Two recent movies designed to appeal to a left-wing audience and misrepresent conservatives have been flops at the box office.
On the Basis of Sex, a biopic based on the early life of Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, was eagerly anticipated by liberals. Ginsburg, one of the most far-left justices ever, has become something of a cult hero on the left as they dread the day when the 85-year-old can no longer serve on the court. CNN recently did a glowing documentary about her, and On the Basis of Sex received a $20 million budget plus an unknown amount for advertising. It was released widely in theaters on Christmas Day, but despite generally positive reviews, as of today it has generated only $19 million at the box office and is being pulled from more theaters every day.
Then there’s Vice, the disastrous caricature of former Vice President Dick Cheney, featuring an A-list cast including Christian Bale as Cheney, Steve Carell as Donald Rumsfeld, and Tyler Perry as Colin Powell. Brad Pitt and Will Ferrell were producers of the film, which pillories President George W. Bush as a stupid and easily deceived gunslinger who was controlled by Cheney.
Bush’s father, the late President George H.W. Bush, died November 30th, less than four weeks before Vice was slated for release. Nevertheless, the movie’s creators decided to push ahead with releasing the film on schedule, declining to delay it for the sake of the grieving Bush, a son who had just lost his father. It didn’t help them at the box office, as Vice has flopped even harder: on a $60 million budget, it’s earned only $45 million. Despite losing money, the movie still earned a Golden Globe for Bale’s portrayal of Cheney, for which he infamously thanked Satan for inspiration.
Both movies have lost millions of dollars, but will it stop Hollywood from making films like them them? Probably not.
