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Adam Ford
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http://www.record-eagle.com/opinion/local_story_336104509.html
His detractors find muckraker Michael Moore obnoxious as a liberal activist on the national political scene. But it's hard not to admire his accomplishments as a citizen on a local scene that get raves beyond its borders -- and from figures of both parties.
Across the nation, and from Calumet to Detroit in Michigan, preservation and restoration of theaters to the glory days of the past has been a tonic for revitalization of downtowns.
Consider the historic Calumet Theatre. Local leaders in 1898 decided to expand the town hall in what was then the Village of Red Jacket with the addition of a 1,200-seat opera house. It opened with a Broadway production of "The Highwaymen." Then came the likes of John Phillip Sousa, Sarah Bernhardt, Jason Robards Sr. and Douglas Fairbanks Sr. It's now a feature of the Keweenaw National Historical Park.
Mid-Michigan's Owosso Theater has a similar history and has seen recent preservation attention.
Down south, restoration of Detroit's Fox Theater has been a bright spot in an inner city that doesn't have many. Apart from cultural events, it has been a venue for debate and other political activities.
Now on the restoration front comes Oscar-winner Moore, who three years ago was co-founder of the highly successful Traverse City Film Festival. (Last summer: 70,000 tickets sold; an estimated $5 million for the local economy.) Thanks to Moore and those he mobilized, the town's main street State Theatre has been reopened and enhanced to far better than its best days.
It's not possible to talk of "glory days" of a flick house with the same flourish as about a place like the Calumet Theatre, where greats appeared live. But the economic ripple effect of Moore's effort is enormous at downtown eateries and other establishments.
Democratic Gov. Jennifer Granholm and Republican ex-Gov. Bill Milliken (his family's now-closed department store was in the same block as the theater) are among fans of Moore's efforts.
For his fans and foes alike, I'd recommend well-documented "Citizen Moore: The Life and Times of an American Iconoclast," by veteran investigative journalist/author Roger Rapoport, published by Muskegon-based RDR Books.
While the book's emphasis is on Moore's many national controversies, it has an extensive account of his early days as a community activist in Flint -- and a very brief mention of his Traverse City effort.
Rapoport writes, "the story Michael Moore has offered to movie audiences around the world has little to do with his own story, the one he has chosen not to tell." Rapoport tells the story well of "our nation's most prominent gadfly" via "archaeological dig" research -- records and interviews -- that does indeed "create a drama as intriguing and complicated as any Michael Moore movie." As Rapoport told me, he wanted to write about "how Michael became Michael" the public figure. |
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Mon Dec 03, 2007 10:52 am |
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twotap
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The boy got rich Ill give him that and joined the ranks of those he once claimed to so despise.
doc·u·men·ta·ry (dŏk'yə-mĕn'tə-rē)
adj.
Consisting of, concerning, or based on documents.
Presenting facts objectively without editorializing or inserting fictional matter, as in a book or film. 
documentary
adjective
1. relating to or consisting of or derived from documents
2. emphasizing or expressing things as perceived without distortion of personal feelings, insertion of fictional matter, or interpretation; "objective art" [syn: objective]
Yessir that pretty much describes Mikes award winning documentarys alrighty.  |
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Mon Dec 03, 2007 11:53 am |
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Ryan Eashoo
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Gosh to think our hometown Boy Michael Moore, is now uniting Liberals and Conservatives in the republican strong hold of Traverse City!
GO MICHAEL!!
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_________________
Flint Michigan Resident, Tax Payer, Flint Nutt - Local REALTOR - Activist. www.FlintTown.com |
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Mon Dec 03, 2007 2:43 pm |
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twotap
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Ya hes just a lovable little pillsbury dough type fellow. Aint that what ya really adore about.  Cute Cuddly just a bundle of laughs. I hear he has actually got on a bathing schedule since rubbing elbows with them upscale folks in Traverse City. See what becoming one of them damn capitalists will do for a fellow. |
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Mon Dec 03, 2007 6:37 pm |
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