Michael Moore facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Michael Moore
Moore at the 2009 Venice Film Festival
Born	Michael Francis Moore (1954-04-23) April 23, 1954 (age 71) Flint, Michigan, U.S.
Occupation	Filmmaker author activist
Years active	1976–present
Spouse(s)	Kathleen Glynn ​ ​ (m. 1991; div. 2014)​

Michael Francis Moore (born April 23, 1954) is an American filmmaker, author, and activist. He is known for making documentary films that look closely at social, political, and economic topics.

Moore first became famous for his film Roger & Me. This movie explored the problems in Flint, Michigan, after the car industry faced difficulties in the 1980s. He later won an Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature for Bowling for Columbine in 2002. This film looked into the reasons behind the Columbine High School massacre and the general gun culture in the United States.

Moore also directed and produced Fahrenheit 9/11. This film criticized the early years of George W. Bush's presidency and the War on Terror. It became the highest-earning documentary ever at the American box office. The film won the top award, the Palme d'Or, at the 2004 Cannes Film Festival. His documentary Sicko explored health care in the United States. In 2018, he released Fahrenheit 11/9, a film about the 2016 United States presidential election and Donald Trump's presidency. He was also a producer for Planet of the Humans (2019), a documentary about the environmental movement.

Moore's films often criticize topics like globalization, big business, gun ownership, and the American healthcare system. In 2005, Time magazine named him one of the world's 100 most influential people. Some people have called his films "propaganda" because they present strong viewpoints.

Early Life and Education

Michael Moore was born near Flint, Michigan. He grew up in Davison. His parents and grandfather worked in the many General Motors car factories in Flint. His uncle, LaVerne, helped start the United Automobile Workers labor union. He was part of the important Flint sit-down strike.

Moore grew up in a traditional Catholic family. He has Irish, Scottish, and English family roots. Some of his ancestors were Quakers.

He went to St. John's Elementary School. He also attended St. Paul's Seminary for a year. Later, he went to Davison High School. There, he was active in drama and debate. He graduated in 1972. As a Boy Scouts of America, he earned the rank of Eagle Scout.

When he was 18, Moore was elected to the Davison school board. At that time, he was the youngest person ever elected to a public office in the U.S. He studied Journalism at the University of Michigan–Flint. He wrote for the student newspaper, The Michigan Times.

Career Highlights

Journalism Beginnings

At 22, Moore started an alternative newspaper called Free to Be.... It was later renamed The Flint Voice. It eventually became The Michigan Voice and covered the whole state.

Singer-songwriter Harry Chapin helped Moore launch the newspaper. He performed benefit concerts and gave the money to Moore. Moore convinced Chapin to do a concert, and Chapin performed in Flint every year after that.

In 1986, The Michigan Voice published its last issue. Moore then moved to San Francisco. He worked for Mother Jones magazine for a few months. He was later fired because he wanted to cover a story about GM plant closings in Flint. Moore sued for wrongful dismissal and settled the case. The money he received helped him start his first film, Roger & Me.

Directing and Producing Films

Roger & Me

Moore's first documentary film, Roger & Me, came out in 1989. It showed what happened to Flint, Michigan, after General Motors closed its factories. GM moved production to Mexico, where workers were paid less. The "Roger" in the title refers to Roger B. Smith, who was the head of General Motors at the time.

Some critics said Moore changed the order of events in the film. However, film critic Roger Ebert said it was an artistic choice. He felt it showed Moore's satirical style rather than affecting his truthfulness.

Canadian Bacon

In 1995, Moore directed Canadian Bacon. This was a comedy film. It showed a fictional U.S. president who creates a fake war with Canada. He does this to become more popular. The film was one of the last to feature actor John Candy.

The Big One

Moore's 1997 film The Big One followed him on a tour for his book. In the film, he criticized large companies for laying off many workers. This happened even when the companies were making huge profits. He specifically pointed out Nike for moving shoe production to other countries.

Bowling for Columbine

His documentary Bowling for Columbine was released in 2002. It explored the culture of guns and violence in the U.S. The film started by looking at the Columbine High School massacre from 1999. Bowling for Columbine won an award at the 2002 Cannes Film Festival. It also won the César Award in France for Best Foreign Film. In the U.S., it won the Academy Award for Documentary Feature in 2002. It was very successful and is considered one of the greatest documentary films.

After winning the Academy Award, Moore spoke out against U.S. President George W. Bush and the Iraq War. The war had just begun three days earlier. He said, "We live in a time where we have fictitious election results that elects a fictitious president." His speech received mixed reactions from the audience.

Fahrenheit 9/11

Moore's film Fahrenheit 9/11 came out in 2004. It looked at America after the September 11 attacks. It focused on the actions of the George W. Bush Administration. The film also explored alleged connections between the Bush family and the Osama bin Laden family. Fahrenheit 9/11 won the Palme d'Or, the top honor at the 2004 Cannes Film Festival. It was the first documentary to win this award since 1956.

The film's title refers to the classic book Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury. That book is about a future where books are burned at 451 degrees Fahrenheit. Moore's film title suggests a temperature where freedom might burn.

Fahrenheit 9/11 became the highest-earning documentary of all time. It made over $200 million worldwide. The film caused much discussion and debate when it was released before the 2004 United States presidential election.

Sicko

Moore at the 2007 Cannes Film Festival receiving a standing ovation for Sicko

Moore directed the 2007 film Sicko. This movie was about the American healthcare system. It focused on insurance companies and drug companies. Several major drug companies told their employees not to talk to Moore. The film premiered at the 2007 Cannes Film Festival and received a long standing ovation. It was released in the U.S. and Canada in June 2007. Sicko is one of the highest-earning documentaries ever and was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature.

Slacker Uprising

Moore looked at the political views of college students in "Bush Administration America." He did this with Captain Mike Across America. This film was shot during his tour of 62 college campuses before the 2004 presidential election. Moore later re-edited it into Slacker Uprising. He released it for free on the internet in September 2008.

Capitalism: A Love Story

Released in 2009, Capitalism: A Love Story examined the financial crisis of 2007–2008. It also looked at the U.S. economy during the change from the Bush to the Obama administration. Moore said that democracy needs people to take part. He stated that Obama's success would depend on what people did to support him.

Where to Invade Next

Where to Invade Next (2015) explored good social policies in other countries. The film premiered at the 2015 Toronto International Film Festival. Critics praised the film for its surprising and winning approach.

Michael Moore in TrumpLand

In Michael Moore in TrumpLand (2016), Moore discussed the 2016 United States presidential election. It was a solo show where Moore spoke to an audience. The film shared his thoughts on the candidates. It highlighted Hillary Clinton's strengths and explained how Donald Trump could win.

Fahrenheit 11/9

In 2017, Moore announced his new film about Donald Trump, titled Fahrenheit 11/9. It was released in September 2018. The title refers to the day Donald Trump officially became President-elect of the United States.

Planet of the Humans

Michael Moore was a producer for the documentary Planet of the Humans, released in 2019. The film argued that the planet's condition has worsened since the first Earth Day. It questioned whether common industry approaches to mitigate climate change might cause other environmental problems. Some experts criticized the film's claims and figures.

Writing Books

Moore at Royce Hall, UCLA to promote his memoir Here Comes Trouble, September 2011

Moore has written and co-written eight non-fiction books. These books often cover topics similar to his documentaries. Stupid White Men (2001) criticized American policies. Moore said it was also a "book of political humor." Dude, Where's My Country? (2003) looked at the Bush family's connections to Saudi royalty and the energy industry. Many of his books have become bestsellers.

Television Work

From 1994 to 1995, Moore directed and hosted the BBC television series TV Nation. This show was like a news magazine but covered topics usually avoided by news shows. It aired in the UK and the US.

His other main series was The Awful Truth. This show made fun of actions by big companies and politicians. It aired in the UK and the US in 1999 and 2000. Moore won an award for being the producer and host of The Awful Truth.

Another series, Michael Moore Live, aired in the UK in 1999. This show was similar to The Awful Truth. It also included live phone calls and a weekly stunt.

Music Videos

Moore has directed several music videos. These include two for Rage Against the Machine: "Sleep Now in the Fire" and "Testify". He was almost arrested while filming "Sleep Now in the Fire" on Wall Street.

Moore also directed videos for R.E.M.'s song "All the Way to Reno (You're Gonna Be a Star)" in 2001. He also directed System of a Down's song "Boom!".

Other Appearances

Moore has appeared in other documentaries. He was an interviewer in Blood in the Face (1991), about white supremacy groups. He also appeared in The Yes Men (2003), about two men pretending to be from the World Trade Organization. In The Corporation (2004), he said, "The problem is the profit motive: for corporations, there's no such thing as enough."

Theater Work

Moore made his Broadway debut in 2017 with The Terms of My Surrender. This was a show where he spoke about his anti-Trump views. The show ran for 13 weeks.

Honorary Degree

In 2014, Michigan State University gave Michael Moore an Honorary Doctor of Humanities degree.

Political Views

Michael Moore is known for his political activism. He believes that everyone in a democracy should be politically active. John Flesher of the Associated Press described Moore as having "fiery left-wing populism." Moore has said that socialism is like democracy and Christianity.

Moore attended both the 2004 Democratic National Convention and the 2004 Republican National Convention. He shared his thoughts on these events in USA Today. Republican Senator John McCain criticized Moore in a speech. Moore responded by making an "L" sign with his hand, meaning "loser," at the crowd.

In 2004, Moore spoke at universities in states where elections were closely contested. This was part of his "Slacker Uprising Tour." He gave away ramen and underwear to students who promised to vote.

Moore urged Ralph Nader not to run in the 2004 presidential election. He wanted to avoid splitting the vote for the left-leaning candidates.

In 2011, Moore stated that 400 very wealthy people in the U.S. had more money and property than 155 million Americans combined. This claim was found to be true by PolitiFact.

After Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez died in 2013, Moore praised him. He said Chávez helped reduce extreme poverty and provided free healthcare and education for everyone.

2016 Presidential Election

In December 2015, Moore supported Bernie Sanders for president in the 2016 United States presidential election. He called Sanders a "force to contend with." He described democratic socialism as a "true democracy where everyone has a seat at the table." After Sanders lost the primary elections, Moore encouraged Americans to vote for Hillary Clinton. He also correctly predicted that Donald Trump would win the election. After Trump was elected, Moore called him a "Russian traitor," saying his presidency had "no legitimacy."

In October 2016, Moore criticized Julian Assange and WikiLeaks for publishing emails from the Democratic National Committee. He said they were "anarchists" who wanted to "blow up the system."

In November 2016, after Donald Trump was elected, Moore spoke about a type of "friendly fascism." He suggested that future dictators might come with a "smiley face" and a "TV show" instead of traditional oppressive methods.

Barack Obama

In 2008, Moore supported Barack Obama for president. He criticized the 2011 military intervention in Libya. After U.S. troops launched missiles in Libya, Moore suggested that President Barack Obama should return his 2009 Nobel Peace Prize.

In 2013, Moore wrote about the Affordable Care Act. He called it "awful" because it was a "pro-insurance-industry plan." However, he still saw it as a "godsend" because it was a step towards universal healthcare.

Donald Trump

In May 2017, Moore launched a website called TrumpiLeaks. He created it to encourage whistleblowers to share information about Donald Trump. Moore wanted information about "crimes, breaches of public trust and misconduct" by Trump and his associates. He believed Trump thought he was "above the law."

In March 2018, Moore criticized the "corporate media." He said they focused too much on "Russia, Russia, Russia!" to distract people. He felt they should show inspiring events like the 2018 West Virginia teachers' strike.

In April 2018, Moore jokingly asked Trump why he hadn't fired Robert Mueller. After the 2018 Russia–United States summit in July 2018, Moore called for Trump's impeachment. He said Trump's admission of siding with Putin was enough proof.

In October 2019, Moore again supported Bernie Sanders in the 2020 Democratic Party presidential primaries. After Sanders lost, Moore urged his supporters to vote for Joe Biden.

Personal Life

Michael Moore met Kathleen Glynn at The Flint Voice. They married in 1991. He filed for divorce in 2013, and their divorce was finalized in 2014.

After the Columbine High School massacre, Moore became a lifetime member of the National Rifle Association of America (NRA). He said he wanted to become the NRA's president to change the organization. However, he soon realized this plan was too difficult.

In 2005, Time magazine named Moore one of the world's 100 most influential people. Later that year, Moore started the Traverse City Film Festival. It is held every year in Traverse City, Michigan. In 2009, he also helped start the Traverse City Comedy Festival. Moore helped to fix up the historic downtown State Theater in Traverse City.

Work

Filmography

Other Works

• Here Comes Trouble: Stories from My Life (2012)

Video Shorts

• Rage Against the Machine: "Sleep Now in the Fire" (2000)
• Rage Against the Machine: "Testify" (2000)
• R.E.M.: "All the Way to Reno (You're Gonna Be a Star)" (2001)
• In View: The Best of R.E.M. 1988–2003 (2003)
• System of a Down: "Boom!" (2003)

Television Series

• TV Nation (1994–1995)
• The Awful Truth (1999–2000)
• Michael Moore Live (1999)

Podcasting

• RUMBLE with Michael Moore (2019–present)

Images for kids

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  Moore at the 66th Venice International Film Festival in September 2009

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  Moore lampoons George W. Bush's reaction to the September 11 attacks notification

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  Moore at the anti-Trump rally in New York City, November 12, 2016

See also

In Spanish: Michael Moore para niños