It was the story of the weekend: "Melania," Amazon's documentary on first lady Melania Trump, beat expectations at the box office, becoming one of the best-performing documentaries in recent years with an opening weekend gross of $7 million across 1,778 screens. (Whether it makes back its $75 million investment is another story.)
Despite dismal critic reviews, the numbers suggest audiences turned out for "Melania" to support the first lady. One advocacy group suggests the reality may be more complicated.
Mikey Weinstein, the president and founder of the Military Religious Freedom Foundation, said the nonprofit received reports from eight bases around the world that U.S. military members were being "pressured" to see "Melania."
"People are scared," said Weinstein, a former Air Force officer and attorney who said his group is made up of nearly 100,000 current and former members of the U.S. military and represents those who feel pressured or coerced into unconstitutional religious observances. "They were pressured to see the movie."
"Your military superior, that's not your shift manager at Taco Bell or Starbucks. They have complete and total control over you."
In an email Weinstein shared with Business Insider, an active-duty enlisted member of the US military said they were writing on behalf of a dozen of their unit members and their families who felt "pressured" by their unit commander to see the movie. The MRFF did not disclose the name of the person who sent the email.
In the email, this person said their commander suggested the unit and their family members join him, his wife, and their children at a showing of "Melania" at an off-base movie theater.
The screening was designated as one of the commander's "Unit Activity Events," morale-boosting activities that can range from flag football and barbecues to movie nights, the email said. The military member who sent the email said the unit is required to attend at least three of the four UAEs that are scheduled each month or face a penalty.
Asked if any of the MRFF members who contacted him skipped the movie, Weinstein said: "Every one of our clients who came to us either went to see it or suddenly got sick."
When reached for comment, a Department of Defense official told Business Insider, "There is no Department of War directive requiring service members to see this film, though the film is fantastic."