By Jake Coyle, Film Writer
NEW YORK (AP) --The sons of Neil Armstrong are defending Damien Chazelle's docudrama about the moon landing after conservative pundits decried the film's lack of emphasis on the American flag's planting on the lunar surface.
In a joint statement Friday, Rick and Mark Armstrong, along with "First Man" author James R. Hansen, denied that Chazelle's film is "anti-American in the slightest." ''Quite the opposite," they said.
"This story is human and it is universal. Of course, it celebrates an America achievement. It also celebrates an achievement 'for all mankind,'" said the Armstrongs and Hansen. "The filmmakers chose to focus on Neil looking back at the earth, his walk to Little West Crater, his unique, personal experience of completing this journey, a journey that has seen so many incredible highs and devastating lows."
Though "First Man" includes several shots showing the American flag on the moon, it does not depict the flag planting. After the film premiered earlier this week at the Venice Film Festival, some commentators on social media who hadn't seen the movie criticized the film. They were reacting largely to Ryan Gosling, who stars as Neil Armstrong, telling reporters in Venice that the astronaut's accomplishments "transcend countries and borders."
Columnist Bill Kristol claimed the film was "a foolish and pernicious falsification of history."
But Chazelle said the decision around the flag planting wasn't political but aesthetic. The "La La Land" filmmaker was motivated to portray the risks and challenges of the moon mission through the eyes of Armstrong.
"The flag being physically planted into the surface is one of several moments of the Apollo 11 lunar EVA that I chose not to focus upon," said Chazelle. "To address the question of whether this was a political statement, the answer is no. My goal with this movie was to share with audiences the unseen, unknown aspects of America's mission to the moon — particularly Neil Armstrong's personal saga and what he may have been thinking and feeling during those famous few hours."
Film critics enthusiastically responded to the film, rocketing "First Man" to early lists of possible Oscar favorites. Universal Pictures will release it October 12.
California governor signs law to protect children from social media addiction
California will make it illegal for social media platforms to knowingly provide addictive feeds to children without parental consent beginning in 2027 under a new law Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom signed Friday.
California follows New York state, which passed a law earlier this year allowing parents to block their kids from getting social media posts suggested by a platform's algorithm. Utah has passed laws in recent years aimed at limiting children's access to social media, but they have faced challenges in court.
The California law will take effect in a state home to some of the largest technology companies in the world. Similar proposals have failed to pass in recent years, but Newsom signed a first-in-the-nation law in 2022 barring online platforms from using users' personal information in ways that could harm children. It is part of a growing push in states across the country to try to address the impacts of social media on the well-being of children.
"Every parent knows the harm social media addiction can inflict on their children — isolation from human contact, stress and anxiety, and endless hours wasted late into the night," Newsom said in a statement. "With this bill, California is helping protect children and teenagers from purposely designed features that feed these destructive habits."
The law bans platforms from sending notifications without permission from parents to minors between 12 a.m. and 6 a.m., and between 8 a.m. and 3 p.m. on weekdays from September through May, when children are typically in school. The legislation also makes platforms set children's accounts to private by default.
Opponents of the legislation say it could inadvertently prevent adults from accessing content if they cannot verify their... Read More