Review: “Freedom of What?cott: A Documentary.”

A while back, a couple of film-makers called the Moon Brothers asked if they could use something that I had written about controversial anti-abortion,

anti-gay activist Bill Whatcott in the trailer for a film that they were making about his many controversies and court battles called“Freedom of What?cott: A Documentary.”

Of course I said yes, and the quote went into their trailer. I made myself open for a review copy and, lo and behold, one arrived in my mail a few days ago. I watched it last night.

Over-all, the thing that I would say I liked best about the film was its underground feel. The whole movie is pieced together from interviews with various friends, supporters, and critics of Bill Whatcott, including one of the people who filed against him with the Saskatchewan Human Rights Tribunal, spliced with footage of Bill talking about his own life and background, numerous headlines about his exploits and court cases, radio interviews, and a rather odd narrative style composed of several different people in what looks like the same sound studio. Basically, it’s a multi-media barrage of sound and film, all constructed around the story of one man’s life. It had a kind of gritty, indie feel to it that I thought added a lot to the film.

The story of the film itself is pretty simple: it’s the life and times of Bill Whatcott, anti-abortion and anti-gay social conservative activist extraordinaire. He pisses off a lot of people, doesn’t really have a feel for tact or subtlety, and has fought court case after court case because of his protests and his flyers criticizing what he sees as a baby-killing, homosexual agenda.

The film could have easily turned into an attack on Bill Whatcott himself. Indeed, it’s hard not to attack Bill Whatcott sometimes. But I thought this documentary did a good job of getting a glimpse into Whatcott himself, his motivations. He really does seem to care about gay people, even though he goes about showing his concern in rather abrasive ways. He really is a nice guy, even though he knows how to push people’s buttons. And, in his past, there is quite a tragic history of abuse and neglect, which no doubt accounts for some of Whatcott’s lack of social mores.

More than that, this film explores the line between “hate speech” and free speech. I don’t believe there is such a line myself – I think you either have free speech or you don’t – and I think Freedom of What?cott tends to come down on this side as well, although that could be my personal bias showing through. Either way, it’s a thoughtful exploration of a very heated topic, and one that deserves to be listened to.

In the words of Edmonton Journal columnist Scott McKeen, who was interviewed throughout this film:

Who decides then, what is acceptable and what’s not? The government? Then they can censure me for criticizing a policy of theirs. And even people like Bill Whatcott, if we silence him, society loses a voice that it can at least consider. And while I don’t like Bill’s message, we need people who fight against the establishment and wake us up. That doesn’t mean they’re always right, doesn’t mean we’re going to agree. But we need to be woken up sometimes, and I’ll be pissed at you guys if that’s the only quote you use from me because I really don’t like Bill Whatcott.

All in all, watch this documentary if you’re interested in the fight between “hate speech” and free speech, or if you’d just like to get a glimpse into the life of someone so conflicted, driven, and always controversial.