Tuesday, Nov. 25: "Roger& Me"

The Grand Cinema

By John Kephart on November 17, 2014

Michael Moore is a legend to certain Gen-X liberals like myself. Just as mainstream journalism was beginning its downward descent into sensationalism, partisanship and - well, let's not sugarcoat it - outright lying, Moore came along. Combining investigative reporting with a sometimes-mischievous sense of humor, the documentarian from Flint, Michigan, shined a light on social ills that were otherwise ignored. Although rightly acclaimed for films like Fahrenheit 9/11 and Bowling For Columbine, his television work provided many indelible moments. Two of my favorites: on TV Nation, a correspondent set up his own roadblock outside of the illegally-gated community of Rosemont, Illinois, forcing residents of that city to stop and answer questions before they could enter Chicago; on The Awful Truth, Moore staged a mock-funeral outside the corporate headquarters of an HMO that refused to pay for a lifesaving pancreas transplant of one of its policyholders, shaming them into doing the right thing. Genius! The Grand Cinema celebrates the 25th anniversary of Moore's breakout hit Roger & Me with a screening of the film, followed by a discussion on Skype with the man himself. Have your questions about Flint, Roger Smith and the current whereabouts of Crackers the Corporate Crime-Fighting Chicken ready. 

A CONVERSATION WITH MICHAEL MOORE, 1:45 and 7 p.m. film screenings, Michael Moore conversation after 7 p.m. show, The Grand Cinema, 606 S. Fawcett, Tacoma, $8-$10, grandcinema.com