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Charles Darwin film 'too controversial for religious America'

PogueMoran

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[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TCYafqq9ljk"]YouTube - Creation (aka nature) Trailer 2009[/ame]

Creation, starring Paul Bettany, details Darwin's "struggle between faith and reason" as he wrote On The Origin of Species. It depicts him as a man who loses faith in God following the death of his beloved 10-year-old daughter, Annie.


The film was chosen to open the Toronto Film Festival and has its British premiere on Sunday. It has been sold in almost every territory around the world, from Australia to Scandinavia.

Creationism question in 'misleading' science GCSEHowever, US distributors have resolutely passed on a film which will prove hugely divisive in a country where, according to a Gallup poll conducted in February, only 39 per cent of Americans believe in the theory of evolution


Charles Darwin film 'too controversial for religious America' - Telegraph
 
...because in America we NEVER show "divisive films" we try to stay away from anything controversial.

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Who would pay money to see this movie? Unless they have 3D Galapagos turtles fighting for the FBI.

I would. For the same reason I paid money to see the Passion of Christ. To see how the film makers interpret the story and choose to tell it.
 
...because in America we NEVER show "divisive films" we try to stay away from anything controversial.

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controversial isn't the problem. Being seen as against religion is. The majority of America doesn't like being reminded that religion, which they put so much blind faith into, may not be as factual as they are told it is.

Movies can be as controversial as they want as long as they don't touch religion.
 
controversial isn't the problem. Being seen as against religion is. The majority of America doesn't like being reminded that religion, which they put so much blind faith into, may not be as factual as they are told it is.

Movies can be as controversial as they want as long as they don't touch religion.
The Last Temptation of Christ

not to mention a zillion documentaries about evolution, teaching evolution in schools, etc, etc, etc
 
I would. For the same reason I paid money to see the Passion of Christ. To see how the film makers interpret the story and choose to tell it.

Couldnt you see the movie after it goes to DVD? I mean paying 50 bucks minimum for a family to go to the movies isnt cheap, so I better get some entertainment for it. Going to the movie theater to watch a documentary type **** isnt worth it. I will wait for the D VD
 
Couldnt you see the movie after it goes to DVD? I mean paying 50 bucks minimum for a family to go to the movies isnt cheap, so I better get some entertainment for it. Going to the movie theater to watch a documentary type **** isnt worth it. I will wait for the D VD

I hope you aren't presenting this as a reason for the movie to NOT be allowed in theaters in America.
 
controversial isn't the problem. Being seen as against religion is. The majority of America doesn't like being reminded that religion, which they put so much blind faith into, may not be as factual as they are told it is.

Movies can be as controversial as they want as long as they don't touch religion.

Really? Because I seem to remember The Passion being widely controversial. The Last Temptation of Christ...also controversial. Let's see...how many ways is religion poked fun of in comedy?

Yeah, the idea that we won't touch religion is laughable.
 
The Last Temptation of Christ

not to mention a zillion documentaries about evolution, teaching evolution in schools, etc, etc, etc

We are talking mainstream movies here.

The Last Temptation of Christ doesn't attack Christianity in anyway. It shows Jesus in an alternate life IF he choose to live life as a mortal man rather then die on the cross. His divinity is never in question and in the end he dies on the cross.

In a similar fashion the Da Vinci Code doesn't attack Christianity either. It just attacks the full extent of the truth the Catholic church has chosen to extend to the world.
 
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What makes you think the movie is going to be a poorly acted and/or badly told story?


Both those factors dont equal box office returns.

If you made a movie about the battle of Trenton, with George Washington played by Gerard Butler with cool graphics then you would have yourself a Money maker.
 

Meaning that all of the "major" US Distributors have passed on the film, which isn't a surprise. If that is truly the case, it has little to do with American politics, but more with the corporate powers in Hollywood playing it safe, like they always have and will continue to do. Major studio executives need only look at the statistic that 39% of Americans agree with Darwin and they immediately see that it won't make what they consider a decent return theatrically. Not to mention the fact that it's a foreign film, which typically aren't popular here anyway. This certainly isn't anything new. I have no doubt that they could secure an indie US distributor, but I'm sure they feel that their film is far more important than that. Just wait a bit, though. I'm sure there will be a big time American filmmaker who will do a watered down remake with a prettier package and the major studio execs will be chomping at the bit to distribute it.
 
Really? Because I seem to remember The Passion being widely controversial. The Last Temptation of Christ...also controversial. Let's see...how many ways is religion poked fun of in comedy?

Yeah, the idea that we won't touch religion is laughable.

I didn't say we don't touch religion. Movies are attacked if they touch religion while in a serious manner.

A non-fiction life story that takes a widely known intellectual figure and showing how he believed religion to be false is quite different then the Family Guy finding Jesus working in a used record shop.
 
Both those factors dont equal box office returns.

If you made a movie about the battle of Trenton, with George Washington played by Gerard Butler with cool graphics then you would have yourself a Money maker.

Only if he kicks people into pits and says "This is America!"

[ame="http://www.break.com/usercontent/2007/10/1776-300-spoof-387619.html"]1776 (300 spoof) Video@@AMEPARAM@@http://embed.break.com/387619@@AMEPARAM@@387619[/ame]
 
Both those factors dont equal box office returns.

If you made a movie about the battle of Trenton, with George Washington played by Gerard Butler with cool graphics then you would have yourself a Money maker.

What exactly makes a movie good if not the actors and the story? Are you suggesting only action movies make money?
 
I didn't say we don't touch religion. Movies are attacked if they touch religion while in a serious manner.

A non-fiction life story that takes a widely known intellectual figure and showing how he believed religion to be false is quite different then the Family Guy finding Jesus working in a used record shop.

What about the movie Religulous? A movie like Religulous can secure a distribution deal with no problem because:

1. It's American
2. It's a documentary by a well-known political comedian/commentator

Actually, I'm willing to bet that they have gotten offers from various indie distributors, but they don't want to settle for that and instead want a major deal. They are now whining about it because they aren't getting one.
 
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Why...no...WHO said this was too controversial? I haven't seen the movie, but the preview doesn't show anyhting "contrversial", just a guy restling with truth. Not really anything that would be "ridiculing religion". Hell, if this movie was accurate(which they never are), Darwin would be the most religious atheist I've ever seen, and that I can respect.

BTW, we already have religulous, I don't think anyhting could be more controversial if they tried.

So yea, i don't see what the trouble is.
 
We are talking mainstream movies here.

The Last Temptation of Christ doesn't attack Christianity in anyway. It shows Jesus in an alternate life IF he choose to live life as a mortal man rather then die on the cross. His divinity is never in question and in the end he dies on the cross.

In a similar fashion the Da Vinci Code doesn't attack Christianity either. It just attacks the full extent of the truth the Catholic church has chosen to extend to the world.

That's just nuts. Both of them go deeply into the idea that the teachings of Christianity are based on lies -- or at least untruths -- and DVC is about the Church killing to keep "the truth" buried. Yeah, they chose the Catholic church, but that's probably only because it's the oldest and biggest. I just don't see Lutherans being big on the idea that everything taught about Jesus and Mary Magdalene is a lie, either.
 
What exactly makes a movie good if not the actors and the story? Are you suggesting only action movies make money?

Not at all, but I am saying people go to Movie theaters for the entertainment and exprience, and this movie doesnt have either. Plus it has the potential to cause negative publicity for the studio. Let me put it this way the Passion at least had a demographic, Athiest agree with Darwin and wouldnt need to go see it, Religious folk certainly wont see it, which leaves a small minority of people.
 
We are talking mainstream movies here.

The Last Temptation of Christ doesn't attack Christianity in anyway. It shows Jesus in an alternate life IF he choose to live life as a mortal man rather then die on the cross. His divinity is never in question and in the end he dies on the cross.

In a similar fashion the Da Vinci Code doesn't attack Christianity either. It just attacks the full extent of the truth the Catholic church has chosen to extend to the world.
"Movies can be as controversial as they want as long as they don't touch religion." Obviously The Last Temptation Of Christ was controversial, desservedly or not, and it touched religion. The makers of this movie are just trying to drum up publicity.
 
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