Movie Madness

Film—and fashion—will take center stage at this Sunday’s Academy Awards. But glitz aside, just how influential is Hollywood? According to recent Time magazine poll, 10 percent of Americans say that a movie or a documentary inspired them to contact a politician, and roughly the same percentage say that a film inspired them to vote differently. Sixteen percent say that a movie or a documentary prompted them to donate to a charity; 14 percent say that a film spurred them to volunteer for a cause. Nearly three in ten say that a movie or a documentary caused them to change their mind about an issue. Source: ABT SRBI for Time, February 2008.