Dante Posted September 14, 2009 Posted September 14, 2009 Telegraph - 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. However, 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. 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". Jeremy Thomas, the Oscar-winning producer of Creation, said he was astonished that such attitudes exist 150 years after On The Origin of Species was published. "That's what we're up against. In 2009. It's amazing," he said. "The film has no distributor in America. It has got a deal everywhere else in the world but in the US, and it's because of what the film is about. People have been saying this is the best film they've seen all year, yet nobody in the US has picked it up. "It is unbelievable to us that this is still a really hot potato in America. There's still a great belief that He made the world in six days. It's quite difficult for we in the UK to imagine religion in America. We live in a country which is no longer so religious. But in the US, outside of New York and LA, religion rules. "Charles Darwin is, I suppose, the hero of the film. But we tried to make the film in a very even-handed way. Darwin wasn't saying 'kill all religion', he never said such a thing, but he is a totem for people." Creation was developed by BBC Films and the UK Film Council, and stars Bettany's real-life wife Jennifer Connelly as Darwin's deeply religious wife, Emma. It is based on the book, Annie's Box, by Darwin's great-great-grandson, Randal Keynes, and portrays the naturalist as a family man tormented by the death in 1851 of Annie, his favourite child. She is played in the film by 10-year-old newcomer Martha West, the daughter of The Wire star Dominic West. Early reviews have raved about the film. The Hollywood Reporter said: "It would be a great shame if those with religious convictions spurned the film Mr Thomas, whose previous films include The Last Emperor and Merry out of hand as they will find it even-handed and wise." Mr Thomas, whose previous films include The Last Emperor and Merry Christmas Mr Lawrence, said he hoped the reviews would help to secure a distributor. In the UK, special screenings have been set up for Christian groups. WTF!
Shino Posted September 14, 2009 Posted September 14, 2009 Can't there be a day were I'm not negatively surprised and impressed by America society?
chairdriver Posted September 14, 2009 Posted September 14, 2009 America is shit. As a country, it's just shit.
Dannyboy-the-Dane Posted September 14, 2009 Posted September 14, 2009 Danny reads the thread. A critical hit! Faith in humanity -300 Danny is paralysed.
Ashley Posted September 14, 2009 Posted September 14, 2009 Its not that much of a surprise, the bible belt is a very big one. Kinda a shame but life goes on. It may work in its favour in a way as now people who want to see it will find some way, it could gain cult status. Lets face it, those who don't believe in evolution weren't going to see it and would have quite possibly picketed showings and such (ahum) so probably a wise business move. Although I did read a review and I'm sure it said they depicted Darwin as struggling with his findings its not a case of; "yay God....wait a moment!...God sucks!"
Supergrunch Posted September 14, 2009 Posted September 14, 2009 Well this is just a load of bollocks.
Zell Posted September 14, 2009 Posted September 14, 2009 I really hate how people think that just because something is a scientific "theory", it is not reliably true. To not believe in evolution is to disregard science. It's like saying you don't believe in gravitation, electricity or relativity. These people who say there is very little evidence clearly know nothing, I wish they would study it before they dismiss it.
Paj! Posted September 14, 2009 Posted September 14, 2009 Surprising it doesn't even have a distributor. You'd deal with it if not a lot of people went, but to not even be released is bizarre.
Ashley Posted September 14, 2009 Posted September 14, 2009 Surprising it doesn't even have a distributor. You'd deal with it if not a lot of people went, but to not even be released is bizarre. I can't see it being a case of "oh the theory of evolution in a film? Hmm well I don't agree, lets just stay at home." It would be picketed, it would be dragged through the bushes and all that. The distributor would come under scrutiny, as would BBC probably a bit (and the actors involved) and there would probably be calls to boycott the studio/distributor/actors' current and future works. Scrutiny by narrow-minded individuals granted but they still tend to be the most vocal. Look at how some Americans declared the need to boycott all Scottish products due to recent events, although I loved I saw someone comment that this means they have to boycott paracetamol (amongst other things).
Paj! Posted September 14, 2009 Posted September 14, 2009 Oh yeah, I forgot how stupid roughly half of america is. There's such a lack of realisticness (I don't feel realism is the right word) in most americans, compared to Britons. We deal with life so well.
Dannyboy-the-Dane Posted September 14, 2009 Posted September 14, 2009 Oh yeah, I forgot how stupid roughly half of america is. There's such a lack of realisticness (I don't feel realism is the right word) in most americans, compared to Britons. We deal with life so well. ... as long as there is tea.
KKOB Posted September 14, 2009 Posted September 14, 2009 I think film looks a bit crap :/ I mean, the character of Huxley is so obsurdly over the top and eurgh I'm dreading what they've done to the finer points of the story behind "The Origin" and Darwin.
Ashley Posted September 14, 2009 Posted September 14, 2009 I think film looks a bit crap :/ I mean, the character of Huxley is so obsurdly over the top and eurgh I'm dreading what they've done to the finer points of the story behind "The Origin" and Darwin. There has certainly been weirder depictions of Darwin on film
weeyellowbloke Posted September 14, 2009 Posted September 14, 2009 America is shit. As a country, it's just shit. I'd say as a country geographically it's pretty incredible, unfortunately some of the people who live there let it down. I'd say American society is, on the whole, shit. A place where anything less than hard-right economics and full corporate control is seen as anti-american socialism by many. It seems as though actual reality and facts seem to have no affect on some of the population who just make up their own reality and call it fact. You don't like the president? Fine, he's Kenyan born and not American. You don't like climate change? Fine, it's all an elaborate politically motivated plot devised by Gore. You don't like national health care? Fine, it's an atheistic plan run by communist death squads.
BlueStar Posted September 14, 2009 Posted September 14, 2009 Met a girl the other day who didn't believe in dinosaurs.
Sheikah Posted September 14, 2009 Posted September 14, 2009 Met a girl the other day who didn't believe in dinosaurs. Did she think dinosaur bones were just practical jokes planted by people?
Ashley Posted September 14, 2009 Posted September 14, 2009 We all know fossils are just something the Jews put there in 1924.
Shino Posted September 14, 2009 Posted September 14, 2009 Met a girl the other day who didn't believe in dinosaurs. But, I touched the fossil of one yesterday.
jayseven Posted September 14, 2009 Posted September 14, 2009 The fossil of a girl who didn't believe in dinosaurs?
Wesley Posted September 14, 2009 Posted September 14, 2009 I don't get what the big deal is... this article seems to kick up more of a fuss than the distributors themselves. I honestly think it's more the case of the distributors passing because no one will bother going to see it and they'll lose money; less that they hate it or fear it due to their own religious beliefs.
Jonnas Posted September 14, 2009 Posted September 14, 2009 *facepalm* American society never ceases to amaze me.
Dante Posted September 14, 2009 Author Posted September 14, 2009 (edited) I'd say as a country geographically it's pretty incredible, unfortunately some of the people who live there let it down. I'd say American society is, on the whole, shit. A place where anything less than hard-right economics and full corporate control is seen as anti-american socialism by many. It seems as though actual reality and facts seem to have no affect on some of the population who just make up their own reality and call it fact. You don't like the president? Fine, he's Kenyan born and not American. You don't like climate change? Fine, it's all an elaborate politically motivated plot devised by Gore. You don't like national health care? Fine, it's an atheistic plan run by communist death squads. It surprising how some Americans have turned over the president plans for the US. Edited September 14, 2009 by Dante
Slaggis Posted September 14, 2009 Posted September 14, 2009 Those poster things they're holding up are absolutely hilarious. I laughed rather loudly at the "Bombs = Freedom, Love = Socialism" one.
Ashley Posted September 15, 2009 Posted September 15, 2009 It surprising how some Americans have turned over the president plans for the US. Care to elaborate what you mean. Those poster things they're holding up are absolutely hilarious. I laughed rather loudly at the "Bombs = Freedom, Love = Socialism" one. All posters are absurd, its got to be a parody.
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