First Amendment rights have been an important issue for this nation to revisit over the last twenty years. Though great strides have been made I am amazed and frustrated by the power of theaters to screen the movies they think are worth seeing. Brokeback Mountain is being touted as a contender for movie of the year and yet I live in a university-town (University has over 11,000 students) that refuses to show the movie. I can watch Grandma's Boy but cannot view Brokeback.??? I have been told that the theater is not publically owned and therefore can show the movies they choose. I guess the owners believe the movie will transform us all into gay men! The rating of this movie ensures that those who can watch it are capable of understanding the content and issues it raises. Therefore, the old "it will confuse our young" argument does not hold water. This movie offers the opportunity to wrestle with an issue that many do not understand. Also, it reveals (from what I read!!!) the "other issues" related to being gay. What harm can come from viewing a movie that challenges or informs us? I thought this was one of the more artistic purposes of film. Either they help us escape the pressures of life for a while, or they stimulate our thinking. How many of you, like me, live in a city that refuses to show movies that are Oscar-contenders based solely on the moral judgment of the owners? What have you done to alter such a situation?

Well, even though I agree 100% with everything you said, it is within a theatre owner's rights to not show a movie. I'd be interested to know wheather the theatre has shown any movies with gay or lesbian content in the past. I'd be willing to bet they have. The only thing you could do is try to organize a petition to get it shown. If it's economically viable for them to show it, they may, even if they disagree with it's message. If that doesn't work, you can always boycott the theatre.

I agree with you, Rev., that the reasons one assumes the theatre owners have for not showing the movie are stupid and/or bigoted, but I'm not sure what 'right' of yours they really violate. As ericg75 points out, the theatre can show whatever it (or the owners) want to show. If a theatre chooses only to show art house indie flicks and refuses to show King Kong or Harry Potter, does that violate a patron's alleged 'right' to see those films? This is where the market is supposed to kick in: if there is more than one theatre in town, and there's a demand for showings of Brokeback, then theatre B will show what theatre A refuses to show and, in theory, will make money on the deal.

I'm in total agreement with you that the moral high ground that is being offered as a 'reason' for not showing Brokeback Mountain is a real stretch, but I'm not sure how anyone's rights are being violated, as you imply in your post.

I assume you live in Athens...which theatre (chain?) is it that won't show the film?

Legally, in America that promotes freedom of the market place as one of the highest principles of a democracy and reside along side freedom of speech (public that is) finds the notion of liberal opportunities to find in society a free flowing expression of ideas at clear odds.

Unlike government-sponsored cinema based on a democratically elected government that has freedom of speech components seems at odds the government socialistic controls and censorship.

I don't think there is at this moment in America a reasonable balance between the control of private enterprise by bigger and bigger corporations and movie distributors and movie theater chains that have no actual responsibility to the public and the significiantly reduced and more and more marginalized public television programming of a freely elected government. While no freedom of liberty, freedom of expression legally has been violated nor individual liberty, the spirit of the free flow of expression has been hampered continually gets narrowed as the opportunity to find unique forms of expression more and more difficult to come to fruition. Canada may be one example of a country that may offer more hope regarding the balance of cinemagraphic freedom.

[QUOTE]Originally posted by philosopherEric:
I agree with you, Rev., that the reasons one assumes the theatre owners have for not showing the movie are stupid and/or bigoted, but I'm not sure what 'right' of yours they really violate. As ericg75 points out, the theatre can show whatever it (or the owners) want to show. If a theatre chooses only to show art house indie flicks and refuses to show King Kong or Harry Potter, does that violate a patron's alleged 'right' to see those films? This is where the market is supposed to kick in: if there is more than one theatre in town, and there's a demand for showings of Brokeback, then theatre B will show what theatre A refuses to show and, in theory, will make money on the deal.

I'm in total agreement with you that the moral high ground that is being offered as a 'reason' for not showing Brokeback Mountain is a real stretch, but I'm not sure how anyone's rights are being violated, as you imply in your post.

I assume you live in Athens...which theatre (chain?) is it that won't show the film?

[/Good point] Your point is well taken. I live in the very southern section of Georgia and have only one theater in town. I am off base about "rights" on this issue. I think the frustration of being denied the opportunity to see what our culture says is movie of social value got the best of me. I will have to drive almost two hours to see it. The "free market" does not work well in isolated areas where there is no competition. Thanks again for articulating very well the misuse I made of "rights." In reality, as I've considered this and other posts, I would be violating their right as an owner to demand they show anything they desire to avoid.

I certainly wasn't criticizing your view, by the way. I agree with you that petty prejudices and bigotry shouldn't come into play. I agree with you (and Tabuno) that there's a great benefit to letting people decide for themselves whether or not to see a movie, or read a book, or whatever. I'm a big supporter of free speech.

The good news is that, with the advent of 'by mail' DVD services like Netflix and 'on-demand' cable and satellite, you'll be able to see whatever film you like whenever you like even if your local theatre and/or videostore doesn't want to carry it. But that doesn't help if you want to see it NOW and the one theatre in town doesn't want to show it...you have to wait until it comes out on DVD. The hazards of living in a smaller town, I guess.