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Posted on 05/12/2006 2:12:02 PM PDT by wagglebee
"Da Vinci Code” director Ron Howard has said there would be no disclaimer in the film labeling it as a work of fiction – and Catholic League President Bill Donohue is deeply disturbed by Howard’s stance.
"The book which the film is based on begins with three ‘facts,’ all of which are malicious lies, yet Ron Howard says no disclaimer is needed because ‘this is a work of fiction,’” Donahue said in a statement. "He is disingenuous.”
As Donahue points out, the following got a disclaimer in a fictionalized TV show or film:
Asians: "Year of the Dragon”
Blacks: "Birth of a Nation”
Gays: "Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back”
Jews: "Merchant of Venice”
Mormons: "Big Love”
Muslims: "True Lies”
Native Americans: "Pocahontas II”
Nearsighted: "Mr. Magoo”
Wolves: "White Fang”
Donahue declares: "That’s right — even wolves merited a disclaimer. Disney put a disclaimer in ‘White Fang’ saying there is no evidence of a healthy pack of wolves attacking a human in North America.
"Forget about wolves. If Howard were as sensitive to Catholics as those responsible for ‘La Vita E Bella’ were to Jews, he would have acceded to our request to inject a disclaimer. That 1998 film — a dark comedy about the Holocaust — opened with a voice-over saying it is a fable. So is ‘The Da Vinci Code.’”
In an interview with the Los Angeles Times on Sunday, Howard rejected calls for a disclaimer, stating: "This is a work of fiction that presents a set of characters that are affected by these conspiracy theories and ideas. Those characters in this work of fiction act and react on that premise.
"It’s not history. To start with a disclaimer … spy thrillers don’t start off with disclaimers.”
However, in the book the movie is based on, author Dan Brown claims on the first page that "all descriptions of artwork, architecture, documents and secret rituals in this novel are accurate,” indicating the book is based on historical fact.
Donahue said in his statement: "John Calley, a co-producer of ‘The Da Vinci Code,’ has admitted that the film is anti-Catholic.
"Apparently, Ron Howard is more of a gambler than I thought. Had he done what other directors have done before him and put in a disclaimer, the risks to his reputation would have been minimal. Now it’s show time for Mr. Howard, and not just his movie.”
1. He implied that there remains lingering doubt as to whether or not Gus Grissom "scrwed the pooch" with regard to the exploding hatch that sunk the capsule. According to Gordo Cooper, in his autobiography, Grissom was rather quickly cleared of all culpability, and if there was any question as to that, Cooper said, folks needed to realize that proof was in the fact that Grissom was assigned to later missions; if there had been any doubt as to his reliability, he would NEVER have been on another project or mission.
2. The movie completely ignored Gordo's strong Christian faith, leaving the impression that he was a godless hedonist! Cooper doesn't complain about it in his autobiography, but reading it one becomes very aware of how important religion was in Gordo's whole make-up.
They did, it was called a million-ton hype machine. If any straight people went to see that without knowing what they were getting into they must be from Mars.
Attention Audience: The following movie is a work of fiction. There are no such things as warp drive, tricorders, sub-space communication, or instant teleportation and/or "beaming" of any kind. These technologies do not exist as portrayed in this movie.
A disclaimer like that ya mean?
Ron, is one of my favored Directors and he made it plenty enough as to what the movie is all about.
See the highlights!
Lord of the Rings is fiction too. You need a disclaimer?????
Are you thinking of "The Right Stuff?"
A case can be made against disclaimers, but only if it's across-the-board on free speech grounds. The problem I have...and I think it's the problem most people here have...is that Politically Correct groups get disclaimers. But Christians, not being PC, don't.
BTW, I'm a big movie fan and I own some controversial films on DVD, including the aforementioned ROSEMARY'S BABY (great movie), THE BIRTH OF A NATION (great), and BATTLESHIP POTEMKIN (great).
I understand opposition to disclaimers, and I try to judge films on their merit, though subjectively it's easier for me to do that with older films. BATTLESHIP POTEMKIN is pure Commie propaganda, but it's an excellent film. It has artistic and historical merit. I'm happy to own it on DVD, but I have no desire to own any recent leftist films. I have a hard time finding any artistic merit in them, and they're too Orwellian in their propaganda techniques. At least Eisenstein didn't insult our intelligence. There's a light year's difference between POTEMKIN and a piece of garbage like V FOR VENDETTA, or the normalizing of perversion in BROKEBACK MOUNTAIN.
Agreed. Howard is not out of line.
'Better watch his back, though.
It claims to be historical fiction.
Considering how the French have fared in warfare, divine paternity would be hard to prove.
A disclaimer was added to the film." The Gospel of John." which is a word by word filming of the Gospel. This was done because the Gospel makes the Jewish leadership look bad, far more than does Gibson's "Passion." All Howard has to do is to tell who the Gnostics were (are)and how this movie adopts their views, that orthodox Christians see matters quite differently.
That would be fine if he were trying to proselytize.
It's not a documentary, it's a film from a laughably flawed book.
Have you read it?
Mucho ado about nada, imo.
London Evening Standard...sounds like Tom is getting antsy too. I can't find the longer story I read today about him but he has collected about 10 religions in his illustrious lifetime.
Hanks reacts to Da Vinci critics
Tom Hanks in The Da Vinci Code
Hanks plays a Harvard professor in Ron Howard's film
Da Vinci Code star Tom Hanks has said the film of Dan Brown's controversial best-seller is just "a good story" that should not be taken too seriously.
The actor told London's Evening Standard newspaper the film was loaded with "hooey" and "nonsense".
"If you are going to take any sort of movie at face value, particularly a huge-budget motion picture like this, you'd be making a very big mistake."
The film has attracted criticism from religious leaders and organisations.
The Da Vinci Code receives its world premiere at the Cannes Film Festival on Wednesday.
'Scavenger hunt'
Leading figures in the Catholic Church have called for a boycott of the film, which they claim is blasphemous and an attack on their faith.
Author Brown's book includes a tale that Jesus Christ married Mary Magdalene and had children, a secret bloodline that has been covered up by the Catholic Church.
But Hanks, who plays a Harvard professor in Ron Howard's film, said the film was "a lot of fun", likening it to a "scavenger hunt".
"We always knew there would be a segment of society that would not want this movie to be shown," he said.
But he claimed that it "never hurts" for a film to provoke "dialogue" about religious issues and history.
Gads... you're RIGHT!!! Silly me.
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