'Passion' Rewrites Hollywood History

NewsMax.com ^ | 4/12/04 | Carl Limbacher and NewsMax.com Staff

[kattracks]

With "The Passion of the Christ" soaring back to the top of the box office after weeks in release, Tinseltown's jaw just keeps dropping lower.

"I've never seen that before. 'The Passion of the Christ' is just rewriting box office history," said Paul Dergarabedian, president of box-office tracker Exhibitor Relations.

"This is a holy day, and this movie is tailor-made for a weekend like this. It's not just a movie. It's a religious experience for many people."

Liz Smith writes today in the New York Post: "Gossip columnists were once taken to task if they presumed to mention the name of God or talked about religion or discussed Jesus Christ. But Mel Gibson has changed all of that for the entertainment press.

"There is no contradicting the super success of 'The Passion of the Christ.' Now comes word that the controversial film has crossed the $100 million mark outside of North America. The worldwide total for this film on the death of Jesus is $431 million and still climbing."

Alas for the would-be censors, she notes that the vicious attacks on the movie only made it more popular, even in the Middle East.

Alfred Mutua, a professor in Dubai, told the Washington Post: "It is clearly a backlash to the claims by Jewish lobbies that this film is bad. And anything that Jews say is bad becomes interesting in this part of the world."

[Dr. Eckleburg]

Six months ago Mel Gibson could not find a distributor for his film even if he threw in his Malibu house and half his kids into the bargain.

"The Passion of the Christ" is now on track to become THE SECOND HIGHEST GROSSING MOVIE OF ALL TIME!

God is the only audience that matters.

[NYCVirago]

Liz Smith writes today in the New York Post: "Gossip columnists were once taken to task if they presumed to mention the name of God or talked about religion or discussed Jesus Christ. But Mel Gibson has changed all of that for the entertainment press...."

I've been pleasantly surprised by Liz Smith's writings about The Passion. She's usually a typical Hollywood liberal, but she's actually been pretty fair in her comments about the movie, and didn't join the liberal lockstep condemnation.

[Ciexyz]

It's never happened before, that a film dropped out of first place, and then several weeks later, jumped back into first place for that week's box office grosses. GO MEL GO!

[Dems_R_Losers]

I heard Pat O'Brien on the radio this morning, saying that The Passion is well on its way to making a billion dollars. It is also the highest grossing R-rated movie in history. He said it was playing in sold-out shows all weekend in Los Angeles.

[Ciexyz]

I thought it was significant that the big Easter evening film on network TV last nite was "The Patriot" starring Mel Gibson. There's now a renewed appreciation of Mel's prior work.

[nmh]

Better stated, The Passion rewrites the Bible. But, hey people are sooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo emotionally driven that that doesn't faze them at all.

BTW, Hollywood rarely gets it right. That's a given.

Flame away.

Don't let the Word of God be your litmus test. Let the word of man, profiting from it, serve as your litmus test (sarcasm off).

[princess leah]

Our family all watched the Patriot and just love Mel for being a positive representative for those things we cherish! I sure wish there were more out there like him!

[HitmanLV]

I'm pretty sure Titanic did the same, notwithstanding several reports I have read that say The Passion is the first film to do that incredible feat.

[Migraine]

It's not just a movie.

Amen to that, my Armenian friend!

[Migraine]

It's not just a movie.

Amen to that, my Armenian friend!

[John Lenin]

Hollywood will try to capitalize on religion and fail miserably. Watch and see.

[JoeSchem]

"The Passion of the Christ" is now on track to become THE SECOND HIGHEST GROSSING MOVIE OF ALL TIME!

I think 'Passion' will still be widely watched many years from now, long after 'Love Boat Hits an Iceberg' is forgotten.

I had to shake my head at Stephen King's editorial about 'The Passion of Christ' in Entertainment Weekly. His concluding anecdote is a recycling of the theme in 'Carrie' -- though he genuinely seems to be unaware of it. Talk about irony.

[TYVets]

I believe The Book is the all time best seller.

[xzins]

Did you see the Movie Mojo website that looks at past movies in today dollars.

The all time tops is Gone with the Wind at 1.2 billion. I couldn't tell, though, if that was just screens or vcr/dvd/tv dollars included.

Do you know?

[Dark Knight]

One of the networks tried to recycle a failed movie on Judas, so it is already in the works.

The Judas movie was a failure, haha. Not done by one of the faithful.

DK

[CalifornianConservative]

What are you talking about, the "word of man" vs the "word of God" in THE PASSION?

Basically, in context of the scripture in Revelation where it says that "we will overcome by the blood of the Lamb and the word of our testimony", THE PASSION is Mel Gibson's testimony.

It is not a tit for tat rendition of the written gospels, but that would only have been possible had there been a three camera set-up at the actual crucification, in real time.

All film is artifice. What comes across in this movie is Mel's intent -- or the spirit with which he tried to make the film. That intent on Gibson's part was GOOD. He was trying to do his best to make Jesus' sufferings real for people. THE PASSION has become his testimony and it is "overcoming" things in the spirit. What is your beef with that?

[shield]

network TV last nite was "The Patriot" starring Mel Gibson. There's now a renewed appreciation of Mel's prior work.

This film was also highly criticized by the liberal left. They raked this film over the coals; not wanting the viewers to regain any patriotism toward America at all. For cBS to feature this film was surprising. Guess because of Mel and his drawing at the box office of 'The Passion' audience and $$$'s changed their pee-wee thinking.

[Mr. Bird]

I haven't seen the film yet, but I'm not sure I understand your sentiment. Do you believe Gibson's Passion contradicts the Bible? I haven't heard that from anyone before. I've heard that certain liberties were taken, but I think that's necessary concession when a third party tells the story.

It's doubtful Pharaoh looked and spoke like Yul Brynner, or that Edward G. Robinson was the prototypical Jewish slave trusty, but Hollywood made that work.

[randog]

I thought it was significant that the big Easter evening film on network TV last nite was "The Patriot" starring Mel Gibson.

Did anyone notice that every other cable channel had religious programming yesterday, the vast majority on the life and death of Christ? I also heard yesterday at church that 200 people have joined our church since the showing of The Movie.