'Da Vinci Code' opens with estimated $29 million

CNN ^ | 5/20/06 | AP

[Aquinasfan]

LOS ANGELES, California (AP) -- "The Da Vinci Code" banked an estimated $29 million at the box office on its first day in theaters, an industry official said Saturday, positioning the film to turn in the strongest opening weekend for any movie this year.

[Always Right]

Non-believers aren't going to believe so you have lost nothing there.

Very odd logic. Everyone is capable of becoming a believer.

[DJ MacWoW]

Non-believers aren't going to believe so you have lost nothing there. If they later are drawn to the faith they will learn the truth. Ignorant people are easily swayed ... by anything ... not just a best seller.

Using that logic, Dan Rathers lies didn't matter. Those who supported Bush knew they were lies. So why bother refuting lies?

[DJ MacWoW]

You beat me by 27 seconds.

LOL :)

[Robe]

Dan Brown defends the slanderous conspiracy theories he puts out, the promotion of the movie indicates otherwise, and most of his supporters believe it. So the 'it's fiction' line does not cut it.Dan Brown defends the slanderous conspiracy theories he puts out, the promotion of the movie indicates otherwise, and most of his supporters believe it. So the 'it's fiction' line does not cut it.

What Dan Brown does or does not say doesn't change the fact the that book can be found in the FICTION section of your local bookstore.. Says it all...

[brazzaville]

Good morning.
"In the end what they really want is a Christ who isn't going to challenge or threaten their lifestyle."

It could be said as well that many here really want a work of fiction that isn't going to challenge or threaten their lifestyle either.

I would think that if one is secure in one's faith, nothing that anyone else says or writes matters but the truth as the believer sees it.

Michael Frazier

[DJ MacWoW]

What Dan Brown does or does not say doesn't change the fact the that book can be found in the FICTION section of your local bookstore.. Says it all...

Not when the authour claims it's historical fiction. Meaning the underlying facts are true but storyline is fiction.

[BunnySlippers]

If Mormons are presented as a bunch of muderous thugs, I would. If the basis of the book is factual, that's another thing.

There is nothing to lead me to believe that any of Dan Brown's books are factual ... although I don't know about the Mormon book. It, too, is based on at least some factual Mormon history.

The Da Vinci Code was based on SOME factual Christian history. As you know Brown recently won the lawsuit brought by the authors of Holy Blood, Holy Grail. They contend that he stole their story ... the judge found that this is old stuff in the public domain.

And I don't remember anywhere in the Da Vinci Code where Christians were depicted as murderous thugs ... unless you mean that obviously fictional character, the albino.

Opus Dei was the most obviously maligned IMO. There was a very good article about the real Opus Dei in Bloomberg Markets magazine this month. Highly recommended.

[William Terrell]

What, you can't get over the fact it's FICTION?

Unfortunately, too many people get the information they base their choices and actions on from books and movies. Movies project powerful images into the very area of the mind where "seeing is believing".

I wouldn't sell them short.

[BunnySlippers]

I support refuting lies. I do not support bans. (most of you do not support bans)

Every movie Michael Moore has made is fiction but he states that it is fact (unlike the book cover of DVC).

But I would not ban Moore's movies.

[BellStar]

Gentle-people,
I would caution dwelling on any "mistranslated" word or phrases in the Bible. It is central to our beliefs that the Bible is the infallible word of God and in order to maintain that belief we must also believe that God moved on the men who chose which books to canonize and that God controlled the translation throughout history so that not one jot or tittle was mistranslated. We must believe that the Bible as we have it has had God's hand on it throughout the entire process.Anyone even for pure entertainment, who created this tale "the movie The Da Vinci Code in effect attempts to tear down part of
the very foundation our beliefs are built on....mislead the weak....causing others to stumble in pursuit of bucks for blasphemy and calling it artistic license is in danger of damming their souls for all eternity. I am
less worried about we who believe....but for those who had a hand in this.
It is written folks.

[Candor7]

"Then you were never a Christian." Neither was Jesus.>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

ROTFL. Your wit has caused a laughing fit here, had to dive to keep the keyboard from hitting the floor!

[DJ MacWoW]

I don't support bans (except in some cases such as obscene material in school libraries) but I do think that it's important to refute lies with truth. Bush is learning that silence has a cost. Often, he responds when it's almost too late to give the truth. Lies can become entrenced and hard to disprove as shown by the media. If a lie is stated often enough and truth isn't bellowed immediately, the lie will stand.

[Enterprise]

In the movie it was the character Sophie Neveu, played by Audrey Tautou. The audience where I was clapped at the end. (About half anyway)

[maine-iac7]

What is amazing to me is that people do not realize this is simply the Pauline view of Christianity vs. Gnostic view of Christianity

Bingo

But we wouldn't want folk to study the early Gnostics who were closer to the early - were - the early followers

They might learn something - like, for example, to remember that Jesus said that only thru' HIM could we reach the Father - not a line of pomp and circumstance potentates

[mom4kittys]

what is a rose codex?

[Candor7]

Look , the fact is that there was a grail tradition and there still is something left of it. Many books have been written on the subject and the fact is that the Roman Church moved to censor the Grail movement centuries ago.

What all this modern hoopla is about , ie the hew and cry by the various churches about the Davinci code, is that it resurrects the grail legends, which are almost a part of the racial memory of our people and those of Britain and France. No amount of boycotting and nashing of teeth will end the Grail Legend.

King Arthur, and his legacy will always live, as will the Legend of the Grail.

One of the better books is : " The Holy Grail" by Norma Lorre Goodrich is one of my favorites on the subject, and its heavy slogging but well worth the effort.

The evidence she adduces outlines a time in the church when the feminine principle was clearly more active than recently is the case. And it is not fiction either.

[uglybiker]

Hey, I bought a replica of the codex at the film's premier and entered the letters: M-O-N-A L-I-S-A into the disks and I slid out the container. In the container was a piece of paper with a telephone number on it.

But did you make copies and send them to twenty of your closest friends within 30 minutes?

Bad things are gonna happen if you didn't.

I know. I read it on the internet.

[maine-iac7]

Once X-Men: The Last Stand, Cars, Superman Returns, and Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest arrives later this Summer, The Di Vinci Code will be forgotten.

Hmmm -that aught to be about the time the DVD is released and the folk that didn't see the movie - as well as those who did - will create another round of viewers?

Is that when it will be 'forgotten' ;o)

[Always Right]

The Da Vinci Code was based on SOME factual Christian history. As you know Brown recently won the lawsuit brought by the authors of Holy Blood, Holy Grail. They contend that he stole their story ... the judge found that this is old stuff in the public domain.

What the judge found was taking ideas for a story is not protected by copyrite laws. If so, every story made could be found to have taken ideas from previous stories. And BTW, I kind of missed the SOME part. I don't know of any part of Browns book that is not based on gross distortion or outright fraud concerning Christianity.

[The Worthless Miracle]

I am joking. I am not serious. Don't worry, Christianity is safe.