Michael Moore Remembers Mitt Romney's Parents: 'This Apple Has Fallen Far From The Tree' (VIDEO)

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Filmmaker Michael Moore offered GOP candidate Mitt Romney some biting criticism on Rachel Maddow's Monday show, wondering how the GOP candidate could stray so far from his parents' legacy.

Michigan has been cast as a must-win for Romney, who is from the state and whose father once served as governor.

However, Romney's grasp on the state's voters seems to have slipped in recent weeks. GOP candidate Rick Santorum has surged in recent polls. Romney has also been mocked for a speech where he declared his love for the trees, lakes and cars in Michigan, and a commercial showing him driving around Detroit in a car manufactured in Canada.

Even Moore, a fellow Michigan native, empathized a bit with the candidate on Monday night. "The poor guy -- I just start to feel sorry for him on some level -- not too much," he told Maddow.

Moore gave his take on the state's Republican electorate, and sang praises for Romney's parents. He said that Romney's father Gov. George Romney, who held office when Moore was in grade school, had supported civil rights movement and taken an unpopular stance opposing the Vietnam War. Moore also noted that Mitt Romney's mother Lenore had been a senator, and a chief backer of the Equal Rights Amendment for women. In fact, Leonore Romney ran for the Senate in 1970, but lost.

"Those of us who are 45 and older, we remember the Romneys—even if you're not a Republican—you remember them somewhat fondly," he said.

Then he turned his attention to their son. "This apple has fallen far from the tree," Moore lamented. "It's just mind boggling to see whoever he has become or who he thinks he is."

This post has been updated to reflect that Moore misspoke about Lenore Romney's political career.