Business Insider on August 30 published a story noting that the upcoming Neil Armstrong movie “First Man” omits the planting of the American flag on the lunar surface. Star Ryan Gosling, a Canadian, said that the moon landing was generally perceived as a “human achievement,” not an American one, and that’s how Armstrong perceived it too.
It didn’t take Chuck Yeager and Buzz Aldrin long to weigh in, with Aldrin tweeting photos of the American flag on the moon with the hashtag #proudtobeanAmerican.
We’d missed it at the time, but the studio posted a trailer for the movie on Twitter at the end of August, and the comments are still piling up.
One giant leap into the unknown. From Academy Award-Winning Director Damien Chazelle, #FirstMan starring Ryan Gosling and Claire Foy opens in theaters and IMAX October 12. pic.twitter.com/O3ycZ198vZ
— First Man (@FirstManMovie) August 29, 2018
If you watch closely you can see a flag being raised at a house and another flying over a cemetery, so we know the prop room had at least one in stock.
This movie is fake news.
— Michael Moates (@freedom_moates) August 31, 2018
You might want to add a scene where Armstrong plants the American flag on the moon's surface, or else this movie is DOA thanks to the comments by @RyanGosling
— Jeff Adams (@JeffAdams82) August 31, 2018
Nope. Not watching. No money for you. ?? pic.twitter.com/74IQTW0beW
— Barry Pike (@barry_pike) August 31, 2018
I recall watching Armstrong plant the American flag on moon's surface & I recall hearing cheering & celebratory shouting coming from all over my neighborhood. A great moment for America that cannot be denied. https://t.co/JuSrhjs6Er
— Gloria (@MDRGloria) September 1, 2018
When you plant the American flag on the moon call me than I might go see it.
— Conservativ American (@JustConservativ) September 10, 2018
Recommended
Yeah, way to piss off half the country by not showing the planting of the flag.
Liberals ruin EVERYTHING.
Shove this movies up your ass, and Ryan Gossling is cancelled.
— Jimni27 (@jimni27) August 31, 2018
It sounded like a good movie until I heard that you purposefully left out the part about Armstrong planting the American flag. Why would you leave out something so beautiful and important?
— Lois (@stinkadois) August 31, 2018
Is Gosling’s take sincere, or did the filmmakers just not want to risk losing one cent of international ticket sales? Remember in “Superman Returns” when they asked if the long-absent Superman still stood for “truth, justice, all that stuff?”
Evidently, planting the flag on the moon wasn’t important enough to include. We were only in a race with the USSR to be first to the moon. But American exceptionalism isn’t proper these days.
— Kenny Baxter (@predators1998) August 31, 2018
Very important historical event yet you left out planting the American flag. This was an American accomplishment, not a global. I won’t see it without that scene. What a shame you want to rewrite history.
— Traci Spillman (@SIGK1) August 31, 2018
I saw it live in 1969. I’ll pass on the Hollywood rewrite. ??
— Leroy Farmer (@Lcf45) August 31, 2018
Where’s the flag? Hard pass
— Brad Lough (@BradLough1) August 31, 2018
Nope…hard pass
— Randy Daniel (@rdaniel1972) August 31, 2018
You forgot one important thing! Shame on Hollywood! pic.twitter.com/1dMA4Zgbsc
— ❌Hubble Antares❌ (@qvalemangusta) August 31, 2018
Hard pass. No planting of flag. No planting of my ass in a seat in a theater. #FirstManMovie????❌=?
— ?? Tiff ?? (@LATiffani1) September 1, 2018
Not paying a dime to see this. Why would you omit the raising of our flag? This was truly an AMERICAN MOMENT. We won the race! The flag was the crowning moment!
— Robin (@RockinRobin129) August 31, 2018
This is the movie that believes planting the American flag, celebrating the American achievement of getting to the moon, (paid for by Americans, BTW) is meaningless, correct? So meaningless that they don't even include that part of the history of this event? I'll pass.
— Bonny Wright? (@miamivandynyu) August 31, 2018
@RyanGosling Canadian actor plays Armstrong in “First Man" Hollywood’s rendition of the moon landing said the magic moment was intentionally omitted from the movie because Armstrong’s achievement “transcended countries and borders.”
OUR HISTORICAL ACHIEVEMENTS DONT GO AWAY LIBS
— Ms.RobinStacks (@RobinstacksArw) August 31, 2018
Why would you remove the American flag ?? from the moon landing scene. That is part of the history!
— Aaron A. Lewis (@aaronalewis) September 10, 2018
Don’t show the flag won’t see me?
— Virginia H. (@vaha2mi) September 10, 2018
I watched the Moon lading as it happened. The image of our flag flying on the Moon represents America's greatest technological accomplishment of the 20th century. NO ONE will ever convince me omitting that scene is nothing less than political. Hollywood, you made a GIANT mistake
— Charles Bustard (@MyUSAToo) September 3, 2018
Add the flag hippies!
— Bookshelf Q. Battler (@bookshelfbattle) August 31, 2018
— Chase Murray (@c_murrayiii) August 31, 2018
No flag, no movie
— Donald Baliga (@DonaldBaliga) September 10, 2018
Nope. #walkaway
— Michelle (@greenlaydee13) September 10, 2018
May as well be wearing Nike space boots. Gonna sink like a rock.
— Eagle's Sword ❌ (@CryptoRays) September 10, 2018
No thanks. Hope this is an epic failure.
— Suzi (@Suzi25437656) September 10, 2018
Let's see if it was a wise business decision to alienate much of the most likely audience for a movie about American Exceptionalism. Time & the Box Office will tell.
— Acta Diurna (@AgustusPopuli) September 1, 2018
Related:
Proud to be an AMERICAN! Buzz Aldrin just punched #FirstMan right in the MOUTH and it's glorious https://t.co/WHvh1FRBfS
— Twitchy Team (@TwitchyTeam) September 3, 2018
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