Bowling for Columbine" is an alternately humorous and horrifying film about the United States. It is a film about the state of the country, and about the violent soul of America. It questions why 11,000 people die in America each year at the mercy of gun

In "Bowling for Columbine," writer-director (and often provocateur) Michael Moore travels North America in search of an answer to a genuine puzzler: Why does the United States lead the world in gun-related deaths? In the course of this enlightening, frequently uproarious and often shocking collection of real-life vignettes, Moore sorts through theory after theory -- our country's blood-spattered history, too many violent movies, widespread paranoia, wicked rock stars, etc. -- and reveals a country with a schizoid soul. Moore sees a nation that extols the glories of "family values" while millions line up to see "Jackass: The Movie" and a place where crime rates are on the decline, yet many people insist there's evil around every corner.

Whether you agree with his tactics and findings or not, there's no denying he's assembled a thought-provoking piece of work here. "Bowling for Columbine" (the title refers to Columbine massacre organizers Dylan Klebold and Eric Harris visiting a bowl...