American identity was forged in the darkness of a movie theater.

Topic: Film and the American Experience

Dan Glickman: Well you know, I mean the film industry as a whole has had this remarkable impact on American culture and psyche. It’s spawned an almost . . . everything that we think about America. So that . . . Just look technologically, that has been profound from advances in all the technologies until today. We have video on demand and all the ability for average people to watch our product. This is the one thing . . . this is the great democratizing industry. You don’t have to be rich to enjoy what we do. You go into a theatre and you’re gonna pay $9 or $10. You’re gonna sit there with 300 or 400 people; diverse backgrounds; people you wouldn’t otherwise be friends with necessarily. But for that two hour period of time you’re collectively watching one thing. And I think that’s something you don’t find in virtually any other business. Maybe sports a little bit, but not in the same concentrated fashion that you do in this business.

Recorded on: 7/6/2007