10 Movie Messages Everybody Misunderstood
1. It Celebrates Human Achievement (But Isn't Anti-American) - First Man
What Everybody Thinks
Damien Chazelle's majestic Neil Armstrong biopic First Man was widely pilloried by people of all political persuasions for not including the iconic planting of the American flag on the lunar surface.
Many commentators - especially Conservative ones - felt that Chazelle's film was as a result blatantly un-patriotic and even un-American, shying away from an achievement that was funded and executed by Americans.
President Trump himself said, "It's almost like they're embarrassed at the achievement coming from America."
The Real Message
Chazelle rubbished claims that the exclusion of the flag-planting scene was a political statement, claiming that his desire was to "share with audiences the unseen, unknown aspects of America's mission to the Moon."
Star Ryan Gosling meanwhile took a less diplomatic stance and really got to the heart of the matter, calling it a "human achievement", and that its depiction in the film reflects that. For the record, the American flag is still shown planted on the Moon, but the moment of it being planted is not included.
But Gosling really hit the nail on the head - the Moon landing is something all of humanity should be proud of, and in the same spirit that no one nation can claim ownership of the Moon, landing on the Moon is a human triumph above all else.
Yet even with that in mind, the film makes great pains to depict the heartbreak and tragedy that NASA suffered through in their quest to land on the Moon, namely numerous astronauts dying in the process. If that isn't a testament to America's sacrifice, what is?
For a movie that's ultimately about expanding your sense of scope in the universe, it sure would make sense for the "but what about America?" crowd to think a little more about the bigger picture.