Vern Thompson and other North Dakota Democrats have been critical of the loan given from the Bank of North Dakota to the producers of the film "Wooly Boys." Thompson has said publicly that it would appear as though North Dakota paid nearly $4 million to make a movie for itself to watch:

"It's not selling to anybody outside of the borders here," he said. "We get to watch ourselves, and we get to pay for it again so that we can repay the loan. I'm still waiting for the benefits for the North Dakota people. ... Until 'Wooly Boys' is shown somewhere besides North Dakota theaters, big deal."

Despite Thompson's negative attitude toward the film, it would appear as though the film is doing fine. While its not screening outside of the state yet, within the state its been quite successful:

WOOLY BOYS, a comedy-adventure set and filmed in North Dakota, opened this past weekend with the highest grossing per screen average in the state. The film averaged nearly $10,000 per screen which is two to three times higher than most successful theatrical releases. WOOLY BOYS was shown exclusively on five screens in Bismarck, Dickinson, Fargo, Grand Forks, and Minot and herded up record crowds of all ages.

"I am absolutely delighted about the success of opening weekend," says Executive Producer Ken Promersberger. "We're thrilled that movie goers, young and old, have embraced our film."

It would even appear as though the loan from the Bank of North Dakota is being repaid on schedule, according to the Grand Forks Herald:

A $3.9 million Bank of North Dakota loan made to finance production of the movie "Wooly Boys" is being repaid, an executive said.

The film opened in North Dakota theaters Jan. 23, more than three years after it was made. Because of the delay in getting the movie screened, critics of the loan have speculated that it was in default.

A list of uncollectable Bank of North Dakota loans released last Friday did not include the Wooly Boys loan. The film's producers also gave the bank permission to disclose that the loan was current, and that none of it was considered uncollectable.

So while "Wooly Boys" hasn't yet equaled the success of "Dance With Wolves," (a movie that had a huge impact on tourism in South Dakota), its not quite the disappointment Democrats would have us believe its been. Sure its only been successful in this state, but has it even been marketed in other states yet? The film has been a bit delayed in making it to the big screen, but its still to early for it to be dismissed. With the movie making more than twice what the producers expected it to make in the state, I don't see why it can't some success outside of the state.

I think the Democrats are too eager to make the movie into a political point.