There’s a lot of buzz about the upcoming documentary, “John Candy: I Like Me,” which premiered Thursday at the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF).
Candy was just 43 when he died from a heart attack in 1994 at the peak of his career, shocking the Hollywood community. The Canadian comedian worked with some of the biggest names in the business, and many, including Steve Martin, Bill Murray, Martin Short, Catherine O’Hara, Macaulay Culkin, Mel Brooks, and Dan Aykroyd, participated in the documentary.
<iframe loading="lazy" title="John Candy: I Like Me - Official Trailer | Prime Video" width="500" height="281" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/PrcQRsrBcCk?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" allowfullscreen></iframe>
The project was produced by actor Ryan Reynolds and directed by Colin Hanks, the son of actor Tom Hanks. The elder Hanks also appeared with Candy in “Splash” (1984). 
Culkin recounted how Candy served as a “paternal” presence on the set of the cult classic comedy “Uncle Buck” and was one of the first people in Hollywood to recognize that Culkin’s father was abusive.
“I think he always had that really great instinct,” Culkin recalled in the documentary’s trailer.
“I think he saw,” he continued. “Listen, even before the wave crested and the ‘Home Alone’ stuff was happening, it was not hard to see how difficult my father was. It was no secret. He was already a monster.”
“All of a sudden, the fame and the money came, and he became an infamous monster,” Culkin recalled. “He was already not a good guy. I think John was looking a little side-eyed, like, ‘Is everything alright over there? You doing good? Good day? Everything’s alright? Everything good at home? All right.’”
The actor said this was “a testament to the kind of man he was,” and said Candy “was just looking out for” him on set. He also mentioned Candy’s “paternal” presence in his life.
“It doesn’t happen that often. It actually happened less as time went on,” Culkin added. “I wish I got more of that in my life. It’s important that I remember that. I remember John caring when not a lot of people did.”
Candy’s other former co-stars and friends had glowing things to say about him as a colleague and as a person during the emotional trailer. 
“I can’t tell you what was right about John Candy, or what was wrong. But he was my friend,” Murray said. “And &#8230; I don’t wanna cry, but when you see him, when you see his face&#8230;.” he added, trailing off as he began tearing up.
Candy is famous for beloved films such as “Stripes,” “Splash,” “Spaceballs,” “Planes, Trains and Automobiles,” “Uncle Buck,” and “Cool Runnings.”
The documentary is said to include “never-before-seen home videos, intimate access to his family, and candid recollections from collaborators to paint a bigger picture of one of the brightest stars of the ’70s, ’80s and ’90s,” per the synopsis.
“It’s the story of a son, husband, father, friend and professional driven to bring joy to audiences and loved ones while battling personal ghosts and Hollywood pressures.”
“John Candy: I Like Me” becomes available on Prime Video starting October 10.

John Candy

Hollywood Gets Emotional Over Beloved Comedian In ‘John Candy: I Like Me’

Amazon Prime

Celebrities

Documentaries

Entertainment

U.S.

There’s a new documentary about Jussie Smollett on Netflix, and as expected, the disgraced actor is still trying to claim his innocence.
“The Truth About Jussie Smollett??” has two question marks in its title on purpose, and the director says the aim of the project is to cast doubt and let viewers form their own conclusions.
“You can tilt it one way [and] it will look like one thing,” documentary filmmaker Gagan Rehill <a href="https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-features/jussie-smollett-truth-in-new-netflix-documentary-1236348143/">told</a> The Hollywood Reporter of the project. “You can tilt it another and there’s another story behind it.”
“I want … viewers to have a conversation, a debate about that themselves,” he added. “That’s part of the documentary for me — the after conversation, the aftermath of watching it. For that reason, I’m sort of taking myself out of the equation in terms of where I land.”
Smollett told police on January 29, 2019, that he was attacked by two men in Chicago at 2 a.m., who he claimed made racist and homophobic slurs, wrapped a rope around his neck, poured an “unknown substance” on him, and yelled that this is “MAGA country.” It was later found that Smollett had hired two Nigerian brothers to help him stage the attack.
The “Empire” star was convicted on five counts of disorderly conduct in 2021 and spent just six days in jail after appealing his 150-day sentence. Smollett was charged with 16 counts of lying to police, but those charges were dropped.
In November 2024, Smollett’s conviction was overturned by the Illinois Supreme Court, which also deemed he could not be retried.
Smollett has insisted upon his innocence all along.
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“As an entertainer, as a businessman, I probably should [stop fighting the charges],” Smollett told Entertainment Tonight during a 2024 <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/jussie-smollett-says-he-spent-3m-appealing-hoax-case-maintains-his-original-story?author=Amanda+Harding&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=undefined&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=Jussie+Smollett+Says+He+Spent+%243M+Appealing+Hoax+Case%2C+Maintains+His+Original+Story">interview</a>.
“But as a human being and as a man, as a black man and as an openly gay black man, I have a problem with letting them win on something they shouldn’t be able to,” the actor continued. “I’m a grown man and something happened. I can’t tell exactly what did happen, but I can tell you what did not happen. That’s what I have to sit on. No matter how much people are yelling in my face, saying ‘You’re a liar, you’re a liar.’ No, I’m not. No, I’m not. I don’t want them to believe that, but if that is what they believe, that’s on you.”
Rehill also claimed that the truth is “up to interpretation” and may depend on which news channel you tune into.
“This film is about whether you believe Jussie or not, but it’s also about a reaction to [the news coverage of his case] as well,” Rehill told THR. “It’s just very interesting that people’s trust in mainstream media and in the police has been eroded so much that they have to open the door to alternate truths, or alternate results or verdicts.”
&#8220;Every single other person’s story has changed multiple times. Mine has never,&#8221; Smollett told Variety in a new interview. &#8220;I saw firsthand how narratives are built. I saw firsthand the way that someone can take the exact opposite of who you are and literally sell it.&#8221;
“The Truth About Jussie Smollett??” is currently streaming on Netflix.

Jussie Smollett

Jussie Smollett Is Still Whining That He’s Innocent In New Netflix Documentary

Netflix

Your average film festival won’t screen “A Minecraft Movie,” “The Fantastic Four: First Steps” or “Nobody 2.” And that’s a good thing.
Festivals give indie filmmakers a chance to shine in a crowded marketplace. They also shake up the theatrical experience by pushing audiences out of their comfort zone.
In short, prepare to be challenged. The best art does just that.
<div id="attachment_961513" style="width: 830px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-961513" class="wp-image-961513 size-large" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/08/GettyImages-2172182734-820x576.jpg" alt="TORONTO, ONTARIO - SEPTEMBER 15: Mike Downie accepts the &quot;People's Choice Documentary Award&quot; for &quot;The Tragically Hip: No Dress Rehearsal&quot; onstage at the TIFF 2024 Awards Ceremony during the 2024 Toronto International Film Festival at Luma on September 15, 2024 in Toronto, Ontario. (Photo by Jeremy Chan/Getty Images)" width="820" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/08/GettyImages-2172182734-820x576.jpg 820w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/08/GettyImages-2172182734-300x211.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/08/GettyImages-2172182734-768x539.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/08/GettyImages-2172182734.jpg 1024w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 820px) 100vw, 820px" />TORONTO, ONTARIO &#8211; SEPTEMBER 15: Mike Downie accepts the &#8220;People&#8217;s Choice Documentary Award&#8221; for &#8220;The Tragically Hip: No Dress Rehearsal&#8221; onstage at the TIFF 2024 Awards Ceremony during the 2024 Toronto International Film Festival. (Photo by Jeremy Chan/Getty Images)</div>
Yet some modern film festivals are running from that unspoken promise. And, as is often the case, it involves cowardly programmers who refuse to provoke their presumably left-leaning audiences. In other situations, the festivals won’t stand behind art that could draw the wrong kind of crowd.
Protesters, to be specific, the kind that shout, “From the river to the sea…”
The latest, most embarrassing example? The Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF), one of the industry’s most prestigious events, recently <a href="https://deadline.com/2025/08/tiff-pulls-october-7-documentary-from-lineup-1236484968/comment-page-2/#comments">yanked an October 7 documentary</a> from its line up.
“The Road Between Us: The Ultimate Rescue” recalls how retired Israel Defense Forces General Noam Tibon saved Israelis targeted for death by Hamas terrorists during that cataclysmic day.
<div id="attachment_961501" style="width: 874px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-961501" class="wp-image-961501 size-large" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/08/GettyImages-1827492879-1-864x576.jpg" alt="TEL AVIV, ISRAEL - DECEMBER 02: Major General (Res.) Noam Tibon speaks during a rally calling for the remaining hostages to be released a day after the temporary truce ended outside The Museum of Modern Art known as the 'The Hostages and Missing Square' on December 2, 2023 in Tel Aviv, Israel. The rally’s speakers included recently released hostages and their families, as well as Israeli performers. The end of the weeklong ceasefire between Israel and Hamas has also meant a halt to negotiations over the return of more Israeli hostages being held in Gaza. One hundred and ten hostages - a combination of Israelis and foreign nationals - were released during the recent pause in fighting, under half the number estimated to have been taken captive by Palestinian militants on Oct. 7. (Photo by Alexi J. Rosenfeld/Getty Images)" width="864" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/08/GettyImages-1827492879-1-864x576.jpg 864w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/08/GettyImages-1827492879-1-300x200.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/08/GettyImages-1827492879-1-768x512.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/08/GettyImages-1827492879-1.jpg 1024w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 864px) 100vw, 864px" />TEL AVIV, ISRAEL &#8211; DECEMBER 02: Major General (Res.) Noam Tibon. Alexi J. Rosenfeld/Getty Images</div>
But why cancel the documentary at all? TIFF officials initially said the film didn’t get the legal clearances for footage of Hamas soldiers attacking innocent Jews. That explanation drew instant ridicule, forcing TIFF to suggest it’s working to find a way <a href="https://deadline.com/2025/08/tiff-response-the-road-between-us-1236485877/">to solve the issues</a> and re-install the film into its lineup.
Now, an embarrassed TIFF says it will “<a href="https://nypost.com/2025/08/14/world-news/tiff-reverses-course-will-ensure-oct-7-doc-is-screened-following-swift-backlash/">ensure</a>” the film will screen at the September festival after a major media backlash.
The damage is done, no matter what kind of backpedal the festival attempts. Its absurd rationale is likely cover for the real issue – pro-Palestinian protesters would have swarmed the screening, as they’ve done countless times before.
<div id="attachment_961507" style="width: 874px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-961507" class="size-large wp-image-961507" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/08/GettyImages-1711807696-864x576.jpg" alt="TOPSHOT - Palestinians transport a reportedly captured Israeli person, in Khan Yunis in the southern Gaza Strip, on October 7, 2023. One month after Israel was wracked by Hamas attacks, life has been upended for both the Palestinians and Israel after it launched a war of reprisal in the Gaza Strip. The October 7 attacks by Hamas militants who stormed across from Gaza and struck kibbutzim and southern Israeli areas killed 1,400 people, mostly civilians, and deeply scarred the nation. The health ministry in Hamas-run Gaza says nearly 9,500 have been killed, two-thirds of them women and children, and mostly civilians. (Photo by AFP) (Photo by -/AFP via Getty Images)" width="864" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/08/GettyImages-1711807696-864x576.jpg 864w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/08/GettyImages-1711807696-300x200.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/08/GettyImages-1711807696-768x512.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/08/GettyImages-1711807696.jpg 1024w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 864px) 100vw, 864px" />Photo by -/AFP via Getty Images</div>
Jewish artists (Michael Rapaport, Matisyahu) routinely find their shows canceled due to fear of pro-Palestinian protests. Festival-based violence could have ensued, although a strong show of force would likely prevent such an occurrence.
The Heckler’s Veto won. Again. It’s one reason why protesters keep on raising their voices. They get results.
Today’s festival programmer too often chooses to censor art rather than let it shine.
A more egregious example of festival cowardice? The Sundance Film Festival threw open its arms to “Jihad Rehab,” a celebrated film focusing on Muslim terrorists and their path to redemption.
The film actually screened the documentary in January 2022, coaxing two festival employees to resign in protest. That was just the beginning of the outrage. Some Muslim filmmakers howled over the film’s inclusion, arguing the film exposed the participants to potential danger. Others suggested the film’s director, a white woman named Meg Smaker, was the wrong person to tell the story.
<div id="attachment_961509" style="width: 874px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-961509" class="size-large wp-image-961509" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/08/GettyImages-2196257724-864x576.jpg" alt="PARK CITY, UTAH - JANUARY 27: (EDITORS NOTE: This image was shot with a fisheye lens.) People stand in front of the Egyptian Theatre along Main Street during the 2025 Sundance Film Festival on January 27, 2025 in Park City, Utah. (Photo by David Becker/Getty Images)" width="864" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/08/GettyImages-2196257724-864x576.jpg 864w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/08/GettyImages-2196257724-300x200.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/08/GettyImages-2196257724-768x512.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/08/GettyImages-2196257724.jpg 1024w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 864px) 100vw, 864px" />David Becker/Getty Images</div>
Sundance later issued an apology for screening the film, and other festivals dropped “Jihad Rehab” from their lineups.
Smaker eventually won the PR war, with far-Left sites like The New York Times and The Atlantic rushing to her side. The film, retitled “The UnRedacted,” <a href="https://www.justwatch.com/us/search?q=the%20unredacted">still can’t be seen via VOD platforms, though.</a>
Still, the most recognizable film festival in the country couldn’t stand up for its own screened film. That sends a chilling signal throughout the creative community.
Pro-Palestinian pressure also got a trans-related documentary <a href="https://jewishjournal.com/commentary/columnist/editors-note/377538/french-transgender-film-gets-cancelled-because-it-made-israel-look-good/">canceled from a Belgium film festival last year</a>. “The Belle from Gaza” focused on a transgender Palestinian woman fleeing Gaza for her own safety and ending up in Tel Aviv.
Variety captured the current state of film festivals in 2023.
<blockquote>In fact, that quick-to-capitulate reflex underscores a new, unspoken modus operandi in which festivals — once the bastion of provocative, button-pushing fare — are desperate to avoid controversy and the wrath of any identity-focused Twitter mob. </blockquote>
It hasn’t gotten better since then. And there’s a second factor in play.
Modern film festivals display a sense of ideological uniformity that diminishes their cultural impact. Left-leaning features are commonplace, be it stories about abortion rights or pro-LGBTQ+ narratives.
Films that defy that ideology rarely, if ever, make the cut.
Imagine a film festival featuring “<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/videos/what-is-a-woman?row=0&amp;elementPosition=4&amp;rowType=Square+Show+Carousel">What Is a Woman?</a>” The Daily Wire’s blistering take down of progressive gender beliefs.
<div id="attachment_805851" style="width: 1034px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><a href="https://www.dailywire.com/videos/what-is-a-woman?row=0&amp;elementPosition=4&amp;rowType=Square+Show+Carousel"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-805851" class="size-large wp-image-805851" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2024/10/MixCollage-01-Oct-2024-04-20-PM-2436-1024x576.jpg" alt="What is a Woman?" width="1024" height="576" /></a>Matt Walsh/What is a Woman?</div>
What about “The Fall of Minneapolis,” a harrowing account of the media’s false narratives surrounding George Floyd’s 2020 death?
Or consider “What Killed Michael Brown?” That 2020 movie exposed similarly skewed narratives surrounding the Missouri resident’s 2014 death following a police interaction.
Had any of those films made the film festival cut it might have sparked protests, resignations or both. Cancellations might have followed.
Festival programmers, by insisting on ideological purity, keep these kinds of projects out of their lineups. And few audience members are challenged along the way.
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Even stories told by those holding unorthodox views may not get a festival closeup. Podcaster Adam Carolla has complained that his opinions have kept his apolitical racing documentaries from debuting in film festivals. The most extreme example? His 2020 documentary “Uppity,” a testament to Willy T. Ribbs, the first black race car driver to compete in the Indy 500, didn’t make the festival circuit.
The film checked enough progressive boxes to be included, and the few critics who reviewed the film raved about its content. That didn’t help Carolla crack the festival market.
Hollywood’s progressive groupthink remains a problem, keeping great stories and actors off screen. A similar sentiment holds with film festivals. A fear of social media controversy, and backbone deficit, is making matters worse.
* * *
Christian Toto is an award-winning journalist, movie critic and editor of <a href="https://www.hollywoodintoto.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">HollywoodInToto.com</a>. He previously served as associate editor with Breitbart News’ Big Hollywood. Follow him at <a href="https://www.hollywoodintoto.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">HollywoodInToto.com</a>.
The views expressed in this piece are those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of The Daily Wire.

2025 Canada’s Walk Of Fame Induction Gala

Cowardice Is Killing The Spirit Of Modern Film Festivals

Hamas

Hostages

Israel

Movies

October 7

Sundance Film Festival

Toronto Film Festival

In an astonishing act, the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) canceled the showing of an Israeli documentary about the October 7, 2023, Hamas massacre of Israelis because the filmmakers did not receive permission from the Hamas terrorists whose own clips of the massacre are in the film.
“The Road Between Us: The Ultimate Rescue” revolves around Maj. Gen. Noam Tibon’s efforts to save his son Amir and his family when Hamas terrorists in Kibbutz Nahal Oz attacked them.
“The movie features footage taken from the cameras of terrorists, who filmed their atrocities as they marauded through Israeli communities. Over a quarter of Nahal Oz’s 400 residents were killed or taken hostage that day,” <a href="https://www.timesofisrael.com/toronto-film-fest-nixes-oct-7-doc-screening-said-to-cite-hamas-ownership-of-massacre-clips/">The Times of Israel</a> noted.
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A TIFF spokesperson told <a href="https://deadline.com/2025/08/tiff-pulls-october-7-documentary-from-lineup-1236484968/">Deadline</a>, which broke the story, “The invitation for the Canadian documentary film The Road Between Us: The Ultimate Rescue was withdrawn by TIFF because general requirements for inclusion in the festival, and conditions that were requested when the film was initially invited, were not met, including legal clearance of all footage. The purpose of the requested conditions was to protect TIFF from legal implications and to allow TIFF to manage and mitigate anticipated and known risks around the screening of a film about highly sensitive subject matter, including potential threat of significant disruption.”
According to Deadline, the festival wanted the filmmakers to “identify the source of the footage and confirmation of legal clearance,” including “a legal reporting letter confirming clearance of the footage.”
“We are shocked and saddened that a venerable film festival has defied its mission and censored its own programming by refusing this film,” the filmmakers told Deadline. “Ultimately, film is an art form that stimulates debate from every perspective that can both entertain us and make us uncomfortable. A film festival lays out the feast and the audience decides what they will or won’t see. We are not political filmmakers, nor are we activists; we are storytellers. We remain defiant, we will release the film, and we invite audiences, broadcasters, and streamers to make up their own mind, once they have seen it.”
“The Toronto Film Festival has succumbed to pressure and threats, and has chosen to silence and erase October 7,” Noam Tibon said. “My message to the festival management: The truth cannot be erased. The atrocities committed by Hamas cannot be erased or denied. &#8230; The festival management’s claim that the film cannot be screened because ‘permissions to use’ the footage of the Nukhba terrorists were not obtained is absurd and bizarre, and constitutes further harm to the victims.”
 “It is inconceivable that TIFF allows a small group of extremists — using intimidation and threats of violence — to dictate which films Canadians can see at the festival. This shameful decision sends an unequivocal message: Toronto’s Jewish community is no longer safe or welcome,” the Canadian Centre for Jewish and Israeli Affairs declared.

Tiff – Toronto International Film Festival

Canadian Film Festival Cancels October 7 Documentary Claiming Hamas Has Footage Rights

Toronto Film Festival Cancels October 7 Documentary Because Film Didn't Get Permission From Hamas

There is something chilling about watching Angel Studios’ documentary “Live Not By Lies!” 
It is not merely a recounting of history, though it does that with remarkable clarity — testimonies of men and women who survived totalitarian communism in Eastern Europe echo across the decades with a resonance we ignore at our peril. 
What is most unsettling about the adaptation of Rod Dreher’s bestselling work, however, is the gnawing realization that their warnings have already become our reality.
The film introduces us to brave Christians who, under Soviet rule, faced surveillance, intimidation, and prison — simply for refusing to pretend that evil was good. As they share their stories, one can’t help but feel the familiarity of it all: the demand to affirm ideologies we know to be false, the punishment for dissent, the slow corrosion of the conscience. The question is no longer “Could it happen here?” but “How far has it already gone?”
The same dynamic Dreher exposes—state and cultural forces colluding to crush dissent — is alive in the contemporary West.
<iframe loading="lazy" title="Live Not By Lies | Official Trailer | Streaming April 1 | Angel Studios" width="500" height="281" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/lJh8wJKAnm8?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" allowfullscreen></iframe>
Consider Isabel Vaughan-Spruce, a woman who was arrested not for vandalizing property or committing acts of violence, but for the silent crime of praying in her head near an abortion facility in Birmingham, England. No slogans, no placards — only the private communion of her thoughts with God. She was questioned by police, searched, charged, and brought before a court. She was found innocent – but promptly arrested again weeks later for the very same thoughts in the very same place. Thankfully, after a long and grueling investigation, Isabel won compensation from the police with support from ADF International.
Then there’s Adam Smith-Connor, an army veteran who stood silently and imperceptibly in prayer near another facility in Bournemouth in memory of his lost son. He too was interrogated by police and criminalized for the contents of his conscience – worse, leading to a conviction and a criminal charge. Adam was ordered to pay £9,000 to the court – amounting to perhaps the most expensive three minute prayer in history.
<div id="attachment_624329" style="width: 1034px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-624329" class="size-large wp-image-624329" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2023/09/Screen-Shot-2023-09-22-at-12.25.15-PM-1024x574.png" alt="Credit: Alliance Defending Freedom." width="1024" height="574" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2023/09/Screen-Shot-2023-09-22-at-12.25.15-PM-1024x574.png 1024w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2023/09/Screen-Shot-2023-09-22-at-12.25.15-PM-300x168.png 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2023/09/Screen-Shot-2023-09-22-at-12.25.15-PM-768x431.png 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2023/09/Screen-Shot-2023-09-22-at-12.25.15-PM-1536x861.png 1536w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2023/09/Screen-Shot-2023-09-22-at-12.25.15-PM-2048x1148.png 2048w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" />Credit: Alliance Defending Freedom.</div>
These cases are the canaries in the coal mine. They warn us of what happens when the state arrogates to itself the power to police interior conviction. In the novel “1984,” George Orwell called this “thoughtcrime.” Today in Britain, it is called a “buffer zone,” but the principle is identical: certain beliefs must not merely be suppressed — they must be eradicated from the public square.
“Live Not By Lies!” is a clarion call to rediscover moral courage. Dreher draws on the legacy of Vaclav Havel, Alexander Solzhenitsyn, and countless ordinary Christians who refused to live by the lie. They were forced to pretend that the Party was infallible, that Marxism was inevitable, that the State was God. Today, our cultural commissars demand our allegiance to a different set of dogmas — that biological sex is a construct, that unborn life is disposable, that faith belongs behind closed doors and never in public life. But the impulse is the same: bow, or be broken.
The documentary is a reminder that resistance begins not with grand gestures, but with the refusal to speak untruth. When the authorities came to interrogate believers in Prague, they demanded not only compliance but confession: “Say that you agree. Say that you believe.” Many would not. For this, they lost jobs, were blacklisted, even imprisoned. Yet their refusal to say what they did not believe was the seed from which freedom eventually grew.
<div id="attachment_943085" style="width: 417px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><a href="https://www.angel.com/watch/live-not-by-lies"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-943085" class="size-large wp-image-943085" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/07/MixCollage-04-Jul-2025-12-53-PM-1283-407x576.jpg" alt="Angel Studios" width="407" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/07/MixCollage-04-Jul-2025-12-53-PM-1283-407x576.jpg 407w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/07/MixCollage-04-Jul-2025-12-53-PM-1283-212x300.jpg 212w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/07/MixCollage-04-Jul-2025-12-53-PM-1283-768x1086.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/07/MixCollage-04-Jul-2025-12-53-PM-1283-1086x1536.jpg 1086w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/07/MixCollage-04-Jul-2025-12-53-PM-1283-1448x2048.jpg 1448w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/07/MixCollage-04-Jul-2025-12-53-PM-1283-scaled.jpg 1810w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 407px) 100vw, 407px" /></a>Angel Studios</div>
How many today are willing to pay that price? We like to imagine ourselves as different — more sophisticated, more democratic, more tolerant. But the evidence mounts that our culture is simply addicted to a softer form of totalism: enforced conformity through the threat of professional ruin, reputational assassination, or — if you dare to pray silently — criminal prosecution.
There is no more potent illustration of this drift than the prosecutions of Vaughan-Spruce and Smith-Connor. In each case, the state claimed to be protecting “vulnerable women,” yet no evidence was presented that these individuals harassed or intimidated anyone. The real issue was that their mere presence — and their silent prayers — expressed a conviction the state deems intolerable. The Soviets called it “anti-Soviet agitation.” We call it “interference.” In both cases, the thought itself is the crime.
Some will say these comparisons are overwrought. They are not. For the Christian who believes God is Lord of both conscience and public life, there is no partition between belief and expression. The attempt to criminalize that wholeness — to tell a person they may think but not manifest their convictions — is precisely what totalitarian systems have always done. Dreher’s work, and this film, make clear that it begins with a creeping fear to speak, and ends with a culture that cannot remember how.
If we are to resist, we must start by telling the truth. No law should compel a citizen to lie — whether about the humanity of the unborn, the nature of marriage, or the sanctity of prayer. And no government has authority over the secret dialogue of the soul with its Creator. To surrender this is to surrender everything.
* * *
Lois McLatchie Miller (@LoisMcLatch) is a Scottish commentator and Senior Legal Communications Officer for Alliance Defending Freedom UK.
The views expressed in this piece are those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of The Daily Wire.

Propaganda poster : Karl Marx, Friedrich Engels, Lenin and Stalin, 1953.

‘Live Not By Lies’: A Documentary Whose Warnings We Dare Not Ignore

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‘Brothers After War’: An Interview With Gary Sinise And Jake Rademacher

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Gary Sinise

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Some roles change an actor’s life forever.
Think Sigourney Weaver playing Ripley in “Alien” or Christopher Reeve’s iconic work in the “Superman” franchise.
Gary Sinise’s turn as Lt. Dan Taylor in 1994’s “Forrest Gump” had a similar effect. Yes, the versatile Sinise had co-founded Chicago’s Steppenwolf Theatre Company in 1974 and already had a few screen credits to his name. “Forrest Gump” put him on the proverbial map and he never left.
He spent the next three decades working on screens large and small. In addition to earning a Best Supporting Actor nomination for “Forrest Gump” he snagged honors for the 1995 film “Truman” (Golden Globe, Best Actor in a Miniseries) and TV’s “George Wallace” (a Best Actor Emmy in 1997).
<div id="attachment_884389" style="width: 874px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-884389" class="size-large wp-image-884389" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/02/MixCollage-27-Feb-2025-01-13-PM-52-864x576.jpg" alt="&quot;Forrest Gump,&quot; 1994. Robert Zemeckis. Gary Sinise. Paramount Pictures / Collection Christophel" width="864" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/02/MixCollage-27-Feb-2025-01-13-PM-52-864x576.jpg 864w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/02/MixCollage-27-Feb-2025-01-13-PM-52-300x200.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/02/MixCollage-27-Feb-2025-01-13-PM-52-768x512.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/02/MixCollage-27-Feb-2025-01-13-PM-52-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/02/MixCollage-27-Feb-2025-01-13-PM-52-2048x1365.jpg 2048w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/02/MixCollage-27-Feb-2025-01-13-PM-52-1800x1200.jpg 1800w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/02/MixCollage-27-Feb-2025-01-13-PM-52-1200x800.jpg 1200w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 864px) 100vw, 864px" />&#8220;Forrest Gump,&#8221; 1994. Robert Zemeckis. Gary Sinise. Paramount Pictures / Collection Christophel</div>
He couldn’t let the character lovingly known as Lt. Dan go. Sinise took playing a wounded military veteran to heart, creating a second career supporting U.S. soldiers in profound ways.
His latest project fits snugly into that body of work. He’s an executive producer behind the documentary “<a href="https://brothersafterwar.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Brothers After War.</a>”
The film, opening Feb. 28 in limited release, finds director Jake Rademacher sharing footage from his time embedded with Marines during the Iraq War. We also meet veterans struggling to resume civilian life, and how their “brothers” help with that transition.
Depression, suicide, and PTSD are explored with sensitivity and real-world gravitas.
“It’s important that we do all we can to ensure the public does not forget about the men and women who have served and the families who supported them. This film is a tribute to their sacrifices, their resilience and their character,” <a href="https://www.vfw.org/media-and-events/latest-releases/archives/2025/2/brothers-after-war-to-debut-nationwide-february-28" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Sinise told the Veterans of Foreign Wars site.</a>
The film represents a fraction of the star’s commitment to the men and women of the U.S. Armed Forces.
<iframe loading="lazy" title="&quot;Brothers After War&quot; Trailer" width="500" height="281" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/zdNwYJ4S6Ag?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" allowfullscreen></iframe>
Sinise’s post-“Forrest Gump” military activism deserves a biopic all its own. It unofficially started the year of the film’s release. Sinise accepted an invitation to appear at the National Convention of the Disabled American Veterans.
“Forrest Gump” showed Lt. Dan Taylor losing both legs during his combat tour. It’s a critical part of his character’s emotional arc, one that resonated with real-life heroes.
“I walked on stage and there were 2,000 wounded veterans out there, screaming and yelling like I&#8217;m Elvis or something. I looked out and saw these people in wheelchairs and everything and I just broke down. I got very emotional,” Sinise told Forbes in an interview celebrating the film’s 30th anniversary.
He took that experience to heart, along with visiting troops following the attacks on September 11, 2001. He splintered his bustling career into two distinct tracks.
He bounced between film and TV projects, including gigs on “Criminal Minds: Beyond Borders” as well as “CSI: NY” for nine seasons. All the while he kept up his commitment to helping veterans in any way possible.
<div id="attachment_884231" style="width: 874px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-884231" class="size-large wp-image-884231" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/02/GettyImages-460211914-864x576.jpg" alt="LAKEWOOD, WA - DECEMBER 09: Actor and Director Gary Sinise makes an appearance at Clover Park Technical College on December 9, 2014 in Lakewood, Washington. (Photo by Suzi Pratt/Getty Images)" width="864" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/02/GettyImages-460211914-864x576.jpg 864w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/02/GettyImages-460211914-300x200.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/02/GettyImages-460211914-768x512.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/02/GettyImages-460211914.jpg 1024w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 864px) 100vw, 864px" />Suzi Pratt/Getty Images</div>
The star formed the <a href="https://www.army.mil/article/274639/gary_sinise_and_the_lt_dan_band_entertain_staff_patients_at_bamc#:~:text=In%202003%2C%20Sinise%20formed%20the,named%20after%20the%20character%20Lt." target="_blank" rel="noopener">Lt. Dan Band in 2003</a>, giving soldiers a respite from their life-and-death responsibilities. The band’s motto? Honor. Gratitude. Rock and Roll. And a few pop hits like <a href="https://www.army.mil/article/278419/gary_sinise_and_the_lt_dan_band_play_570th_show_at_fort_knox" target="_blank" rel="noopener">“Frozen’s” “Let It Go”</a> for good measure.
The actor plays bass guitar for the group, which performs for service members across the globe. At 69, he’s still at it with several gigs slated for 2025 including a March 21 date at the Brooke Army Medical Center in San Antonio, Texas.
Last August, Sinise’s Band made its <a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/pamwindsor/2024/08/01/celebrating-30-years-of-forrest-gump--the-opry-honors-gary-sinise--his-lt-dan-band/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Grand Ole Opry debut.</a>
<div id="attachment_884401" style="width: 586px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-884401" class="wp-image-884401 size-large" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/02/MixCollage-27-Feb-2025-01-17-PM-6095-576x576.jpg" alt="Gary Sinise Foundation/Instagram." width="576" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/02/MixCollage-27-Feb-2025-01-17-PM-6095-576x576.jpg 576w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/02/MixCollage-27-Feb-2025-01-17-PM-6095-300x300.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/02/MixCollage-27-Feb-2025-01-17-PM-6095-150x150.jpg 150w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/02/MixCollage-27-Feb-2025-01-17-PM-6095-768x768.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/02/MixCollage-27-Feb-2025-01-17-PM-6095-1536x1536.jpg 1536w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/02/MixCollage-27-Feb-2025-01-17-PM-6095-2048x2048.jpg 2048w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 576px) 100vw, 576px" />Gary Sinise Foundation/Instagram.</div>
He founded the Gary Sinise Foundation in 2011, a <a href="https://www.garysinisefoundation.org/mission" target="_blank" rel="noopener">nonprofit dedicated</a> to “creating and supporting unique programs designed to entertain, educate, inspire, strengthen, and build communities.” To date, the foundation has raised more than $400 million for military families since its inception.
The nonprofit’s programs include R.I.S.E. (Restoring Independence, Supporting Empowerment) that builds smart homes for wounded veterans and first responders.
He’s earned just about every award possible for his military efforts, including two from the Congressional Medal of Honor Society and the Bob Hope Award for Excellence in Entertainment. The Presidential Citizens Medal came for his exemplary deeds performed in service of the nation.
<div id="attachment_884237" style="width: 881px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-884237" class="size-large wp-image-884237" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/02/GettyImages-955500040-871x576.jpg" alt="WASHINGTON, DC - MAY 06: Actor Gary Sinise receives the Award for the Human Spirit during the 2018 Kennedy Center Spring Gala at the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts on May 6, 2018 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Paul Morigi/Getty Images)" width="871" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/02/GettyImages-955500040-871x576.jpg 871w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/02/GettyImages-955500040-300x198.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/02/GettyImages-955500040-768x508.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/02/GettyImages-955500040.jpg 1024w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 871px) 100vw, 871px" />Paul Morigi/Getty Images</div>
One unacknowledged benefit from Sinise’s activism? Hollywood has been far more empathetic to the U.S. Military in recent years, another possible side effect of Sinise’s extreme charity.
Gone are the days of “In the Valley of Elah,” “Rendition” and “Lions for Lambs,” all released during President George W. Bush’s administration. Those films often cast soldiers in a negative light, often to score partisan points.
Later films like “American Sniper” (2014), “Lone Survivor” (2013) and especially “Thank You for Your Service” (2017) echo the gratitude Sinise brings to his charitable efforts.
Perhaps the most remarkable part of Sinise’s activism is its apolitical nature. He’s given back without taking sides in the culture wars, and he keeps his military efforts free of ideological trappings.
Sinise’s Hollywood career never floundered despite his extensive military work. He voluntarily stepped back from the industry in 2019, though, to care for ailing family members. His wife Moira Harris was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2018 and their son McCanna Anthony Sinise suffered from a rare spinal cancer condition.
The 33-year-old musician passed away last year, while Harris is in remission. The actor assembled some of his son’s music for last year’s posthumous projects “Resurrection &amp; Revival” and its follow-up, “Resurrection &amp; Revival Part Two.”
The only honor missing from Sinise’s mantle is one that’s sorely overdue. It’s well past time for the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences to recognize one of the industry’s most talented, selfless artists with an honorary Oscar.
* * *
Christian Toto is an award-winning journalist, movie critic and editor of <a href="https://www.hollywoodintoto.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">HollywoodInToto.com</a>. He previously served as associate editor with Breitbart News’ Big Hollywood. Follow him at <a href="https://www.hollywoodintoto.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">HollywoodInToto.com</a>. The views expressed in this piece are those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of The Daily Wire.
The views expressed in this piece are those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of The Daily Wire.

32nd Annual Movieguide Awards Gala

From Lt. Dan To Real-Life Hero: Gary Sinise Is The Brother Soldiers Need

Hollywood

Documentary filmmaker and Daily Wire host Matt Walsh said one of the questions he gets asked most about his hit film “Am I Racist?” is: &#8220;How were you able to pull this off?&#8221;
Now, audiences can see how he did it first with “Clearing the A.I.R. – The Making of ‘Am I Racist?’” This new film takes audiences deep behind the scenes with Walsh, director Justin Folk, and the entire cast and crew as they pull back the curtain on the making of a cultural phenomenon.
“Am I Racist?” takes a similar but not identical approach to Walsh’s first film, “What Is a Woman?” and lets the radical activists speak freely. For the latest project, that meant going undercover in a man bun, glasses, and tweed jacket.
Walsh met with some of the leading race hustlers in the business and pretended to be on their side, inevitably helping them humiliate themselves simply by explaining what they stood for. The podcast host has said fans are obsessed with how he was able to score a meeting with “White Fragility” author Robin DiAngelo and to literally have a seat at the Race2Dinner table with extremists Saira Rao and Regina Jackson.
<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/clips/clearing-the-a-i-r-the-making-of-am-i-racist">WATCH NOW: “CLEARING THE A.I.R. – THE MAKING OF ‘AM I RACIST?’”</a>
Walsh has said one of the biggest reasons these DEI activists allowed him and the crew access with little to no vetting is that they rarely encounter anyone who disagrees with them. Safe in their intellectual bubbles, they truly believe that most people are on their side.
“We are trying to expose the so-called expert class — our self-appointed moral superiors who impose their doctrines on us from on high,” Walsh <a href="https://x.com/MattWalshBlog/status/1836131398287073660" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said on X</a> in response to some conservatives who were uncomfortable that the filmmaker used what some called “deception” to score interviews.
Walsh said they had to “use more innovative and maybe even ruthless means to lure or drag them out,” and that “once we have them, we let them embarrass themselves. And we laugh at them. It’s not the nicest thing. But niceness is a luxury we don’t always have.”
With “Clearing the A.I.R.” you’ll get to see how they did it. Walsh and the crew will expand on the interviews with noted DEI activists and regular people which were edited for length, giving you exclusive access to what went into this incredible project and what was left on the cutting room floor.
<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/clips/clearing-the-a-i-r-the-making-of-am-i-racist">STREAM &#8216;CLEARING THE A.I.R.&#8217; NOW ON DAILYWIRE+</a>
“Am I Racist?” is the <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/am-i-racist-becomes-the-most-successful-launch-in-dailywire-history" target="_blank" rel="noopener">most successful release</a> in DailyWire+ history, performing even better on its first day of streaming than previous hits including “What is a Woman?” in 2022, and the comedy “Lady Ballers” in 2023. The film also outperformed expectations at the box office, grossing more than $12 million and debuting in the top five films in the country on its opening weekend. “Am I Racist?” also became the top-grossing documentary of the decade.
“Am I Racist?” is one of only 15 documentaries ever to open in over 1,500 theaters nationwide.
The film has a 96% audience score on Rotten Tomatoes with more than 2,500 verified reviews. Despite the overwhelming popularity of the movie, mainstream critics have largely ignored it, and it was <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/am-i-racist-snubbed-from-oscar-shortlist-despite-record-breaking-success-walsh-reacts-a-farce" target="_blank" rel="noopener">snubbed</a> by The Academy this year after being submitted for Oscars consideration.
Whether you watched “Am I Racist?” in theaters or streamed it on DailyWire+, “Clearing the A.I.R.” will take you deeper into the DEI grift than you’ve ever gone before. Find it now exclusively on <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/clips/clearing-the-a-i-r-the-making-of-am-i-racist">DailyWire+</a>.

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NOW STREAMING: ‘Clearing The A.I.R. – The Making Of ‘Am I Racist?’’

Am I Racist

DailyWire+

Matt Walsh

I am a woman with no breasts. I haven’t had a normal female body since I was 20-years-old, but it’s not because of a tragic accident, birth defect, or cancer. My body was born healthy, my breasts grew fine, and in most ways I am a normal 28-year-old. As developmentally appropriate, I dream of finding a mate, getting married, and having children, but this natural ambition has been delayed because instead of learning the necessary life skills to mature into adulthood, my teens and early twenties were spent in hell.
I grew up in a spiritual body modification cult: transgenderism.
A quirky tomboy on the autism spectrum, I didn’t dress or act like other girls my age, and with my emotional struggles with severe depression and anxiety, I believed I would make a bad mother and never wanted children.
In fact, I thought I made a terrible girl in general. I never wore makeup or felt pretty, and I related only to male characters in the media. Puberty, along with social awkwardness and alienating idiosyncrasies, was rough and lonesome. By the time I was 14, my Tumblr blog was my sole source of connection.
True Christian families would have provided more patience, love, and acceptance, but my father was not a Godly man. Emotionally weak and tyrannical, my father raged and tormented me for most of my adolescence, calling me worthless, disgusting, and unwanted. While he screamed and laughed I locked myself in my room, in tears. Though Catholic and compassionate, my mother failed to protect me, and the abuse endured.
Besides the hidden abuse, my Midwestern family was of typical democratic persuasion, supporting increased public school funding, feminism, and gay marriage. Along with my dad’s abusive messages, I absorbed Leftist views, and when joining Tumblr was ecstatic to participate in social justice causes like Black Lives Matter, smashing the patriarchy, and of course, queering one’s gender.
<div id="attachment_847421" style="width: 1034px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><a href="https://www.dailywire.com/videos/identity-crisis"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-847421" class="size-large wp-image-847421" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2024/12/MixCollage-19-Dec-2024-06-12-PM-3388-1024x576.jpg" alt="Identity Crisis" width="1024" height="576" /></a>Identity Crisis</div>
I was 15 when I came out as nonbinary, a revelation that felt like my androgyny and nonconformity were finally appreciated. Tumblr activists rejoiced. My Left-leaning advanced English teacher who ran the school’s Gay-Straight Alliance club validated my “genderqueer” identity, and my progressive peers sympathized with my unconventional appearance under the queer label.
In my naivety, I thought gender identity would free me from the conventional standards of femininity that I had always rejected. I wanted to be loved as an eccentric personality, not be the helpless female victim that both woke discourse and my father instilled was my destiny.
Though I was suicidal with untreated PTSD from childhood abuse, gender ideology and its well-intentioned but ignorant leftist champions taught me that distress around my body and identity meant I was trans, that gender dysphoria could only be cured through medicalization.
At my LGBTQ-inclusive college, my trans-identifying professor of “Sociology of Sexuality” groomed me into the body modification cult ritual of injecting testosterone. I was prescribed the steroid at 19 in a one hour appointment — the compassionate LGBT clinic nurse practitioner nodding along with the hoax that if a patient is suicidal with gender issues, they must urgently need hormones, not counseling which is slandered as “conversion therapy.”
The “life-saving care” predictably caused a mental breakdown as my body masculinized and I mentally deteriorated. Then, after only seven months of HRT, I was approved for surgery. At 20, before I was legally old enough to buy alcohol, my breasts were sliced off and thrown in the trash. It would be two more years of trauma living as a trans-identified “gay man” before I would be correctly diagnosed with PTSD and realize that I was never a boy, just a wounded girl. I was always meant to be a woman. At 22 I began detransitioning, and I wasn’t alone.
<div id="attachment_858979" style="width: 825px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-858979" class="size-large wp-image-858979" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/01/MixCollage-15-Jan-2025-12-25-PM-2281-815x576.jpg" alt="Screenshot: Identity Crisis. Laura Becker. DailyWire+. TurningPoint USA." width="815" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/01/MixCollage-15-Jan-2025-12-25-PM-2281-815x576.jpg 815w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/01/MixCollage-15-Jan-2025-12-25-PM-2281-300x212.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/01/MixCollage-15-Jan-2025-12-25-PM-2281-768x543.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/01/MixCollage-15-Jan-2025-12-25-PM-2281-1536x1086.jpg 1536w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/01/MixCollage-15-Jan-2025-12-25-PM-2281-2048x1448.jpg 2048w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 815px) 100vw, 815px" />Screenshot: Identity Crisis. Laura Becker. DailyWire+. TurningPoint USA.</div>
&nbsp;
Since 2019, I and other detransitioners like <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/author/chloe-cole" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Chloe Cole</a>, Prisha Moseley, and Ritchie Herron have blown the whistle on transgender “health.” Victims have found their voices, exposed their scars, and formed coalitions across the world via the free speech app X.
Detransitioners connect with concerned parents, professionals, and journalists in independent media who are mortified to learn that the unthinkable has happened in Western nations–brainwashing, mutilation, and sterilization of mentally ill children and vulnerable young adults.
How did liberalism cannibalize itself so abhorrently?
Like the currently trans-identified, detransitioners were once quirky individualists who believed in the progressive promise of a free and just society, one where the disenfranchised were accepted, helped, and raised up into a diverse rainbow of love and tolerance. We advocated for bodily autonomy, mental health awareness, and voted blue no matter what, just like good, responsible citizens should. So we thought.
The Left failed its vulnerable. It lied to autistic, confused, mentally ill teens telling them their bodies were wrong, and society was somehow to blame. The Left made it “transphobic” for a therapist to question a mentally ill patient’s irrational beliefs, but “inclusive” for educators to teach that “male” and “female” are outdated and hurtful.
As I awoke to the horrors of what was done to my body in the name of progress, I also awoke to the callous nihilism of the Left overall. Queer ideology is anti-progress, anti-human, anti-reality. Through grueling years of daily therapy and healing in my mid twenties I not only became ex-trans, but ex-Left. As I studied interpersonal abuse dynamics like those I grew up in with my dad, I saw the same pattern of manipulation and gaslighting occur from the Left when my friends or I spoke of detransition. Immediately upon realizing the illusions we suffered, in the eyes of our former comrades, we become Right-wing bigots, subhuman.
For the raw, comprehensive story of why girls transition and how to detransition and recover, I have written a memoir releasing in late 2025, “Surviving the Trans Myth.” Detransitioners take healing from the biggest medical scandal of our time into our own hands, as the love from leftist institutions evaporates once their facade is exposed.
The Left claims to care about trauma victims, but detransitioners prove otherwise. I have tried to publish articles and do interviews with leftist outlets but have been met with worse than ignorance–avoidance, denial, apathy.
Once an emotionally-dysregulated queer activist who thought Trump would slaughter the trans population, I was hurt over the cultist&#8217;s “conservative” accusations until I realized some things are worth conserving.
My body was.
When I was approached by Turning Point USA Productions to share my story in a mainstream conservative documentary, that old leftist fear was replaced with newfound strength to fight for what was left of my body–my heart, mind, and soul. The Daily Wire film, <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/videos/identity-crisis">Identity Crisis</a> rawly captures my medical abuse, and exposes the outcomes of the gender snake oil the Left sold.
The film explains the hydra of gender ideology and its history, exhibiting how it crept into every institution and exploded into online youth culture, while following personal stories of detransitioners’ struggle for self-acceptance, parents Adam Vena and Harrison Tinsely who lost custody of their sons for not affirming their trans identity, and professionals like Dr. Joe Burgo, a psychotherapist who despite being an expert on shame, cannot treat gender dysphoric patients without losing his license.
As for me, the night I watched <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/videos/identity-crisis">Identity Crisis</a> debut and saw my trauma on the big screen was a bittersweet coalescence of grief and gratitude.
Though I’ve moved on from the cult, nihilism, and mental illness, acknowledging the magnitude of loss will always create some self-doubt about fulfilling my dreams. After the film ended, I cried for the woman I could have been:
“I just want to be a normal woman. I want to have a normal, feminine, beautiful body. But I never will.”
My sexual organs were removed because nobody cared to help me process my childhood abuse that made me direct hatred inward. I am thankful to be the woman I am, but this was all unnecessary.
If there is one lesson I’ve learned from leaving the Left, it’s that the Right must step up where the Left has failed. Conservatives have an opportunity to offer a counter-narrative that prioritizes safeguarding children and promoting thoughtful, evidence-based approaches to gender issues.
Here are a few steps the Right can take:
<ul>
<li>Advocate for Responsible Policies: Speak on legislation that ensures patients receive thorough mental health evaluations before accessing medical interventions. Protect parental rights while fostering environments that encourage open dialogue rather than ideological conformity.</li>
<li>Support Detransitioners: Create spaces where detransitioners can share their stories without fear of judgment or erasure. Acknowledge their experiences as survivors and offer healing from whatever toolkit you have.</li>
<li>Promote Mental Health: Address the root causes of gender distress — including social isolation, sexual confusion, and mental health issues — rather than colluding with the transition placebo.</li>
</ul>
Detransition is a testament to human resilience and the desire for growth even in the face of immense pain and loss. My story is not just a cautionary tale but a call to action. It is a plea for compassion, responsibility, and courage from all sides of the political spectrum.
The fight for a healthier, stronger, and more truthful life starts with us.
* * *
Laura Becker is an American writer, artist, and speaker known for her international de-trans advocacy and activism. She is featured in two documentaries “Identity Crisis” and “No Way Back: The Reality Of Gender-Affirming Care.” Becker shares her experiences as a post-woke independent while creating under her philosophical brand ‘Funk God.’ You can connect with her <a href="https://linktr.ee/funkgodcreative">here</a>.
The views expressed in this piece are those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of The Daily Wire.
* * *
<iframe loading="lazy" title="Identity Crisis | Official Trailer" width="500" height="281" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/5vqiFhhRWEo?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" allowfullscreen></iframe>

Third gender and sex concept, man and woman. World sexual health day. Concept of gender, health and development. Symbol of transgender, vector silhouette isolated on white background

Detransition: An Inconvenient Truth For The Left

Gender

Gender Identity

grooming

Leftists

LGBTQ

Social Media

Teenagers

Transgender

transgender surgery

Women

The <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/netflix">Netflix</a> documentary “<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/documentary">Don’t Die: The Man Who Wants to Live Forever</a>” about a tech millionaire obsessed with extending his life is getting a lot of reactions online.
Bryan Johnson, 47, first started getting mainstream attention last January thanks to a Bloomberg <a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/features/2023-01-25/anti-aging-techniques-taken-to-extreme-by-bryan-johnson">article </a>detailing his $2 million per year health regimen, which he claims is helping to slow the aging process. The L.A.-based entrepreneur takes 130 pills daily, eats dinner at 11 a.m., goes to bed at 8:30 p.m., and does a 90-minute workout every day. He also has weekly MRIs, skin care treatments, plasma exchanges, and Follistatin gene therapy, which is not approved by the FDA, per <a href="https://variety.com/2025/biz/news/dont-die-netflix-documentary-bryan-johnson-anti-aging-1236262153/">Variety</a>.
For these efforts, Johnson <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/posts/bryanrjohnson_my-new-record-064-pace-of-aging-my-birthday-activity-7206375978141405185-Osp3">claims</a> he only ages at a rate of 0.64, meaning he believes to be aging 7.6 months for every 12 months. He spent a total of $4 million developing a life-extension system called Blueprint, which he has been using for himself to promote longevity.
Documentary filmmaker Chris Smith followed Johnson around for a year, documenting his regimen and the family relationships the entrepreneur has with his father and his son, who at one point all swapped plasma.
“We do a good job of showing that some people think that what Bryan is doing has a lot of value and some people don’t,” Smith told Variety in an interview. “One of my hopes is that people take away from the movie that a large amount of health benefits can be achieved through sleep, diet, and exercise. That is something that is attainable by anyone.”
<iframe loading="lazy" title="Don&#039;t Die: The Man Who Wants to Live Forever | Official Trailer | Netflix" width="500" height="281" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/kf9e1o7rUeo?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" allowfullscreen></iframe>
Some social media users expressed their skepticism about the documentary and the claims Johnson is making, while others thought he gave good advice.
“Here’s the truth: my secret plan is for ‘Don’t Die’ to become the world’s most influential ideology by 2027. Our existence depends upon it,” Johnson wrote in an X post on New Year’s Day.
“For 2,500 years, human history has been shaped by ideologies: Capitalism, Democracy, Socialism, Christianity, Islam, Buddhism, etc. But none of these systems are built for this moment. The question we face—what do humans do when giving birth to superintelligence?—is the most important one in this part of the galaxy. And no one, no country, no ideology, no company has an answer.”
“Your hubris is immeasurable,” one commenter <a href="https://x.com/0xPuff/status/1874651213419213159">wrote</a>.
“Your ‘Don’t Die’ ideology is very limited and flawed, because it’s missing the spiritual aspect of longevity &amp; immortality,” another person <a href="https://x.com/pakzadroya/status/1874533272463818949">wrote</a>.
“This sounds more like a marketing pitch than a serious ideology,” another response says. “Survival is a basic instinct, not a cohesive framework for managing the complexities of life, society, or technology. Humans don’t just live to ‘not die’, we live for meaning, growth, connection, and purpose.”
Other reactions said that Johnson’s advice was basic at its core. “My critical summary of ‘Don’t Die’ on Netflix: &#8211; Man leaves Mormonism; Middle-aged man gets fat, sick, and rich; Middle-aged man discovers exercise and vegetables,” a fourth person <a href="https://x.com/B_Holmer/status/1874447516340748308">wrote</a> of the documentary.
Plenty of other commenters were excited about Johnson’s approach and implored him to change the name from “don’t die” to something less controversial that focused on longevity rather than mortality.

Bryan Johnson

‘Hubris Is Immeasurable’: Reactions To Netflix Doc ‘Don’t Die: The Man Who Wants To Live Forever’

'Hubris Is Immeasurable': Reactions To Netflix Doc 'Don't Die: The Man Who Wants To Live Forever'

Death

US-ENTERTAINMENT-FILM-AWARD-OSCARS-ARRIVALS

The Real Reason ‘Am I Racist?’ Was Snubbed By The Oscars

The Real Reason 'Am I Racist?' Was Snubbed By The Oscars

Academy Awards

Disney

Opinion

A documentary film is in the works about the ill-fated <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/oceangate" target="_blank" rel="noopener">OceanGate</a> Titan submersible, and it promises to tell the story behind the headlines about the underwater craft that imploded, killing all five of its passengers in June 2023.
The film is directed by Aron Arngrimsson, who was the last person to see the Titan crew alive before the small crew set out on its doomed fatal trip to see the remains of the Titanic on June 18, 2023, the <a href="https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-news/titan-submersible-implosion-documentary-in-works-1236088385/?taid=6761ae58a1361c00013e3066&amp;utm_campaign=trueanthem&amp;utm_medium=social&amp;utm_source=twitter">Hollywood Reporter</a> reported.
“He [Arngrimsson] exclusively tells the emotional experience of five Titan crew members, revealing the family stories behind the media headlines and exposing the painful consequences of an exploration gone wrong,” a synopsis from the producers read, per THR.
The documentary, currently in post production, comes from <a href="https://variety.com/2024/film/news/titan-submersible-disaster-documentary-being-made-1236251341/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Arngrimsson&#8217;s Dirty Dozen Productions</a> and RadicalMedia, the outlet noted.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
The Titan submersible disaster has inspired a new documentary from Aron Arngrimsson, who was the last person to see the crew alive. <a href="https://t.co/VXODAjQErb">https://t.co/VXODAjQErb</a>
— Variety (@Variety) <a href="https://twitter.com/Variety/status/1869052434657734988?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 17, 2024</a></blockquote>
“The unprecedented access Aron had to the Titan crew, their families and this story, was remarkable,” Stacey Reiss, executive producer at RadicalMedia, said.
“He was there, first-hand, experiencing all of this in real time,” she added. “It was extremely important to us to tell this story authentically, given the tremendous media attention it received.”
The movie will include actual first-hand footage taken by Arngrimsson of the Titan submersible heading out on its fatal expedition.
“We are committed to telling this important story with the thoroughness it deserves, through exclusive interviews with the Titan crew members and in the aftermath with the families,” Arngrimsson said in a statement about the project.
After the ship lost contact with Titan in June 2023, a four-day rescue mission from the United States and Canada ensued including using airplanes, boats, and submersibles in the attempt to find and save the crew, <a href="https://variety.com/2023/film/news/titanic-submersible-oceangate-movie-1235740084/">Variety</a> noted.
On the fourth day, the United States Coast Guard <a href="https://twitter.com/USCGNortheast/status/1671907901542211584?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1671907901542211584%7Ctwgr%5Ecbfebb9adb1227d0cfd8b029851173bec1af7999%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&amp;ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fnews.dailywire.com%2Fwp-admin%2Fpost.php%3Fpost%3D574887action%3Dedit">announced</a> that a remotely operated underwater vehicle had <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/titanic-sub-rescue-effort-cost-millions-and-oceangate-likely-wont-be-paying-for-it">found debris</a> from the Titan near the Titanic.
“A debris field was discovered within the search area by an ROV near the Titanic,” USGC Northeast said in a statement. “Experts within the unified command are evaluating the information.”
“A debris field implies a break-up of the submersible … that really sort of indicates what is the worst-case scenario, which is a catastrophic failure and generally that’s an implosion,” marine scientist and rescue expert David Mearns told <a href="https://news.sky.com/story/debris-field-discovered-within-search-area-near-titanic-us-coast-guard-says-12906735">Sky News</a>.
“The only saving grace is that it would have been immediate — literally in milliseconds — and the men wouldn’t have known what was happening,” Mearns added.
Related: <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/new-photo-released-shows-titanic-submersibles-final-resting-spot" target="_blank" rel="noopener">New Photo Released Shows Titanic Submersible’s Final Resting Spot</a>

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