Fresh controversy for Penn

Sean Penn is facing criticism over his latest film.

11:35 31 December 2004

Hollywood actor Sean Penn is courting controversy with the release of his forthcoming film The Assassination of Richard Nixon.

The film features Penn in a sympathetic portrayal of would-be presidential assassin and airplane hijacker Sam Bicke, a man killed while trying to hijack a plane so he could crash it into the White House.

Based on a real-life story, the film, which opens this week in some cinemas in the US, is expected to anger many Americans.

Oscar-winner Penn has often been criticised and accused of being unpatriotic for his outspoken opinions, particularly during the Iraq War.

According to Reuters the actor pushed for The Assassination of Richard Nixon to be made following the September 11th attacks.

The Assassination of Richard Nixon portrays a man driven to extreme acts by deep frustration with the society around him and its rejection of him. Bicke loses his job, his wife, his second job and gets denied for a loan to start his own business.

Penn, 44, agreed to play Bicke more than five years ago after seeing the script written by a pair of relatively unknown screenwriters.