Eastwood comments on the right-wing's furor over MDB...

[Emboldened Chimp]

From Time magazine a couple weeks back...

Schickel: There’s a notion that Clint Eastwood, the great American icon, has somehow disappointed a significant portion of his constituency with this movie.

Eastwood: Well, I got a big laugh out of that. These people are always bitching about “Hollyweird,” and then they start bitching about this film. Are they all so mad because The Passion of the Christ is only up for the makeup award and a couple of other minor things? Extremism is so easy. You’ve got your position, and that’s it. It doesn’t take much thought. And when you go far enough to the right you meet the same idiots coming around from the left.

http://www.time.com/time/press_releases/article/0,8599,1029815,00.html

[coloradodem2005]

1. Good on Clint.

He doesn't seem to happy with the Republican party.

[Blue_In_AK]

2. I admire Clint...

...a Renaissance man who thinks for himself.

[DemBones DemBones]

3. Disability activists are unhappy about this movie, too, and

many/ most are leftists, not right wing. The movie conveys the message that a severely disabled person is better off dead. I don't think that's a message any liberal should support. We're supposed to be the side that stands up for those who are less fortunate, not just for the rich and lucky.

Eastwood plays innocent but in years past he 1) tried to wriggle out of making his restaurant in California compliant with accessibility standards, and 2) testified before the Senate to weaken the Americans with Disabilities Act. Is it really coincidence that he chose to make a film with this message?

For more on disability opposition to MDB, and disability issues in general, check out

http://www.NotDeadYet.org

http://www.raggededgemagazine.com

http://www.mouthmag.com

[dddem]

4. I haven't yet seen the movie

but is it possible (and I'm really not trying to be a wise-ass) that this is a story about one particular character and her struggle with what she deems important to her quality of life, and not a blanket statement meant to speak for an entire group of people? Sometimes I think we delve too deep, and maybe we should just treat this for what it is - a movie about the interactions of individuals and their own struggles and triumphs; and not a political statement.
Of course, I could be wrong.

[Nimrod]

5. No, you are 100% correct

The concept that this movie was a statement that all disabled people are better off dead is ridiculous. It bothers me that so many leftists are up in arms over this.

"I like chocolate ice cream."

"Oh, so you think anybody who likes vanilla is an idiot in league with Satan and vanilla should be banned! What kind of a message are you sending our children???"

A argument like this could be easily picked out as idiotic and (properly) discarded. But when you get down to the core of it, it's exactly how 99% of our debates go, regardless of whether you're coming from the left or right.

[Blue_In_AK]

7. dddDem, I agree with you.

It seems to me that this film can also be seen as pro-choice and pro-self-determination. <spoiler alert> It was Maggie's choice to beg Clint to pull the plug, and in the film he struggled mightily with the decision to acquiesce to her wishes. That choice went completely against his own personal beliefs as a Catholic. I certainly didn't see it as advocating that all disabled people's lives are worthless or second-rate and should be terminated. This was ONE WOMAN'S CHOICE.

[theboss]

11. Clint should have shot her with a .357 in the First Act

And then fought a biker gang with his trusty sidekick Morgan Freeman and a trained Orangatane.

[Blue_In_AK]

12. "You think you want to box, Maggie? MAKE MY DAY!" Ka-BLAM

Hmm, it might have worked.

[theboss]

13. Now that's a movie

I should be in Hollywood, man.

[applegrove]

6. Excellent way to look at it!

[theboss]

8. Has a more boring movie ever caused more commotion?

Yes, yes I know "Passion of the Christ" caused commotion. But at least Gibson has the common decency to make a snuff film. I was many things during that movie, but bored was not one of them.

For those of you haven't seen it, here is ever scene in MDB:

Hillary Swank: "You ready to train me, boss?"
Clint: (whispering) "I don't train girls."

Ten seconds of staring. Clint slowly walks away.
Morgan Freeman: "Sometimes you gotta take a chance."
Ten seconds of silence
Clint: (whispering) "I don't train girls."

fin

[Blue_In_AK]

9. You're funny, Boss

I think they call it "character development," but I agree with you that it wasn't exactly action-packed.

[theboss]

10. That movie and "The English Patient" are in Hell's Multiplex right now

For three weeks, I tried to arrange my schedule to see M$B after hearing how it was the best film of the year and the highpoint of Eastwood's career. An hour into it, I wanted Molly to get eaten by a tiger. Once the bad thing happened to her, I wanted to pull the plug myself. The goddamn thing never ended and nothing - I repeat, nothing - happened aside from one two-minute sequence.

Morgan Freeman was entertaining though. I could watch him read a phone book. I might have preferred that to this movie.

Of course, I thought "Unforgiven" sucked too. I did really like "Mystic River though. It was long and slow but at least it had Sean Penn freaking the fuck out every ten minutes and had the tease of a murder mystery.