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.
Movieguide.org, an influential site which reviews films from a Christian perspective, described Darwin as the father of eugenics and denounced him as "a racist, a bigot and an 1800s naturalist whose legacy is mass murder". His "half-baked theory" directly influenced Adolf Hitler and led to "atrocities, crimes against humanity, cloning and genetic engineering", the site stated.
The film has sparked fierce debate on US Christian websites, with a typical comment dismissing evolution as "a silly theory with a serious lack of evidence to support it despite over a century of trying".
The films available in our city this weekend include Halloween II, Inglourious Basterds, G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra, Transformer: Revenge of the Fallen, and Sorority Row - Experience the Terror. But a film about Darwin is deemed to be inappropriate. This country is doomed. I'm almost glad to be old enough not to have to be around as we slither deeper into the intellectual backwaters of the world.
Photo: ALLSTAR
Maybe it's because the movie isn't worth buying? The Onion's AV club gave it a C with these comments:
ReplyDelete"...for the most part Creation is Biopic 101, earnest and over-explained. It’s the kind of movie in which characters have to tell each other how important what’s happening is, just in case we in the audience have never heard of The Origin Of The Species. It’s also the kind of movie that takes the life and work of a major historical figure and reduces it to something pathetically small—in this case Darwin’s relationship with his wife and kids...honestly, when you’re dealing with the man who helped change the way mankind sees its place in the universe, do you really want to watch him weeping over his sick daughter for an hour? I get what Creation’s trying to say in applying theories of adaptation on a personal level, but it still seems like a too-narrow lens through which to view an intellectual giant."
Now, if they had thrown in a scene of Darwin "evolving" giant robots in an attempt to defeat the creationists, helped along by a thinly-dressed Kate Beckensale, NOW you're talking box office!
We couldn't offend those "infromed" "Amerecans" who believe that the Bible is the infallible word of God (no matter how many contradictions it contains). Sadly, I fear you're correct, Minnesotastan. This country is getting dumber by the day.
ReplyDeleteI respect the AV Club, and I haven't yet read their review. Regardless, I think Bill has a point that there could be many elements at work regarding why the film has not been picked up.
ReplyDeleteThe only push-back cited is all purely from a Christianist site noted as "an influential site", etc etc etc. I don't think this one's worth fretting over.
I understand and sympathize with your worries about the anti-intellectualism in this country, but I remain cautiously optimistic. We've got some spark in us yet.
(score one point for anyone who caught the reference)
Man, I love it...an accurate historical movie about Darwin too controversial for the US - this, from the country which gave us "Kill Bill"??
ReplyDeleteRobert A Heinlein was right: a theocracy will take over the US, and there will be wailing and gnashing of teeth.
A wonderful book for children (and adults alike) about the life of Charles Darwin is:
ReplyDeleteThe Tree of Life
by Peter Sis
I highly recommend it for its illustrations alone!
Here's hoping the movie will be carried somewhere in the US - I've seen wonderful images of the actors as pre-publicity and have been so looking forward to seeing it!
I honestly find it hard to believe that the film hasn't found a distributor because it's "too controversial." If the film had a chance of making money, a distributor would have jumped on it by now. Let's be honest. Profit is the real god in this country.
ReplyDelete(And in my experience, Brits will use almost any excuse to label Americans ignorant rubes.)
My guess? The film is boring. Deadly boring.
Kirsten said:-"(And in my experience, Brits will use almost any excuse to label Americans ignorant rubes.)
ReplyDeleteMy guess? The film is boring. Deadly boring."
Ignorant rubes have trouble with films that require them to think. I could fix it for the U.S. market, just add a few gunfights and explosions, maybe a high speed chase, with alien star-troopers? and a ghetto rapper or two.
Sorry, thinking-type americans, she made me do it.
@ Soubriquet
ReplyDeleteSo I suppose there's no market for action films in Britain? What a ridiculous argument. We make blockbusters here in America, but we've also created quite a few films designed to make people think.
I think your comment did nothing but prove my point.
I agree with Kirsten personally, the film was exceptionally boring and poorly written.
ReplyDeleteSoubriquet:
Your reaction is called being "butt-hurt" Congrats.
Care to share the current top UK movies? No? I will:
District 9
Final Destination
500 Days of Summer
Inglourious Basterds
Source: http://www.imdb.com/boxoffice/?region=uk
Weird.. I was expecting a significantly more intelligent, less explosive, without alien selection.
I love this blog, and highly respect Minnesotastan and what you write about, but comments like,
"This country is doomed. I'm almost glad to be old enough not to have to be around as we slither deeper into the intellectual backwaters of the world."
Are not necessary, and you don't mean it.
Barbwire, then leave the country. Honestly, go -
ReplyDeleteI'm sure you and Soubriquet can watch your infallible Darwin documentary together containing zero contradictions.
Stan, you know if you think for a minute that a film being controversial won't keep it from being distributed in this country. Even much more controversial films have found a distributor, and a market. Examples: Religulous, Dogma, The Last Temptation of Christ, etc, etc.
ReplyDeleteNope, it all comes down to money, as other commenters have said. If a distributor can make a profit, they'll release the film. Controversy is likely to BUILD profit for a film, not hurt it.
You worry about the decline of reason? You must remember to use it yourself, instead of just repeating the position of someone else without critical examination.
Have to agree with those who think the film can't get a distributor because the right wouldn't like it. Think Michael Moore, think Bill Maher...
ReplyDeleteAaagh. Have to DISagree with those who think the film can't get a distributor because the right wouldn't like it...!
ReplyDelete@Mike - my concerns about the decline of rational thought and reasoned dialogue in the country go back to way, WAY before this film was created - and extend well beyond the failure to accept the science of evolution.
ReplyDeleteOur scholastic collapse, or whatever term might be used, has been relentless for more than a generation. I do feel that we are slipping into mediocrity and worse.
I don't mind your disagreeing with me.
@Stephan - "but comments like, "xyz..." Are not necessary, and you don't mean it.
ReplyDeleteActually I did mean it when I was typing at whatever hour of the night that was, and now a few days later in the cold rational light of another day I still mean it.
Sure the comments are "not necessary," but this isn't the NYT fercryinoutloud. This is a blog. This is where I store stuff that I want to read when I get old(er) and (more) demented, and it's where I can gripe and rant. I have more sense than to bitch at my neighbors and family about the state of the world (I suppose I could grumble at one of the cats...). I'll be making more "unnecessary" comments in the future. Feel free to ignore them or rebut them; the latter doesn't hurt my feelings.
With best wishes,
stan
Thinking about that there is someone "not believing" in the theory of evolution raises in me a mixture of amusement and horror.
ReplyDeleteI am looking forward to watch the movie.
Kirsten, some of my best friends are american, and they are by no means ignorant rubes. Like all countries we have a widely varied populace, with differing tastes in movies and much else. You seem to think we spend our time looking for americans to insult.
ReplyDeleteMostly that is not so, we're too busy insulting the french.
Stephan, do I take it from your comment that you have seen the film in question?
Butt-hurt? How quaint. I'm not sure if I can translate that into english in any meaningful way though. George, the first Duke of Clarence was allegedly drowned in a butt of Malmsey, in 1478. I suppose he might be described as hurt, indirectly, by a butt.
It seems you might have been "butt-hurt" by my comment.