‘First Man’ Writer “Surprised” By American Flag Controversy: “The Flag Is All Over The Film”

One of this year’s early front-runners for the Best Picture Oscar race is Damien Chazelle’s “First Man.” The third feature from the Oscar-winning director had a ton of buzz before it premiered at this year’s Venice Film Festival. And surprising many, the hype was not only justified but actually increased even more after the rave reviews for the Neil Armstrong biopic came rolling in.

READ MORE: Damien Chazelle’s ‘First Man’ Is An Immaculately Crafted, Old-Fashioned Epic [Venice Review]

And of course, as we know, those reviews were followed by an insane controversy about the American flag. Now, as the film rolls out into theaters, the “First Man” screenwriter hopes to put all this to bed, once and for all.

In an interview with Yahoo, Josh Singer, screenwriter for “First Man,” as well as for films like “Spotlight” and “The Post,” explains why he thinks the whole issue of the film being “unpatriotic” or “anti-American” because there wasn’t a scene with Armstrong planting the American flag on the moon is unfounded.

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Singer described his feelings after hearing about the controversy, saying, “In some ways, I was surprised; in other ways, I wasn’t. Neil’s an icon, he’s an American hero, and he means a lot to a lot of people. I knew there was going to be a lot of scrutiny on the film because of that. And this is a real piece of Americana.”

He continued, “ So I understand you hear the flag’s not in the movie, I understand how’d you get upset about that. Now, it is also true that most of these folks who commented didn’t see the movie. The flag is all over the movie. And I think it’s quite patriotic. Obviously, we’re fully aware it’s an amazing American achievement as well as an amazing human achievement.”

READ MORE: Claire Foy Never Believed She’d Get To Star In ‘First Man’ [Interview]

Ultimately, the writer echoes similar sentiments put forth by Chazelle, who has previously discussed the uproar about the flag. They both agree that “First Man” is more focused on the man (Neil Armstrong) than the actual moon mission.

“And when we got to the moon, we really were focused on Neil and his personal experience up there, and what it might have meant to him… This movie is focused on what you didn’t know and have never seen, as opposed to things you’ve seen a lot of. That’s what we think makes it interesting and worth going to the theater for,” Singer concludes.

And to honor “First Man” hitting theaters this weekend, make sure to check out our review, as well as a new clip and the incredible soundtrack playlist from Spotify. It’s your patriotic duty!