GALLUP NEWS SERVICE
PRINCETON, NJ -- Oliver Stone's new film, World Trade Center, opened this Wednesday. It is the second film this year dealing with the Sept. 11th terrorist attacks, following United 93 which was released earlier this spring. A July 28-30, 2006, USA Today/Gallup poll finds most Americans -- including those who attend movies -- are not interested in making the trip to the movies to see films dealing with the events based on these attacks. Americans are equally divided as to whether Hollywood should be making films about the attacks. Americans have shown little change in their views about the appropriateness of 9/11 movies since the first film came out earlier this year. Moviegoers, young adults, and Republicans are most positive in their views about 9/11 movies.
Overall Results
Just about a third of Americans say they are "very" (12%) or "somewhat" (21%) likely to venture to the movie theater to watch movies based on the events of the 9/11 terrorist attacks. The majority of Americans, 67%, say they are not likely to go see these types of movies, including nearly half (47%) who say they are not at all likely.
Gallup first asked questions about Americans' interest in movies on this topic prior to the release of United 93 earlier this year. At that time, Americans reported a slightly higher level of interest in these types of movies, with 38% saying they were likely to go to these movies and 60% saying they were not likely.
The current poll finds that moviegoers are not significantly more likely than the general adult population to see these types of movies. Among those who have seen at least one movie in the past year, 39% say they are likely to see the film, while 62% are not likely. Perhaps not surprisingly, just 15% of those who have not been to the movies in the past year say they are likely to see movies about this topic, while 84% say they are not likely.
Frequent movies attendees (those who have seen four or more in the past year) are more likely than those who go to the movies less frequently (those who have seen between one or four) to be interested in seeing films about the September 11th terrorist attacks, at 43% and 34% respectively.
Americans continue to be divided as to whether it is a good thing or a bad thing for Hollywood to make movies about the 9/11 terrorist attacks. Forty-five percent say it is a good thing while 44% say it is a bad thing -- essentially the same results Gallup measured in April of this year.
Moviegoers are more likely to say it is good to make movies on this subject than those who haven't been to the movies. Half of moviegoers (50%) say it is a good thing, while just 27% of those who do not attend movies feel this way. There is no difference between frequent and infrequent moviegoers.
Which Groups of Americans Say It Is Good to Make Movies About 9/11?
Certain groups of Americans are more likely than others to say it is a good thing for Hollywood to make movies about the September 11th terrorist attacks.
Just 31% of senior citizens say it is good for Hollywood to make movies about the September 11th terrorist attacks. This percentage is higher among younger adults, at 50% among 18- to 34-year-olds and 47% among 35- to 64-year-olds.
Men and women show roughly no difference in their views about movies of this nature; both groups are divided on the matter.
Republicans are more likely than Democrats to say it is a good thing for Hollywood to make movies about the 9/11 attacks. Fifty-eight percent of Republicans say it is a good thing compared with 41% of Democrats. Since April, Republicans have become much more inclined to say Hollywood should make these kinds of movies; in April, both party groups were essentially even in their responses to this question.
Survey Methods
Results are based on telephone interviews with 1,007 national adults, aged 18 and older, conducted July 28-30, 2006. For results based on the total sample of national adults, one can say with 95% confidence that the margin of sampling error is ±3 percentage points. In addition to sampling error, question wording and practical difficulties in conducting surveys can introduce error or bias into the findings of public opinion polls.
