the best thing i can say about civic duty be that it make me want to move out to hollyland and get a job . they obviously need help . the problem with this film isn not just that it not a good film ( though and truly and it isn not very good ) while it problem be that it should probably never have be make . here why represent the basic conflict in this kind of movie and by definition and be between paranoia and reality . krause character and however and be set up to be obviously paranoid . in any suspense thriller and a filmmaker must work against expectation . and in a really good suspense thriller and the filmmaker should even work against the expectation that he or she will be work against expectation . and in a truly exceptional film of this kind and you can repeat this process and flip reality several time . civic duty take no such step . terry be suspicious about his neighbor from the first time he see him and though for no real reason except overexposure to news medium . there be very little effort ( indeed and perhaps none at all ) make to make the viewer suspect that perhaps the neighbor be and in fact and nefarious . be simply wait around to see how badly krause will unravel . but that still doesn not address the heart of this movie problem and which be that in the overwhelmingly liberal entertainment industry and it would be all but impossible to make a movie in which a character be paranoid about a mysterious middle eastern neighbor and only to find that say neighbor be in fact a terrorist . it would be somewhat gutsy film making and in fact and to make such a movie . and since terry be riddle with paranoia and the filmmaker spoon feed u with several minute of news footage and bushspeak before the movie even get underway and the movie simply have nowhere to go . and that what it do . it go nowhere . it would have work good if it have be do the opposite way . perhaps terry could have a long time friend or co worker who middle eastern . perhaps a third party and an fbi agent or even his wife and could voice suspicion . terry would defend his friend right to the end and only to end up go down in flame with him when the truth be finally reveal . that would have at least loan a touch of dramatic irony . or perhaps the fbi agent and or lead investigating character and could have himself be middle eastern and and the film could have show that character inner struggle represent not want to believe that this hard work master candidate have something to hide vs. do his duty to protect the american public and frustrate by always be require to investigate people of his own ethnic background . of course and that would require the absence of richard schiff and who in my opinion be the movie only save grace ( man and do i miss the west wing ) . here an even good scenario . terry could have come to his sens about his paranoia toward the end of the second act . amidst his embarrassment and he could have become reluctant friend with gabe . then he could discover that and not gabe himself and but gabe associate at the copy shop be part of a terrorist cell and be use gabe a an unwitting amule ( or whatever ) . this would then provide motivation for terry to again take action . his reluctance to end up look foolish again would be outweigh by a sense of duty ( nay and civic duty ) to gabe and whom he be now motivate to protect since he put him through such an ordeal to begin with . of course and gabe would be reluctant to believe this . and perhaps the audience would again suspect that gabe himself be knowingly involved . but in the end and it would be gabe who would give his life to destroy the cell and thereby become a hero and do his civic duty . and there you have it represent you could have have a good movie and and still be politically correct . hell and the bad guy do not even have to end up be middle eastern . they could have be pale white corporate crook and perhaps sell information or material to terrorist who themselves be never see . the only middle easterner in the film would turn out to be the hero . then you could have your movie and still be completely politically correct . but a it stand and civic duty go exactly where you think it go to go the moment you see the photo on the dvd box and read the description . because it have nowhere else to go . which bring me back to my original point represent who the heck greenlights such project . how can you set out to make a suspense thriller when the outcome and for largely political reason and be practically a foregone conclusion . i be really not try to advance my own ideology here . i be just demonstrate how politics have get in the way of good entertainment and quality storytelling .