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Civil War epic shut down by 'PC crowd'? 'Gods and Generals' a painful disappointment at B.O.
WorldNetDaily.com ^ | Saturday, March 22, 2003 | Art Moore

Posted on 03/22/2003 7:15:13 AM PST by JohnHuang2

The makers of the Civil War epic "Gods and Generals" believed they had a ready-made audience in people of faith who normally shun Hollywood for its celebration of immorality and ridicule of religion.

"Gods and Generals," released Feb. 21, is writer, producer and director Ron Maxwell's attempt to accurately recount a century-and-a-half-old chapter of American history that has not stopped inflaming discord. One obvious result of Maxwell's passion for historical fidelity is Confederate officers in their "full humanity," whose motivations, speech and actions arise from their devout Christian faith.


Stephen Lang as Gen. Stonewall Jackson and Robert Duvall as Gen. Robert E. Lee

Maxwell believes his "unorthodox" portrayal of the South and of unapologetic Christianity were not palatable to the majority of movie critics, who essentially "suppressed" the film with politically motivated reviews.

After four weekends, the $80 million, Ted Turner-financed film has been a painful disappointment at the box office, struggling now to reach $15 million in revenues.

Maxwell said in an interview with WorldNetDaily that he had expected the "PC," or politically correct, "crowd" to criticize the film, but not to such a deep, "hate-filled" extent.

"I'm not a conspiracy person," he said. "I don't see conspiracies behind everything that happens in life. But I suspect it was a collusion, if not a conspiracy – that people got on the e-mail or the phone and they said, 'Let's shut down this film.'"

Maxwell concludes that the regular moviegoers were turned off by a barrage of "vitriolic" negative reviews and concedes that "we have not been successful in convincing the people who have given up on Hollywood in general, that this is a movie that they would love."

"Look, I've had 30 years in this business," Maxwell said. "I've read a lot of reviews, and some of them are funny and dismissive. But I've never seen an effort [like this] to actually suppress a movie, to scare people away from it."

He pointed to noted critic Roger Ebert as an example, who began his review with "Here is a Civil War movie that Trent Lott might enjoy."

Maxwell said it's obvious that, in Ebert's mind, the name of the Mississippi lawmaker whose impertinent remarks cost him his Senate majority post is "code for racist."

"So that is [Ebert's] message?" asked Maxwell. "If you even consider seeing this film, you're a racist? That's a film review?"

Rotten tomatoes

"Gods and Generals" – starring Robert Duvall as Gen. Robert E. Lee and Stephen Lang as Gen. Thomas "Stonewall" Jackson – is a prequel to Maxwell's acclaimed 1993 film "Gettysburg."


Lang as Gen. Stonewall Jackson reading Scripture with Kali Rocha as his wife

His latest effort chronicles the two years of war leading up to the decisive Pennsylvania battle, paying close attention to Jackson and the Christian faith that animated his life as a legendary military commander and deeply devoted husband and father.

The website Rottentomatoes.com, which compiles movie reviews, counted 13 "fresh," or favorable, assessments of the film and 127 "rotten" ones.

Maxwell notes that the positive reviews were overwhelmingly enthusiastic, in some cases ranking "Gods and Generals" as one of the best historical films ever.

On the other end of the spectrum, however, were these examples:

Most film critics have an ideological agenda, says Michael Medved, whose reviews appear weekly on WND.

"I have an ideological agenda as a critic," he said. "The difference is, I acknowledge it."

Medved contends that Ebert's opening line about Lott, and his "politically barbed comments about the ideology of the movie are telling."

"I think it tips the hand of a lot of the people who are giving extremely negative reviews to this film," he said.

"I believe there is a legitimate argument about whether the film is a complete success, and you can argue about whether it's too long, or about whether the narrative lacks momentum," he continued. "Those are legitimate points to make. But for people who are calling this one of the worst movies of the year, it's very obvious that they are allowing their left-wing ideology to trump everything about this film."

Medved gave the movie four out of four stars and believes it will hold out as one of the best films of 2003.

The San Diego Union-Tribune's Elliott told WND he doesn't think he and his colleagues had any ideological axe to grind.

"My review questions the film's merits as a piece of storytelling and simply as a film," he insisted. "I'm sure Maxwell can see critics don't have a big beef about the Civil War – it's been 140-some years, and I actually thought "Gettysburg" was a strong piece of work."

Nobody is against showing the heroism of Confederate soldiers he said, "but it's sad that a major film about Stonewall Jackson should make him into a pious statue."

Elliott said no one could argue that there was a strong Christian culture in that period, noting that President Lincoln's major addresses were full of references to God.

"It would be silly to quarrel with that," he said. "I just felt I was stuck in a church pew trying to watch the stained glass come to life."

Meanwhile, actor-director Mel Gibson believes an effort us underway to suppress his making of a film about the suffering, sacrificial death of Jesus, called "The Passion."

Earlier this month, the New York Times magazine criticized Gibson for his traditional Catholic views and for blaming Jews for the death of Jesus, though the actor subscribes to the orthodox Christian view that everyone is responsible.

Voting on Hollywood

Maxwell said he is certain there is a large audience that identifies with the values expressed in "Gods and Generals" that will enjoy it in "future incarnations" after its run on the silver screen. The DVD will be released this summer, followed by a foreign release, a showing on HBO at the end of the year and on Turners' TNT network six months later. In about two years, a six-hour director's cut will come out.


Lang as Gen. Stonewall Jackson

"I am personally disappointed that the potential audience – that will like this movie enormously when they see it broadcast on TV – didn't take the trouble to go to the movies," said Maxwell.

If you don't buy the tickets, he said, "you are abstaining from voting on what Hollywood does."

Maxwell believes that audience lost a "marvelous opportunity" to make a difference in Hollywood.

"Hollywood executives will look at this and say, You know what works? 'Old School.'"

The newly released film "Old School" is considered a sequel to the frat-house hits "American Pie" and "Animal House."

Maxwell emphasized, however, that "Gods and Generals" is still playing – though it is down from 1553 screens to 750 – and "word of mouth can still turn it around."

For instance, he said, "if 5 percent of the people who drive to church every Sunday went and saw this movie, it would turn it around."

Ted Baehr, chairman of the Christian Film and Television Commission and publisher of Movieguide magazine, said he has tried to get out the word on "Gods and Generals" among Christian leaders, but many say things like, "We've heard it's not a good film," and "It's too long."

But, later, "when they do see it, they are enthusiastic," said Baehr.

"Despite the pleas of many church leaders, it's just not happening," said Maxwell. "You're dealing with ingrained habits; this part of the population does not go to the movies."

But Baehr, who is regularly in touch with church leaders and groups, is convinced that they do go to the movies and are affected by the reviews as much as anyone else.

"We need to be careful about who we listen to," he said. "It should be people who share our beliefs."

Baehr has received a considerable number of e-mails from Christians who say "I won't see any movie paid for by Ted Turner," though Turner gave Maxwell freedom to shape the film as he wished.

Medved said, "We ought to give all credit where credit is due to Ted Turner for his courage and generosity in funding this thing."

How they talked

Maxwell concedes that the length of the film – three hours, 49 minutes, including an intermission – has a "dampening effect" on box office receipts.


Depiction of Battle of Chancellorsville

"But not everything can be two hours," he said. "'Wayne's World' might work at two hours, but this is a huge story of the Civil War. Maybe it's a comment on how civilization in North America has changed – we're not willing to commit time to certain events, but a generation ago, it was not so."

Some criticize the film's dialogue as an endless series of high-minded speeches, rather than genuine human discourse.

Maxwell thinks this response arises because "we've had so many movies that pretend to be historical films where the people are, A., talking like we are talking now, which is totally false, and, B., they're reflecting modern attitudes, which is false."

The dialogue is based on extensive research.

"Now, nobody had tape recorders from that period, but we had clues … the letters, the journals, the reminiscences and the diaries," he said.

"It was a richer, broader vocabulary," Maxwell added, "and it was more of a verbal age, and now we're in a visual age."

Many critics don't have a problem with the movie, he asserted, they have a problem with "those people" portrayed in the film.

"They don't like those people," he said. "They don't like 'em then, and they don't like 'em now."

Paid a price

Ultimately, making money evidently was not Maxwell's primary motivation. To produce "Gettysburg," he had to go through his life savings, sell his house and then go into debt, while rejecting offers for other films that could have been turned around quickly at a profit. To make "Gods and Generals," he agreed to defer 75 percent of his salary as a writer, producer and director, but "clearly there aren't going to be any profits."


Ron Maxwell

"I'm not complaining, these are my choices, but I have paid an enormous financial price," he said.

"But I'm proud of the movies, I'm so glad they are there, and I think they will stand the test of time."

Maxwell said his motivation was to "to tell the story of that generation."

"I felt I was called to tell their story with fidelity," he said. "That's why there is no way in the world am I going to make these kinds of sacrifices and then lie about it and make it politically correct. Then I would have nothing to show at the end of the day, nothing for my time and energy and commitment."

Maxwell said production for the third film in the trilogy, "The Last Full Measure," will be put off indefinitely "because we have too far to go to recoup our investment."

He emphasized, though, that "Gods and Generals" is "out there despite the best efforts of the critics."

"Yes, they hurt us at the box office, no question about it," he said. They absolutely prevented me from seeing another penny from it; they prevented Ted Turner from getting his money back.

"But they were not successful at suppressing the film, because it will find other audiences and other venues over the years, and it will live long after those critics, and me, and you are done."




TOPICS: Culture/Society; News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: godsandgenerals
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Saturday, March 22, 2003

Quote of the Day by rintense

1 posted on 03/22/2003 7:15:14 AM PST by JohnHuang2
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To: JohnHuang2
I'll have to wait and see it on DVD.
2 posted on 03/22/2003 7:21:38 AM PST by Larry Lucido
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To: JohnHuang2
"Look, I've had 30 years in this business," Maxwell said. "I've read a lot of reviews, and some of them are funny and dismissive. But I've never seen an effort [like this] to actually suppress a movie, to scare people away from it."

. . .anyone who doubts that we are in a indealogical war for the soul of this country better wake up. . .not sooner. . .but now.

3 posted on 03/22/2003 7:22:10 AM PST by cricket
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To: JohnHuang2; 4ConservativeJustices
Maxwell concedes that the length of the film – three hours, 49 minutes, including an intermission – has a "dampening effect" on box office receipts.

Duh! Sheeple can't sit that long--but it is heartening to see Terrible Ted yet losing more money however...

4 posted on 03/22/2003 7:23:31 AM PST by Ff--150 (Now faith is the substance of things hoped for,...)
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To: JohnHuang2
It was kind of a crappy movie--I'd give it two stars.

It would have earned 2 1/2 stars, but the movie filmed a scene at my Alma Mater, Washington and Lee University, and identified it as VMI. For those of you that have seen the film, it is when they are tearing down the flag and hoisting the stars and bars. That's W&L, not VMI.

It made me feel all dirty. In fact, on second thought, maybe that's worthy of a full star deduction--it only gets 1 1/2.
5 posted on 03/22/2003 7:27:31 AM PST by Viva Le Dissention
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To: JohnHuang2
His target audience does not go to movies often, and they (we) are too busy to sit still four four hours watching a movie. In addition, he partnered with Ted Turner, a man his target audience knows all too well from the insults he has directed at them.

I admire Mr. Maxwell for the stand he took, but he did everything wrong vis-a-vi making this a film a financial success.
6 posted on 03/22/2003 7:30:35 AM PST by Ahban
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To: JohnHuang2
Did it occur to anyone that this is just bad timing? Typically in times of uncertainty people look for entertainment that is a diversion from what is happening in the real world.

(Thus you had the ritzy, glitzy Hollywood musicals of Busby Berkley, Fred 'n' Ginger, etc., during the Depression, e.g.)

I for one am not particularly interested in seeing a film whose message is "War Is Hell" right now.

I can turn on Fox News for that message.
7 posted on 03/22/2003 7:30:54 AM PST by Illbay (Don't believe every tagline you read - including this one)
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To: Viva Le Dissention
It made me feel all dirty.

It would creep me out to see someone tearing down our flag and replacing it with that of a bunch of rebels as well right now.

We're all feeling a bit patriotic these days.

8 posted on 03/22/2003 7:32:22 AM PST by Illbay (Don't believe every tagline you read - including this one)
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To: JohnHuang2
Ted Turner-financed film

That's the reason I will never pay to see it!

9 posted on 03/22/2003 7:32:56 AM PST by Future Useless Eater (Freedom_Loving_Engineer)
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To: JohnHuang2
Is this the movie that has Sen. Robert Byrd in the cast?

That's enough to keep me away.

He might be more tolerable on a smaller TV, than on the big movie screen.

10 posted on 03/22/2003 7:34:49 AM PST by syriacus (To the French all the world's a Bistro + all world leaders have time to sit + shoot the breeze.)
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To: Illbay
heh. I was referring more to being misidentified as a publicly financed "university" where people play army all day, but right, that too...
11 posted on 03/22/2003 7:35:39 AM PST by Viva Le Dissention
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To: JohnHuang2
Such negative reviews inspire me to see it all the more.

More often than not, I have found that I like movies that everyone else hated, anyway.

12 posted on 03/22/2003 7:35:55 AM PST by Jagdgewehr
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To: JohnHuang2
T - o - o L - o - n- g for the MTV generation's sickeningly short attention spans. (which are about two minutes - seriously)
13 posted on 03/22/2003 7:36:33 AM PST by BenLurkin (Socialism is slavery.)
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To: JohnHuang2
Or maybe instead of some vast left-wing Political Correctness conspiracy, it was a long, boring 3+ hour movie that could just as easily go straight to DVD and not be missed?
14 posted on 03/22/2003 7:37:28 AM PST by Bronco_Buster_FweetHyagh
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To: JohnHuang2
I'm sorry, but this Maxwell whiner is just using that old standby, "political correctness" to make excuses for the fact that he made a lousy movie. I'm as un-PC as they come, and I have no ideological axe to grind over a 140-year old war, so I can tell you "Gods and Generals" fully deserved to tank.
15 posted on 03/22/2003 7:37:54 AM PST by white rose
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To: JohnHuang2
I'm sorry, but the prospect of sitting in a movie theater for 180 minutes kept this Civil War buff away. The producers should have 1) known they'd be attacked by Hollywood pagan leftists and their think-alikes among the film reviewers; and 2) not given those creeps additional ammunition by making it rival War and Peace in length; and 3) they should have mounted a preemptive PR campaign over religious broadcasting, and talk radio, sort of the way the Left Behind filmmakers did.
16 posted on 03/22/2003 7:39:30 AM PST by churchillbuff
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To: JohnHuang2
This movie will eventually be recognized as a classic. The 6-hour DVD will be extremely popular.

It is not without its faults. It is too long. It tries to do too much. Watching this movie is almost like attending church, Stonewall prays so much. Such positive portrayals of people of faith are as rare in America cinema as positive portrayals of Southern Whites.

The biggest problem with this movie is being released just before a war. If you sat through this whole flick with dry eyes you are a better man than me.

17 posted on 03/22/2003 7:40:51 AM PST by Cannoneer No. 4 (Nothing is more destructive than the charge of artillery on a crowd.)
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To: JohnHuang2
I haven't seen the movie, so maybe I shouldn't talk, but I confess that after reading some of the Freeper reviews I don't much want to see it. Movies that have good word of mouth or that appeal to ordinary people and conservatives usually do pretty well despite the critics. From the sound of it, this just isn't a very good movie.
18 posted on 03/22/2003 7:41:16 AM PST by Cicero (Marcus Tullius)
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To: JohnHuang2
It was only shown in select theatres. If I were to see it I
would have to drive 125 miles. It needs wider distribution.
19 posted on 03/22/2003 7:42:07 AM PST by Renatus
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To: Larry Lucido
Looks like I will to. Checked the theatres here and from what I see it was playing at one theatre at an 8 pm showing only
20 posted on 03/22/2003 7:42:10 AM PST by bradactor
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