Bowling for Columbine
Christianity Today Movies did not review this film, but here's what other critics are saying ...
compiled by Jeffrey Overstreet | posted 1/01/2002
 1 of 3
from Film Forum, 10/23/02
Cliff Vaughn (Ethics Daily) says Bowling for Columbine, now available on DVD, is still worth seeing. Michael Moore's documentary about the problems of gun ownership, violence, and fear in America has drawn a lot of criticism, and some of his information has proven faulty. However, Vaughn writes, "Whether viewers agree with Moore's conclusions, they are sure to be engaged by his style and his stance. The DVD's special features … reveal a Michael Moore in touch with Scripture." He elaborates on some challenging questions Moore raises that reflect some level of familiarity with the Bible.
from Film Forum, 10/24/02
Why does America have a higher murder rate than any other industrial nation? More specifically—why do we shoot each other so frequently? Those are the questions that drive Michael Moore's occasionally insightful, often infuriatingly simple-minded documentary Bowling for Columbine.
Many readers of this column are probably going to avoid anything made by Michael Moore. Moore is famous, after all, for his left-wing rants, aggressive campaigns against big business, diatribes against the President's policies, and brusque interviewing techniques. But in this film, Moore puts an elbow in the ribs of both conservatives and liberals. Sure, there are rants a-plenty. But no other film out there will stimulate discussion on these relevant cultural issues better than this one. By the film's end, he's raised more questions than he's answered. They are excellent questions.
It's also entertaining, at times hilarious, and full of surprising revelations. Many viewers will find their opinions challenged regarding the causes of America's gun-violence epidemic. One by one, Moore shoots down the popular explanations. Some say, "Too many guns result in too much violence." Moore, a member of the NRA, discovers otherwise, learning that other nations have similarly widespread gun ownership, but far fewer shootings. Others say, "Our culture is saturated with violent music, violent video games, and violent movies." That's true, but nations that rarely see gun violence are obsessed with America's violent media exports.
Moore zeroes in on a specifically American problem—a rising condition of fear and distrust in its general populace. Isn't it interesting that as violent crime has decreased over the last few years, news media coverage of violent crime has risen 600 percent? When the news spends most of its time reporting criminals-at-large, epidemics, wars, and dangerous possibilities, how does this affect the way we view our neighbors? And what does this all have to do with Columbine? You may not agree with many of Moore's opinions—I'll admit, some of his claims made me roll my eyes. But I encourage you to give his high-spirited documentary a chance. It will provide fuel for challenging discussions. It's one of the year's most important and entertaining films.
Other online religious press reviewers are excited about the film as well, offering similar disclaimers about the show's frank-talking host.
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