Posted on 06/30/2006 8:01:53 AM PDT by Roberts
Nevermind Superman's sexual orientation. Here's another identity-related question that is likely to spark controversy as the Man of Steel soars into theaters nationwide this Fourth of July weekend in Warner Bros. Pictures' "Superman Returns": Is Superman still American?
Ever since artist Joe Shuster and writer Jerry Siegel created the granddaddy of all comic book icons in 1932, Superman has fought valiantly to preserve "truth, justice and the American way." Whether kicking Nazi ass on the radio in the '40s or wrapping himself in the Stars and Stripes on TV during the Cold War or even rescuing the White House's flag as his final feat in "Superman II," the Krypton-born, Smallville-raised Ubermensch always has been steeped in unmistakable U.S. symbolism.
But in the latest film incarnation, scribes Michael Dougherty and Dan Harris sought to downplay Superman's long-standing patriot act. With one brief line uttered by actor Frank Langella, the caped superhero's mission transformed from "truth, justice and the American way" to "truth, justice and all that stuff."
"The world has changed. The world is a different place," Pennsylvania native Harris says. "The truth is he's an alien. He was sent from another planet. He has landed on the planet Earth, and he is here for everybody. He's an international superhero."
In fact, Dougherty and Harris never even considered including "the American way" in their screenplay. After the wunderkind writing duo ("X2: X-Men United") conceived "Superman's" story with director Bryan Singer during a Hawaiian vacation, they penned their first draft together and intentionally omitted what they considered to be a loaded and antiquated expression. That decision stood throughout the 140-day shoot in Australia, where the pair remained on-set to provide revisions and tweaks.
"We were always hesitant to include the term 'American way' because the meaning of that today is somewhat uncertain," Ohio native Dougherty explains. "The ideal hasn't changed. I think when people say 'American way,' they're actually talking about what the 'American way' meant back in the '40s and '50s, which was something more noble and idealistic."
While audiences in Dubuque might bristle at Superman's newfound global agenda, patrons in Dubai likely will find the DC Comics protagonist more palatable. And with the increasing importance of the overseas boxoffice -- as evidenced by summer tentpoles like "The Da Vinci Code" -- foreign sensibilities can no longer be ignored.
"So, you play the movie in a foreign country, and you say, 'What does he stand for? -- truth, justice and the American way.' I think a lot of people's opinions of what the American way means outside of this country are different from what the line actually means (in Superman lore) because they are not the same anymore," Harris says. "And (using that line) would taint the meaning of what he is saying."
But for Superman purists looking for a nod to the big blue Boy Scout's nationalistic loyalties, he is still saving Americans, albeit many with suspiciously Aussie accents. He foils Lex Luthor's nefarious plan to send millions from the nation's heartland to a watery death. And in his most impressive scene, the hero saves the day while a plane hurtles toward a baseball stadium full of fans enjoying America's pastime. Although there is no indication that it is an American baseball game depicted, the scene was one of the few shot on U.S. soil, at Dodger Stadium.
Nevertheless, the long-standing member of the Justice League of America seems to have traded in his allegiance to the flag for an international passport.
"He's here for humanity," Dougherty says.
If they didn't want to put "And the American Way" in there they shouldn't have put the line in there at all. "And all of that stuff" is not only leaving it out, but seems to be a deliberate attempt to mock us.
I`m surprised they did`nt take it even further. I mean, isn`t the word superman inappropriate and sexist? If a male member of Congress has to be called a Congressperson, should`nt the PC crowd be up in arms and demanding he be called superperson? Maybe not, though. The word person implies a member of the species homo sapiens, so using the word person could be construed as being specist. How about superlifeform?
What does he say now? I can't believe how much the movie has made already. I guess most people don't care about that line. It has made 32 million and has not even been in full release yet. This weekend it will pull in a lot, but next weekend it Prirates!!! That will be a great movie.
jbw's right...the Justice League of America WAS changed to JLA so as to omit the offending "America" word. They gave the same "the superheroes are here for everybody, not just Americans" line they mention in the article. I remember when they announced it (my kids were just at the right age for getting into Batman/Superman stuff).
As for the new title...well, perhaps the whole JLA thing didn't work out like they wanted and decided to go back to the original. Truthfully, I have no idea why they made that decision.
Regards,
Nikos,
National Treasure was a fun movie, and perfectly OK for the whole family to see. A little Indiana Jones-ish, it's about a guy who steals the Declaration of Independence in order to save it from the bad guys AND to find the treasure who's secrets are encoded in the document. Good clean fun.
You might also want to check out "The Rookie," with Dennis Quaid and "The Greatest Game Ever Played." Both are sports movies (baseball and golf, respectively), and both are again perfectly OK for all to see. My kids loved all three movies.
Regards,
That's when we decided not to go see it either!
. . .
Do you ever wonder what sort of life forms write New York Times editorials: 1) Do they have three heads? 2) Are they strange visitors from another planet? 3) Do they want to star in the musical version of “Das Kapital”? 4) Do they think America consists of Manhattan, Cambridge and Marin County, plus the hinterlands? 5) Do they have pink taffeta tutus hanging in their closets and insist their friends call them Miss Mabel?
Question: What do you get when you cross Cindy Sheehan with John Murtha? Answer: A New York Times editorial writer.
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All:
In yet another triumphant redefinition Smallville realistically depicts Perry White as a suicidally depressed alcoholic Pulizter prize winning MSM journalistTM nursing a guilty conscience.
"Wunderkind"?
lol. The only good moment in the entire film was when Wolverine behaved like Wolverine and started killing people.
Other than that, it was a suckfest.
That's because the line makes perfect sense in the context used. Can you imagine the editors of the New York Times asking if Superman was still standing for 'Truth, justice, and the American way'? No way, they'd choke on the words. All Perry White did was say something totally in character.
The only people getting spun up over this line are the ones who haven't seen the movie.
I'm a lot more annoyed that the movie should have been titled "Lois Lane's Feelings About Things, with special guest star Superman".
All I'm saying is 'Supes, you can do better. Way better. Let her go.'
Good grief, one harang from the the press (normally your sworn enemy) and you're all ready to mark in goose-step. It's a great movie. Superman is shown as a strong, responsible, principled force for good. The movie is well made and powerful.
Y'all must need something (else) to have an opinion about before the facts.
PS - aqll this "gay" buzz is an excuse for gay man-boys to have a crush on someone out of their league and make the rest of you all think gay is okay. It's their old trick of saying "ya know, Socrates was gay", "Attila the Hun was gay," "everyone famous or talented was secretly gay - hey, gay's okay."
Again, you all take the bait so easily sometimes, it makes me want to look for the marionette strings.
Superman is an illegal alien. Bush won't put up a wall around our planet. He's just here to save the buses that American's won't save.
You're gay.
Spoken by the voice of experience (and lonely internet grumbling bitterness).
Please refrain from proving too much about yourself.
Well, it's true. Anyone so preoccupied by gay things has clearly got a little bit of a 'swissue'.
Stop being gay. Stop it.
Just stop.
That is incorrect.
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