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I saw it for the first time the Sunday of opening weekend in a Cincinnati suburban multiplex. Impressive crowd; small, stadium-style theater, about half-full for the first matinee of the day. It was a slightly quiet crowd, but we all laughed at the appropriate ridiculous Chimpy moments. Biggest laughs were Wolfowitz' hair stylings; the Port-A-Let-cum-Bomb-Shelter and Parachute salesmen, and Prince Bandar telling Larry King how "warm and beautiful" the Bin Laden family is.
The next week, I saw it in Washington, DC. Courthouse Metro, VA, to be exact. Came early for the 7:00 pm Friday show, bought a ticket, went into the theater, no seats left. Exchanged the ticked for the 7:40 show, took my seat, and within ten minutes, the show was packed and had sold out. Traditional, old-school theater with only a center speaker. The sound didn't provide the impact of the first screening, but the crowd made up for that.
The crowd in DC was restless, rowdy, and happy. Biggest laugh by far was "The voters preferred the dead governor over the sitting senator, Ashcroft" line. As various CongressCritters showed their faces on-screen, the DC Crowd shouted their names loudly. Standing ovation at the end, a full week after the film debuted.
For me, the second screening was like a punch to the gut. I felt empowered, and as I cooled my toes in the beautiful waters of the WWII Memorial the next afternoon, I looked around the National Mall and felt hope for the first time since... well, December 2000, honestly.
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