US snubs film on theory of evolution
ANITA SINGH
September 13, 2009A BRITISH film about Charles Darwin has failed to find a US distributor because his theory of evolution is too controversial for American audiences, according to its producer.
Creation, starring Briton Paul Bettany, details the naturalist'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 after the death of his daughter, Annie, 10.
The film was chosen to open the Toronto Film Festival and has its British premiere today. It has been sold in almost every territory around the world, from Australia to Scandinavia.
However, US distributors turned down the film that will prove divisive in a country where, according to a Gallup poll taken in February, only 39 per cent of people believe in the theory of evolution.
Movieguide.org, an influential site that 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" influenced Adolf Hitler and led to "atrocities, crimes against humanity, cloning and genetic engineering", the site stated.
The film, based on the book Annie's Box by Darwin's great-great-grand-son, Randal Keynes, has caused debate on other Christian websites in America.
Jeremy Thomas, the Oscar-winn-ing producer, said he was surprised that such attitudes still existed.
"That's what we're up against, in 2009," he said. "It's amazing. It has got a deal everywhere else in the world but in the US, and it's because of what the film is about."
Early reviews have rated the film highly. The Hollywood Reporter said: "It would be a great shame if those with religious convictions spurned the film out of hand as they will find it even-handed and wise."
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I was really excited to go see this movie. Ridiculous. Ri-god-damn-diculous.
6 comments:
You do realize what this means, don't you? It means that America is more God-fearing, evolution-hating today than it was in the time of Spencer Tracy: because you know as well as I do that Inherit the Wind makes a mockery of biblethumpers, placing the role of hero on the shoulders of the proud atheist, while this film about Darwin promised to be little more than a biopic.
In other words, we're not more liberal than Hill Valley 1955. We're less liberal.
Sobering, frightening, and now we begin to see why, despite all the GLBT liberties which have been secured in recent years, that things like Prop 8 still happen. If only 39% of Americans believe in evolution, how few does that leave to champion the fight for freedom to love?
Oh man, well that's a really frightening way of looking at it. Frightening and depressing. :(
Here's hoping Pres. Obama moves on to science-centric education reform after he gets done with health care.
It might be possible that the conservatives' power over America is greater now than in 1955. And similarly greater now than in 2002, when Michael Moore released Bowling for Columbine and had no trouble finding a distributor. And greater than in 2004 when he released Fahrenheit 9/11. And greater now than in that halcyon bygone year of 2008 when Bill Maher had no trouble finding a distributor for Religulous.
Yes, it might just be possible that there is some Republican cabal keeping this movie from being made. And that this cabal just popped up like a mushroom within the last few months. But maybe, just maybe, nobody decided to pick this up because they knew that they wouldn't make any money off it? Because next to nobody (present company excluded) wants to go see a movie about the life of a scientist? Honestly, I'd wager the subject material is overall just too milquetoast for American audiences
Also note that the article you've linked only interviewed the producer. Not exactly an unbiased source. Of course the producer isn't going to be of the opinion that his film is too boring for people to care about.
Yeah, I'm worried that the film might be just too boring. But considering the talent behind it and the film's success in other regions, it's suspicious that no one would pick this up, even for a small art house run. And I had no idea we dropped down to a 39% belief in evolution. That is scary.
What's scary is you fools claiming we came from monkeys. Do I look like a monkey HA! Haven't you ever seen a banana? I think that pretty much proves we didn't come from no damn dirty ape.
You remind me of an albino chimp I saw once on the Discover Channel, Michael.
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