This Divided State

In September 2004, UVSC student council leaders, Jim Bassi and Joseph Vogel, invited liberal filmmaker Michael Moore to come speak on campus at Utah Valley State College. The predominantly conservative community of Orem surrounding the school erupted in an uproar, believing that the university's funds should not be spent on his visit. A pandemonium of protests, petitions, and demonstrations escalated into hate mail, threatening phone calls, threatened lawsuits, and countless incendiary editorials.{{cite news |last1=Catsoulis |first1=Jeanette |title=Trouble in Mormon Country When a Liberal Pays a Visit |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2005/08/19/movies/trouble-in-mormon-country-when-a-liberal-pays-a-visit.html |accessdate=2019-12-08 |work=New York Times |date=19 August 2005 |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20150529184854/https://www.nytimes.com/2005/08/19/movies/trouble-in-mormon-country-when-a-liberal-pays-a-visit.html |archivedate=2015-05-29 |url-status=unfit}}

Attempting to offset the controversy, UVSC invited conservative commentator Sean Hannity, scheduling his appearance a few days prior to Moore’s visit. Hannity waived his normal $100,000 speakers fee, but still demanded that UVSC cover his travel costs, which totaled $49,850. The total "generally surprised" UVSC officials when they received the bill.{{cite news|last=Leiby|first=Richard|title=Documenting the Cost of Free Speech|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/ac2/wp-dyn/A4247-2005Mar27|newspaper=The Washington Post|accessdate=7 November 2011|date=27 March 2005}}{{dead link|date=June 2021|bot=medic}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}}{{cite news|url=http://www.newsnet.byu.edu/story.cfm/52917/1121|accessdate=14 October 2004|title=Hannity's bill totals $49,850|publisher=Brigham Young University}} Also featured in the film is prominent voice of the opposition, Kay Anderson, a local real estate mogul who offered UVSC $25,000 to cancel Moore’s appearance, and, when that failed, tried to sue the school for misuse of funds.{{cite web|last=Eddington|first=Mark|title=Film on Moore visit to go on tour|url=http://archive.sltrib.com/article.php?id=2610355&itype=NGPSID&keyword=&qtype=|work=The Salt Lake Tribune|accessdate=15 November 2011|date=17 March 2005}}{{cite web|last=Hancock|first=Laura|title=Film dissects pros, cons of Moore visit|url=http://www.deseretnews.com/article/600110152/Film-dissects-pros-cons-of-Moore-visit.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120313224533/http://www.deseretnews.com/article/600110152/Film-dissects-pros-cons-of-Moore-visit.html|url-status=dead|archive-date=March 13, 2012|work=Deseret News|accessdate=14 November 2011|date=6 February 2005}}

Steven Greenstreet, a Utah Valley State Valley student at the time, embarked on the concept along with his friends, Bryan Young and Elias and Michelle Pate,{{cite web|title=Any which way you can: : Local film 'This Divided State' finishes rocky road to DVD distribution|url=http://www.heraldextra.com/lifestyles/article_9e0ff0a4-cecb-55aa-bc09-1d653382cb28.html|work=Daily Herald|accessdate=4 November 2011}} describing the ensuing commotion as “a huge crush of political debate and an overwhelming sense of activity and electricity.”{{cite web|title=Movie made of controversial Moore campus visit|url=http://www.ctv.ca/CTVNews/Entertainment/20050131/moore_film_050131/|work=CTV News|accessdate=4 November 2011}}{{dead link|date=July 2021|bot=medic}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}}

The filmmakers captured at least 70 hours of material in the course of three months. Greenstreet eventually maxed out three credit cards, emptied his bank account, and dropped out of Brigham Young University, devoting himself exclusively to this project. In one instance, when the filmmakers could no longer afford the cost of home internet access, they resorted to piggybacking on an unsuspecting neighbor's wireless signal, only accessible at the foot of a family member’s bed.

Often spending twenty hours a day editing, Greenstreet carefully trimmed the footage down to eighty-eight minutes.{{cite web|title=Moore documentary|url=http://www.heraldextra.com/news/local/article_1d31f6c1-a5d1-5a64-ac0d-d47e8eda22d5.html|work=Daily Herald|accessdate=4 November 2011|date=4 February 2005}} Juxtaposing candidly emotional interviews against unruly public spectacles, he consistently strove for neutrality, advancing the story without narration and allowing equal time to all opposing opinions. The filmmakers could not forget the vital importance of finishing the film soon, while the events involved were still relevant and fresh in the public’s minds.{{cite web|last=Montesano|first=Anthony P.|title=Interview With: Steven Greenstreet, Director/Producer|url=http://moviesonmymind.blogspot.com/2006/03/interview-with-steven-greenstreet.html|work=Movies on My Mind|accessdate=4 November 2011|date=8 March 2006}}

Upon learning UVSC professor and self-proclaimed liberal, Phil Gordon, had become involved in the project, Kay Anderson filed a claim against Greenstreet, attempting to revoke his previously signed consent to be included in the film citing issues with misrepresentation and bias.{{cite web|last=Eddington|first=Mark|title=Documentary on Moore's UVSC visit has the usual critic|url=http://archive.sltrib.com/article.php?id=2550283&itype=NGPSID&keyword=&qtype= |work=The Salt Lake Tribune|accessdate=13 November 2011|date=February 3, 2005}} With the aiding representation of attorney Patrick Shea, Anderson’s attempts to remove himself, and more particularly a private interview with Greenstreet in his home, from the film proved unsuccessful.{{cite web|last=Decker|first=Marin|title=Film footage is disputed|url=http://www.deseretnews.com/article/600107906/Film-footage-is-disputed.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120308053923/http://www.deseretnews.com/article/600107906/Film-footage-is-disputed.html|url-status=dead|archive-date=March 8, 2012|work=Deseret News|accessdate=4 November 2011|date=28 January 2005}}{{cite web|last=Eddington|first=Mark|title=Film on Moore fiasco a big hit with 400-plus UVSC audience|url=http://archive.sltrib.com/article.php?id=2551465&itype=NGPSID&keyword=&qtype=|work=The Salt Lake Tribune|accessdate=16 November 2011|date=February 4, 2005}} Greenstreet defended using Anderson in the film, “without the personal interview that I did with him, he doesn't get a chance to explain his motivation.”

On February 5, 2005, the eighty-eight-minute final product premiered at UVSC's Ragan Theater, receiving a standing ovation from the 700 people overflowing the Theater's 400-seat capacity.{{cite web|last=Hawkins|first=Emily|title=Reel Progress: This Divided State|url=http://www.campusprogress.org/articles/reel_progress_this_divided_state|work=Campus Progress|accessdate=4 November 2011|date=17 February 2005}} On the heels of the sold-out premiere, the filmmakers commenced a publicity blitz to any magazine, newspaper, or film studio that would take their call. Without previous experience, the filmmakers had to quickly learn how to produce their own press kits and market their movie with a team of only four people and minimal resources. Their first big break occurred when Campus Progress, a division of the Center for American Progress, sponsored a tour of the film as part of its "Reel Progress" series. The film went on to screen at twenty-three college campuses, including Yale, Cornell, Vanderbilt, and the University of Southern California.{{cite web|last=Peterson|first=Chris|title=Filmmaker enjoys success of Moore documentary|url=http://www.heraldextra.com/news/article_9c7d2c10-4f9e-5b95-9817-a7f9decd01a8.html|work=Daily Herald|accessdate=4 November 2011|date=9 May 2005}}

With Greenstreet on the road for months at a time, his colleagues continued to promote their film in any way possible, arranging a self-distributed theatrical release. Not having money to transfer the film to 35mm screening prints, they simply projected the film digitally from a DVD-R disc. The film went on to play theatrically in more than twenty major U.S. cities, before being released in North America on DVD on September 27, 2005, by The Disinformation Company.

{{Rotten Tomatoes prose|83|6.8|24|access-date={{RT data|access date}}}}{{cite web|url=https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/this_divided_state/ |title=This Divided State (2005)|work=Rotten Tomatoes|accessdate=2010-09-10}} The New York Times called it "filmmaking gold" and "extremely moving." Variety found the film “as boisterous as it is sobering,”{{cite web|last=Harvey|first=Dennis|title=This Divided State|url=https://www.variety.com/review/VE1117927976?refcatid=31|work=Variety|accessdate=4 November 2011|date=23 August 2005}} while Deseret News claimed it is “surprisingly cohesive and coherent and it does its best to tell all sides of the story.”{{cite web|last=Vice|first=Jeff|title='Divided' surprisingly coherent|url=http://www.deseretnews.com/article/600150145/Divided-surprisingly-coherent.html|archive-url=https://archive.today/20130121131450/http://www.deseretnews.com/article/600150145/Divided-surprisingly-coherent.html|url-status=dead|archive-date=January 21, 2013|work=Deseret News|accessdate=4 November 2011|date=22 July 2005}} Orlando Sentinel further posits, “This Divided State shows the power of the newer, cheaper video documentary in all its glory.”{{cite web|last=Moore|first=Roger|title=This Divided State|url=http://www.orlandosentinel.com/entertainment/movies/orl-db-moviereviews-searchresults,0,3279701,results.formprofile?Lib=turbine_cdb_lib%3Aresult_doc_id+result_doc_rank+document_id+cdb_num+cdb_01_txt+cdb_02_txt+cdb_03_txt+cdb_04_txt+cdb_05_txt+cdb_06_txt+cdb_07_txt+cdb_08_txt+cdb_09_txt+cdb_10_txt+cdb_11_txt+cdb_12_txt+cdb_13_txt+cdb_15_txt+cdb_14_txt+cdb_16_txt+cdb_17_txt+cdb_18_txt+cdb_19_txt+cdb_20_txt+cdb_21_txt+cdb_22_txt+cdb_23_txt+cdb_24_txt+cdb_25_txt+cdb_26_txt&PageSize=1&Page=1&MinCoarseRank=500&QueryType=CONCEPT&Query=&turbine_cdb_lib__cdb_01_txt=This%20Divided%20State&Find+it!=Submit+Query|work=Orlando Sentinel|accessdate=4 November 2011|date=8 September 2005}} In 2005 tied in an audience-based award for Best Documentary at the Santa Cruz Film Festival.{{Cite web |last= |first= |date= |title=This Divided State (2005) |url=https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0444698/awards/?ref_=tt_awd |website=IMDb}}

• [http://www.stevengreenstreet.com Official Website of Director]
• [https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0444698/ This Divided State on IMDb]

• [https://www.variety.com/review/VE1117927976?refcatid=31 Variety]
• [https://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9402E7D7133EF93AA2575BC0A9639C8B63 The New York Times]
• [https://archive.today/20130121131450/http://www.deseretnews.com/article/600150145/Divided-surprisingly-coherent.html Deseret News]
• [http://www.villagevoice.com/film/0533,tracking8,66918,20.html The Village Voice]
• [http://www.csmonitor.com/2005/0812/p14s01-almo.html Christian Science Monitor]
• [http://efilmcritic.com/review.php?movie=13003 eFilm Critic]
• [https://web.archive.org/web/20120201064619/http://www.avclub.com/articles/this-divided-state%2C4347/ The A.V. Club]
• [http://movies.tvguide.com/this-divided-state/review/192104 TV Guide]
• [http://www.orlandosentinel.com/entertainment/movies/orl-db-moviereviews-searchresults,0,3279701,results.formprofile?Lib=turbine_cdb_lib%3Aresult_doc_id+result_doc_rank+document_id+cdb_num+cdb_01_txt+cdb_02_txt+cdb_03_txt+cdb_04_txt+cdb_05_txt+cdb_06_txt+cdb_07_txt+cdb_08_txt+cdb_09_txt+cdb_10_txt+cdb_11_txt+cdb_12_txt+cdb_13_txt+cdb_15_txt+cdb_14_txt+cdb_16_txt+cdb_17_txt+cdb_18_txt+cdb_19_txt+cdb_20_txt+cdb_21_txt+cdb_22_txt+cdb_23_txt+cdb_24_txt+cdb_25_txt+cdb_26_txt&PageSize=1&Page=1&MinCoarseRank=500&QueryType=CONCEPT&Query=&turbine_cdb_lib__cdb_01_txt=This%20Divided%20State&Find+it!=Submit+Query Orlando Sentinel]

Category:2005 films

Category:American documentary films

Category:American independent films

Category:Documentary films about American politics

Category:2005 directorial debut films

Category:2000s English-language films

Category:2000s American films

Category:English-language documentary films