A Park City movie theater is showing a documentary envisioning the U.S. if President Obama wins a second term, a politically charged film that is screening amid the backdrop of the party conventions.
The Holiday Village 4 theater late in the week was showing “2016: Obama’s America” three times daily, with the first screening starting at 2 p.m. The documentary has garnered widespread attention as Obama and Republican nominee Mitt Romney are locked in a tight campaign. It is seen as having a critical tone toward Obama.
Theater management declined to comment about showing the film. A spokesperson for theater operator Cinemark did not immediately return a phone message seeking comment. Information about ticket sales at the local theater was not available.
Henry Glasheen, the chairman of the Summit County Republican Party, said he saw the movie Tuesday afternoon at Holiday Village, indicating the theater was three-quarters full for a 4:30 p.m. screening. He went with a group of people split evenly between Republicans and Democrats.
“It’s very well researched. It would be very hard to attack his research, although you may disagree with his conclusion,” Glasheen said, adding, “It would be very difficult to say he manufactured this.”
The film was made by Gerald Molen and Dinesh D’Souza. Molen was involved with movies like “Jurassic Park” and “Schindler’s List” while D’Souza, who was born in India, worked in the Reagan administration and is an author, according to biographies posted on the film’s website.
Glasheen said the film includes what he describes as “investigative journalism.” He said the documentary “clearly” has an anti-Obama theme, but it is not a “drive-by, attack-style piece.”
Glasheen said the film could nudge some undecided voters toward Romney.
“It will have an impact because it’s very thoughtful,” Glasheen said.
Park City is one of the state’s most reliably Democratic communities and a place where Obama performed especially well in the 2008 election. He won three counties in Utah that year, and his best results were in Summit County.
Glenn Wright, the chairman of the Summit County Democratic Party, said the film is “unlikely to get much response here.” He acknowledged, though, there is a Tea Party element in the Park City area that might be interested in seeing the film.
Kim Page, the executive director of the Park City Film Series, planned to see the movie on Thursday at Holiday Village. She said it is difficult to predict how it will be received locally.
“Park City is a pretty progressive community. It will be interesting what the response is,” Page said.
She added there are many open-minded people in the Park City area and some might want to see the film regardless of their politics.
“People are going to be interested to see it,” she said. “I know I am.”