Bowling for Columbine (2002)

Filmmaker Michael Moore explores the roots of America's predilection for gun violence.

Director:

Michael Moore

Writer:

Michael Moore

Stars:

Michael Moore, Charlton Heston, Marilyn Manson

Won 1 Oscar. Another 40 wins & 13 nominations.

Cast

Credited cast:
Michael Moore	...	Self - Narrator
Rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Salvador Allende	...	Self - President of Chile (archive footage)
Jacobo Arbenz	...	Self - President of Guatemala (archive footage)
Mike Bradley	...	Self - Mayor of Sarnia, Ontario, Canada
Arthur A. Busch	...	Self - County Prosecutor: Flint, Michigan (as Arthur Busch)
George Bush	...	Self (archive footage)
George W. Bush	...	Self (archive footage)
Michael Caldwell	...	Self - Police Detective
Richard Castaldo	...	Self - Columbine Victim
Dick Clark	...	Self
Bill Clinton	...	Self (archive footage)
Steve Davis	...	Self - Deputy Sheriff (archive footage)
Ngo Dinh Diem	...	Self - President of South Vietnam (archive footage)
Mike Epstein	...	Self - Shopper in Mall
Joe Farmer	...	Self - Superintendent of Schools (archive footage)

Storyline

The United States of America is notorious for its astronomical number of people killed by firearms for a developed nation without a civil war. With his signature sense of angry humor, activist filmmaker Michael Moore sets out to explore the roots of this bloodshed. In doing so, he learns that the conventional answers of easy availability of guns, violent national history, violent entertainment and even poverty are inadequate to explain this violence when other cultures share those same factors without the equivalent carnage. In order to arrive at a possible explanation, Michael Moore takes on a deeper examination of America's culture of fear, bigotry and violence in a nation with widespread gun ownership. Furthermore, he seeks to investigate and confront the powerful elite political and corporate interests fanning this culture for their own unscrupulous gain.

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Plot Keywords:

firearm | national rifle association | columbine high school killings | gun control | school shooting | 

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Taglines:

Is America a nation of gun nuts? Or just nuts?

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Genres:

Documentary | Crime | Drama

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for some violent images and language

Did You Know?

Trivia

This was the highest-grossing documentary until 2004 when Fahrenheit 9/11 (2004)--also directed by Michael Moore--made more in its opening weekend than this movie did in its entire run.

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Goofs

The film claims that that Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold attended a bowling class on the morning of the massacre. This is incorrect as testified in a judicial review.

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Quotes

Michael Moore: [as Charlton Heston is walking away from Moore] Mr. Heston? Just one more thing.
[Heston turns around]
Michael Moore: This is who she is - or was.
Michael Moore: [Moore holds up a picture of Kayla Holland] This is her.
[Heston ignores Moore and continues to walk away]
Michael Moore: Mr. Heston, please don't leave. Mr. Heston, please take a look at her. This is the girl.

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Crazy Credits

There is no cast list, either at the start of the film or at the end. People are credited either by subtitle, by the narrator or by themselves.

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Alternate Versions

In the theatrical release, a caption was inserted into a 1988 Bush-Quayle ad, "Revolving Doors," which read "Willie Horton released. Then kills again." In the DVD release, the caption reads "Willie Horton released. Then rapes a woman." Neither version makes it clear that the text was not part of the original ad.

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Connections

References American Bandstand (1952)

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Soundtracks

Battle Hymn of the Republic
(ca 1856) (uncredited)
Music by William Steffe
Lyrics by Julia Ward Howe (1862)
Played as background music twice

User Reviews

Starts off well....

...but ends on a low note. Moore gives incredible evidence, but comes up with an irrelevant conclusion -- that Charlton Heston and Kmart are kinda slimy.

"Bowling" begins by focusing on what we would call gun "wackos." Then the movie focuses on teenagers. Then the focus is on fear. Finally, it focuses on the NRA.

The best part of "Bowling" is definitely the exploration of fear -- "why are americans so paranoid, and so murderous?" But unfortunately, Moore gives up on this question, and instead devotes the last part of the movie (basically the conclusion) on a crusade against Kmart and the NRA.

Moore could have edited the movie differently, making the emphasis (the conclusion) about fear. I think the Marilyn Manson interview would have been a powerful ending. But for some reason, Moore decided that exposing Charlton Heston is more important.

Details

Official Sites:

Michael Moore Official Website

Country:

USA Canada Germany

Language:

English

Release Date:

15 November 2002 (USA)

Also Known As:

Bowling for Columbine

Filming Locations:

Auburn Hills, Michigan, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$4,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$209,148, 13 October 2002

Gross USA:

$21,576,018

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$58,011,975

Company Credits

Production Co:

United Artists, Alliance Atlantis Communications, Salter Street Films International

Technical Specs

Runtime:

120 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Color:

Black and White Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1