Everybody's a critic - ' Bowling for Columbine'

One star

This film by Michael Moore consists largely of clips of our past and recent history of furnishing arms to other countries and the U.S. continuing to be the one nation with the highest rate of killings due to our gun ownership.

Moore did talk with Charlton Heston, but Mr. Heston walked out of the interview when asked about certain functions of the NRA.

Canada seems to be the one country that has few killings by guns.

- Joyce Engert, retire

Four stars

"Bowling for Columbine" is a documentary by Michael Moore that is a very insightful look at the shootings at Columbine High School and in other towns. He takes a deep look at how children are influenced, from what it's like to just grow up in high school and the pressures of life to how our nation has just that same impact on the day-to-day lives of the people in it.

I feel that what he has done with this is very well thought out. Being in high school when this took place, I can completely understand how the pressures are different from what they used to be and how more people need to realize that this generation and more to come were not raised on "Father Knows Best" views. Mr. Moore has definitely raised the issue and slapped the public right in the face with it.

- Amy Laubach, sales

Two stars

This is a tough movie that asks a difficult question. The director takes the viewer on a journey from Michigan to Littleton, Colo., and Columbine High School, to the hills and streets of Los Angeles looking for an answer.

In doing so we confront Lockheed Martin, the NRA, the news media, politicians, liberals, conservatives, racism (to mention just a few) in looking for an answer. It would be easy for the viewer to see this movie as anti-NRA and pro-gun control, but the viewer would be wrong. The movie constantly comes back to its original question, "Why are Americans so violent?"

The director does a good job of exploring this difficult question, although at times he falls into the same "grandstanding" of which he accuses the news media. This is not a movie for everyone. If you don't mind having what you think challenged, this movie is for you.

- Mark Martin, pastor