Story highlights
Filmmaker Michael Moore tweets he was taught snipers were "cowards"
Moore's statement comes the same weekend "American Sniper" broke box office records
"American Sniper" earned six Oscar nominations, including best picture
Shortly after his tweet proclaiming “snipers aren’t heroes” netted a barrage of criticism, documentary filmmaker Michael Moore tried to explain where that sentiment came from – his war veteran father.
The backlash soon followed. Former U.S. House Speaker and CNN contributor Newt Gingrich invited Moore to spend some time with terrorist cells overseas, then weigh in on the value of snipers.
The “Fahrenheit 9/11” and “Bowling for Columbine” director has long been a staunch advocate for stricter gun control laws in the United States, and his statements are known to court controversy.
His latest comments quickly prompted backlash. Former U.S. House speaker and CNN contributor Newt Gingrich invited Moore to spend some time with terrorist cells overseas, then weigh in on the value of snipers.
The movie, starring Bradley Cooper and directed by Clint Eastwood, earned $105 million in weekend ticket sales and nabbed six Academy Award nominations last week, including best picture. The box office take trumped previous records for a January opening and is expected to grow on Monday as moviegoers enjoy another day off for the Martin Luther King Jr. holiday weekend.
Moore isn’t the only one in Hollywood taking aim at the film: Actor Seth Rogen equated the war drama to a Nazi propaganda film shown in Quentin Tarantino’s “Inglourious Basterds.”
Rogen later clarified his statement, tweeting, “I just said something ‘kinda reminded’ me of something else. I actually liked American Sniper. It just reminded me of the Tarantino scene.”