In 1915 the film, Birth of a Nation was released. It’s racist content inspired the revival of the KKK, an organization that was essentially defunct before the film’s release. Giving the film even more popularity was then President
Woodrow Wilson's comment calling the content of the movie, “absolutely true.”
In 1991, Oliver Stone released his epic JFK, a film chronicling the assassination of President John F. Kennedy. The film raised so many issues and created such a public outcry that the United States government was forced to release thousands of documents related to the assassination.
The 2006 release of Al Gore’s An Inconvenient Truth focused the scientific community as well as the general public to the dangers of global warming. Since the release of the film, interest and funding concerning global warming is at an all-time high.
In 2010 a film entitled The Rubber Room highlighted New York’s controversial teacher discipline policy, which included removing ineffective and suspended teachers from the classroom and essentially placing them in a secluded room during the school day. They no longer were teaching, but they were receiving full pay and benefits. Almost immediately after the release of the movie, New York began to reform its policies.
In 2011 producers were ready to release a film entitled, Zero Dark Thirty, a film which covers the killing of Osama bin Laden. Republicans requested that the movie makers delay release until after the 2012 elections for fear that the movie would help President Obama get reelected. They did in fact hault the release date… although as President Obama was overwhelming reelected, it didn’t seem to make much of a difference.
Earlier this year the short movie trailer, The Truth About Islam, created controversy around the world as the short 10 minute film trailer depicts the Prophet Mohammed as a less than flattering figure. The film inspired violent protests around the Muslim world and has even caused one country to block YouTube for the entire nation.
I invite you to offer any other films that you feel had a dramatic effect on the world or the nation. Remember, I’m not asking you about your favorite movies…offer only those films which resulted in some sort of dramatic reaction or change.