush military service controversy). With the 2004 election over, Moore continues to collect information on the war in Iraq and the Bush administration in addition to his film projects. On several occasions during 2007, he called for Al Gore to run for President. On April 21st, 2008, Moore endorsed Barack Obama for President, claiming that Clinton's recent actions had been "disgusting." Film director Michael Moore has been at the center of several controversies, mostly as a result of his political views and/or directing style. In his 1997 best-selling book Downsize This!, Moore wrote about Miami's Cuban exiles as "always present and involved... in every incident of national torment that has deflated our country for the past three decades," including as examples the Kennedy assassination, Watergate, Iran-Contra and the drug-abuse epidemic. Moore has also referred to Cuban exiles as "Batista supporters" and "wimps" who were wrong not to immediately send home child-boater Elián González. Regarding that controversy, Moore called Elián's mother a child abuser for taking the boy to sea Moore's body of work has attracted criticism from both conservatives and liberals. On March 12, 2007, Canadian filmmakers Debbie Melnyk and Rick Caine appeared on MSNBC's Tucker to talk about their documentary Manufacturing Dissent, which investigates Michael Moore. They reported to have found that Moore talked with General Motors Chairman Roger Smith at a company shareholders' meeting, and that this interview was cut from Roger & Me. However, the actual encounter was not captured on camera by Moore, and occurred before he became a filmmaker. Moore told the Associated Press that had he met face-to-face with Roger Smith during production and tried to keep the footage secret, General Motors would have made it known through the media to discredit him. "I'm so used to listening to the stuff people say about me, it just becomes entertainment for me at this point. It's a fictional character that's been created with the name of Michael Moore." Dave Kopel made allegations of deceptive editing, staging, or scripting scenes, or altering the original intent of the speaker, about Moore's film Bowling for Columbine in the conservative magazine National Review. Among other allegations, Kopel said that on-screen text was altered in a Bush-Quayle campaign ad, and footage edited into it from a non-campaign ad in order to make it seem racist. Moore denied that this was done in the film, but corrected the text for the DVD release, so that it mirrored actual events. In Bowling for Columbine Moore interviewed Matt Stone, who discussed his experiences growing up in the Littleton area and the social alienation that might have contributed to the Columbine High School massacre. Stone, who is a gun-owner himself, said that Moore's presentation of their interview was fair, but he criticized the director for a short animated segment that followed the interview. The cartoon, which is about the history of guns in the United States, implies that there is a connection between the Ku Klux Klan and the National Rifle Association. Stone criticized Moore for making the cartoon "very South Park-esque" and argued that Moore deliberately sought to give viewers the incorrect impression that he and Trey Parker had produced the animation, by playing these two completely separate segments consecutively: "We have a very specific beef with Michael Moore. I did an interview, and he didn't mischaracterize me or anything I said in the movie. But what he did do was put this cartoon right after me that made it look like we did that cartoon." Though the animation actually appears later on in the film, Stone called it "a good reference to what Michael Moore does in films...he creates meaning where there is none by cutting things together." In Michael Wilson's refutative documentary Michael Moore Hates America, bank employees from the branch at which Moore is given a free hunting rifle assert that they were misled during the filming of this segment. They say that the bank's policy was to conduct background checks on rifle recipients and mail the rifles to a licensed gun dealer, but Moore's agents, under the pretext of "doing a story on unique businesses across America," are accused of convincing bank employees to have his rifle presented to him on camera the morning after filming his account opening. Further, they counter that contrary to the film's supposition that the bank kept hundreds of guns on their premises, the gun which was handed to Michael in the film was shipped overnight from a vault in their Upper Peninsula branch "300 miles away." Moore emphatically denies that this sequence was staged but acknowledges the timing was compressed for production reasons. He reminds his readers that North Country Bank is a licensed firearms dealer, and in addition to its ATF license number, he produces out-takes where bank employee Jan Jacobson appears to confirm on camera that rifles are secured locally on bank premises. Erik Möller argues that such criticisms obscure the fundamental point: "The bank does exactly what it advertises," he wrote, "It hands out guns from its vault to those who open an account." He further notes that while Moore's detractors subject his every word to critical examination, potentially damaging counter-criticisms are accepted at face value. Moore set up a rebuttal "war room" to support the content in Fahrenheit 9/11 and counter critics who felt he had been deceptive. Ray Bradbury has criticized Moore's adaptation of his Fahrenheit 451 title without permission. In May of 2006, Moore was unsuccessfully sued by a veteran who lost both arms in the war in Iraq. Sergeant Peter Damon, of Middleborough, MA, alleged that Moore used snippets of a television interview without his permission to falsely portray him as anti-war in Fahrenheit 9/11. A U.S. District Court Judge dismissed the suit on December 21, 2006, finding that no political beliefs were attributed to Damon in the film. On March 21, 2008 the First Circuit Court of Appeals unanimously affirmed the ruling in Moore's favor. The Associated Press reported that, in reaction to the ruling, "Moore said years of failed lawsuits against his films show his movies are accurate." Moore's work has come under fire from those who assert that when making his films, he unfairly edits and re-sequences events in order to twist or misrepresent the words of his targets or interviewees. Dave Kopel catalogues Moore's alleged use of such tactics in Fahrenheit 9/11, and includes the official responses issued by Moore's "war room". Slate magazine's Christopher Hitchens also wrote a widely circulated critique of the same film. These criticisms drew several counter-criticisms as well as an eFilmCritic article and a Columbus Free Press editorial. Although Sicko was scheduled to be released on June 29, 2007, the film was leaked onto the Internet in June 2007. Moore, who previously expressed his support for Internet downloading, denies leaking the video himself and an investigation has been held as to the source of the Internet leak. In a May 2, 2007 letter, the Office of Foreign Assets Control informed Moore that he was the subject of a civil investigation stemming from the filmmaker's March trip to Cuba. In the letter to Moore, a Treasury official noted that the department had no record of Moore obtaining a license that authorized him to "engage in travel-related transactions involving Cuba," alleging that Moore violated the United States embargo against Cuba. A duplicate master copy of the film is being held in Canada in case American authorities attempt to seize the film as part of the criminal investigation against Moore that arose from taking American 9/11 rescue workers to Cuba for medical treatment. Moore appeared several times on CNN in July 2007. On Wolf Blitzer's The Situation Room, following a Sicko fact-checking segment by CNN senior medical correspondent Sanjay Gupta, Moore chastised CNN, Gupta, and Blitzer for coverage of his films Sicko and Fahrenheit 9/11. Moore alleged that Sanjay Gupta misrepresented aspects of his film, Sicko, in the fact-checking segment. "He said the facts were fudged," said Moore, referring to Gupta, on CNN's Larry King Live. "That's a lie. None of the facts are fudged." Gupta said that he agreed with Moore on his premise that the U.S. healthcare system is "broken", but questioned Moore's "cherry-picking" of facts. Moore responded to CNN by publishing the results on his homepage. In the Blitzer interview, Moore said "I wish that CNN and the other mainstream media would just for once tell the truth about what's going on in this country, whatever it is. You guys have such a poor track record." Later in the interview, he criticized Blitzer and the mainstream media in general for "refusing to ask the hard questions and demand the honest answers," referencing the media's lack of inquiry in the months before the 2003 invasion of Iraq. Moore was also criticized by John Stossel for allegedly painting a "utopian" picture of the Cuban government and its health care system. Appearing on the ABC News program Nightline in June 2007, Moore responded: "In my movie you see Cubans getting help whenever they get sick, and that is the truth. The U.N. supports that fact. They have an excellent health care system, probably the best in the Third World." A number of documentary films have been produced that criticize Moore, such as Michael Moore Hates America, Celsius 41.11, Michael & Me, FahrenHYPE 9/11, and Manufacturing Dissent. Directing and Films:
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