It is easy to defend the freedom of speech when it does not tread on people’s feelings or as long as it stays within the confines of what is “Politically Correct”, but when speech is offensive to groups in society can we truly say we have the right to say whatever we want? In my movie I discuss the difference between the “ability” to speak freely and the “freedom” we have to do so.
This film is part documentary and part fiction. The fictional story is about a boy who just learned that the 1st Amendment allows him to speak whatever comes to his mind. With his newfound knowledge, the boy goes around telling groups of people what he thinks of them. He quickly finds out that speaking his mind freely has its consequences.
The documentary is composed of interviews of students and a government teacher regarding their thoughts on freedom of speech. There is also footage of public figures views on the subject. Dr. Laura Schlessinger discusses the use of the word “nigger” and Anderson Cooper interviews Michigan Assistant Attorney General Andrew Shirvell about his attacks on a gay college student.
The fiction and documentary elements are all intertwined throughout the movie. I chose to merge the two genres because I wanted to combine all various elements of free speech from the documentary section into one composite story in the fictional part. With a mixture of both, the movie is informative yet entertaining enough to capture a wide audience.