In September 2004, a volcanic explosion of political passions erupted when Utah Valley State College announced that Michael Moore, creator of the controversial documentary Fahrenheit 9/11, would speak on campus two weeks before the presidential election. Republicans outnumber Democrats by a ratio of twelve to one in this state populated by traditionally conservative Mormons. Steven Greenstreet, a former Brigham Young University student, filmed this documentary over the course of three months with the help of fellow students. The result is a fiery look at the hallowedness of free speech in the context of a no-holds barred cultural war between liberals and conservatives.
Shortly after the announcement of Moore's appearance, the student body President, Jim Bassi, and his vice-president, Joe Vogel, come under fire with hateful phone calls and death threats. Sean Vreeland, an anti-Moore student petitioner, starts a campaign against the filmmaker's appearance and his $40,000 fee. But the real fireworks come from a millionaire local businessman and Sunday school teacher, Kay Anderson, who claims that Moore should not be allowed to contaminate the minds of students at UVSC by peddling his "hatred and filth." He spearheads a series of actions including a petition to remove Bassi and Vogel from office, an offer to the college of $25,000 to cancel Moore's visit, and a law suit. In an effort to appease the conservative community, Fox News pundit Sean Hannity is asked to speak on campus before Moore. This only fuels the anger on both sides and heats up the conflict within the student body.
Despite the efforts to paint Moore as an evil person, a traitor to America, and anti-Mormon, there are a number of professors who rise to defend freedom of speech. Several students point out that Mormons should be especially cognizant of this liberty since they settled in Utah after being denied the freedom to practice their religion elsewhere. Perhaps the most touching moment in the documentary comes when a Togolese foreign exchange student shares what it is like to live in a country where free speech is denied. In the end, Michael Moore speaks his mind and salutes the courage of those who made it possible for him to do so, thanks to their open-mindedness.
