Will It Be Moore vs. Gibson at the Oscars?

This is a partial transcript from "The O'Reilly Factor," Dec. 22, 2004, that has been edited for clarity.

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TONY SNOW, GUEST HOST: In the "Factor Flashback" segment tonight, another battle in America's growing culture war is going on in Hollywood. Right now, insiders are voting to nominate Academy Award honorees. Michael Moore (search) has been campaigning to get a best picture nod for his anti-Bush movie. And Mel Gibson (search ) is not lobbying in public for his movie about the crucifixion of Jesus.

Bill recently spoke to film critic and radio talk show Michael MEDVED: (search ) about the match up.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BILL O'REILLY, HOST: So Michael Moore and I guess Harvey Weinstein and a few other people are pouring a lot of money into trying to get a nomination for his film. What do you think about it?

MICHAEL MEDVED:, RADIO TALK SHOW HOST: Well, first of all, I think they're doing it very cleverly, Bill. I mean, part of their whole approach is saying to people you may not have liked the results of the election on November 2nd, but you get a chance to vote again...

O'REILLY: Right.

MEDVED:: ...against President Bush by voting for Michael Moore's movie for best picture. I think they're going to get a nomination. And I don't think they'll win the award for best picture, but I think it will be nominated.

And the reason for it, Bill, is because it's such a divided field this year. There are no clear, obvious frontrunners for best picture.

And with votes all over the lot, will there be 20 percent or more of people who are voters in the Academy who will vote for Michael Moore just ideologically? I think there will be.

O'REILLY: OK. And I want to point out that one of the advertisements, I believe the one that ran in "The Los Angeles Times," full-page ad, a lot of money there, OK, says your vote counts, just like in the election, all right.

And you're right that Moore is now appealing to let's get back at the red states. Let's get them. They put Bush in, but you can put me in as a revenge mechanism. That's what's going on here, correct?

MEDVED:: It is absolutely. And look, there are lots of people in Hollywood who are going to fall for that. The really striking thing about this whole Oscar campaign, and you touched on it briefly, Bill, is that Mel Gibson's movie, which after all made almost $400 million and I think is a towering artistic achievement, but that movie is not an Oscar frontrunner for best director, best actor, best supporting actress and best picture.

And the reason it's not is because many, many people in Hollywood, and this is unbelievable, confess that they haven't seen it. And that they won't see it just as a matter of principle.

And the real objection to the movie, honestly, I believe is not that it's anti-Jewish. I don't believe the movie is anti-Jewish. The objection to "The Passion (search)" is that it's pro-Christian. And people, of course, in the entertainment industry are terribly worried, particularly this time of the year, about the upsurge of religiosity in this country.

O'REILLY: Yes, we're going to discuss that coming after you. We have the Newsweek cover story on the birth of Jesus. But you're right in a sense. But I think they have to throw Gibson some kind of bone or they're going to get—see, look, the potential for a backlash against Hollywood is enormous. Enormous. Once Michael Moore gets nominated, every right-wing radio talk show in the country, you know it, right?

MEDVED:: Yes, I do one of them.

O'REILLY: Yes. I mean, I do — I don't think we're right-wing on "The Radio Factor"...

MEDVED:: Right.

O'REILLY: ...but we certainly are traditional. There is going to be a thunderclap of resentment, particularly if Gibson is ignored. And that will impact on the box office because a lot of people say I'm not going to the movies. And I'm not going to watch this Oscar telecast either. Wait 'til you see.

MEDVED:: Well, I think what's going to happen here, Bill, is going to actually work pretty out well for Hollywood, because if Michael Moore gets nominated, there will be lots of controversy. And people will be going back and forth and who's going to win, and should he win, and who— ill he not win, and is it too political?

And the winner, it seems to me, is going to be Martin Scorcese's movie, "The Aviator (search)", which is a pretty good movie. Hollywood wants to honor Scorcese for a career's worth of achievement. And this is actually a...

O'REILLY: That's a Leonardo DiCaprio (search) thing, right.

MEDVED:: Yes.

O'REILLY: Yes, see, that's not going to be a hit, though. Number one, nobody cares about Howard Hughes (search). And judging by Larry King's ratings last night, he had DiCaprio on... Nobody cares about poor Leo.

MEDVED:: Right.

O'REILLY: He got the lowest rating of the year, I saw this year, having him on. So it's not going to be a commercial success.

MEDVED:: Yes, but see, but Hollywood loves Scorcese (search).

O'REILLY: Yes, I understand.

MEDVED:: They — and what's going to happen here is that giving Moore a nomination, and he might get nominated for best director, but giving him a nomination, but then watching him lose, everybody comes home happy...

O'REILLY: Well, yes...

MEDVED:: ...because you know that Michael Moore will ask for a recount.

O'REILLY: I think that you underestimate the anger by the folks against Michael Moore. Now I don't have anything personally against him. He's been on the program a couple of times.

MEDVED:: Right.

O'REILLY: And he's welcome to come back. But the anger against this man, and people will see that this is a political statement by Hollywood, I'm telling you what, they're going to act. They're not going to sit around. They're going to take some kind of action, they being the folks. And I'm — I'll tell you...

MEDVED:: But you know what, Bill, they've already taken that action. Look at the number one movie in the country right now. It's a movie called "National Treasure (search)," which I love, which is a patriotic movie. It's PG. I took my 12-year-old son to see it. It's a terrific movie.

"The Incredibles (search)" is off the charts. It's a great movie, great pro-family movie. "Christmas with the Kranks (search)" has been a surprise hit, which has some...

O'REILLY: What about "Seed of Chucky," did we...

MEDVED:: "Seed of Chucky" is doing no business. People are already doing...

O'REILLY: Look, I'd rather see "Seed of Chucky" — but I'd rather see "Seed of Chucky" get nominated for best picture than Michael Moore's propaganda.

MEDVED:: Than "Seed of Michael."

O'REILLY: All right, Michael, thanks very much.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

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