"America's Heart & Soul"

Here come the reviews. By and large, it seems to be an "okay" flick...something you'd see early morning on the Hallmark Channel. Yet, I can't help wonder if Eisner would still be happier with the returns - both passionate and capitalistic - on this over F911.

Hollywood Reporter:

So this is the kind of documentary Michael Eisner wants to distribute?

The Walt Disney Co.'s chief executive officer, of course, refused to let Disney-owned Miramax Films distribute Michael Moore's "Fahrenheit 9/11" because of its hot-button political content. But a flag-waving, unanalytical celebration of patriotism like "America's Heart & Soul" gets the enthusiastic green light. In reality, the political content of Louis Schwartzberg's film is every bit as strong as that of Moore's film. It just happens to appeal more to Disney's corporate heart and soul.

Newsday:

Where "Fahrenheit 9/11" may do bupkis for the upcoming election, "America's Heart & Soul" is guaranteed to get dead-end kids off the streets and into needlepoint classes, where they can stitch these homilies till the cows come home.

Cincinnati Post:

America's Heart & Soul shows heart, even some soul. What it lacks is muscle and bone.

Still, the George W. Bush fans who find Moore's criticism unpatriotic if not downright treasonous have reason to rally around Disney, the studio that rejected Fahrenheit and released America's Heart & Soul.

Less certain is whether - or why - they might also fork over cold hard cash to see TV-style good news blown up for the big screen.

More to come...