[Mel Gibson's] `Signs' Stirs Debate Over Religious Beliefs

The Hartford Courant ^ | 8/15/02 | MAURICE TIMOTHY REIDY, Courant Staff Writer

[Polycarp]

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http://www.ctnow.com/entertainment/movies/hc-relisigns.artaug15.story?coll=hc%2Dheadlines%2Dentertainment

`Signs' Stirs Debate Over Religious Beliefs

The Questioning Of Coincidences May Be Too Deep For A Popcorn Movie - Unless Shyamalan Is Involved

By MAURICE TIMOTHY REIDY

Courant Staff Writer

August 15 2002

Halfway through the new movie "Signs," Graham Hess, a former Episcopalian priest played by Mel Gibson, tells his brother there are two kinds of people in the world: Those who believe everything is governed by chance, and those who believe that there is no such thing as chance, that someone out there is responsible for every twist of fate. As Hess puts it, it comes down to one question: "Is it possible there are no coincidences?"

This is a serious question - the sort of thing you might expect from a sleepy art house revival, not a popcorn movie like "Signs."

But then again, this is M. Night Shyamalan, the writer-director who brought you "The Sixth Sense," about a boy who sees dead people, and "Wide Awake," about a boy who searches for God after the death of his grandfather. God, faith and the afterlife are stand-bys in the Shyamalan playbook.

Click here for rest of article: Signs

[Quix]

bump for possible later comment

[OrthodoxPresbyterian]

I cannot help but think that 1)the big ugly scary yet purposely understated aliens who 2)in reality were only trying to steal humans (souls!) and were 3) vanquished by faith and water and 4)were first vanquished in the birthplace of all three monotheistic religions... ...adds up to an allegory for the ineffectiveness of Satan's demons in the face of faith. ...maybe I'm reading too much into it...

Dunno, that was my bag on the subject as well, so maybe I'm reading too much into it. But at least I am in good company. ;-)

[Paul Atreides]

I think that is what was so interesting about the movie; seeing how the average American would handle such an event. When Merrill started "swinging away", all I could think was "I hope Captain Picard is taking notes."

[Polycarp]

Oh yeah. Its in my DVD drive in my laptop as I type. My favorite flick of all time. I was catching snippets today in between seeing patients ;-)

Plus a 10 minute behind the scenes preview of "The Two Towers.

Of course, I'm going to have to purchase the longer edition DVD in the fall with the additional 30 minutes of footage restored (including Gimli's scene with Galadriel!)

[glory]

I think hubby and I may have to see this. I'm not surprised to see Mel in a thinking movie about faith. He's reportedly a devout Catholic and currently researching a movie about Jesus proported to be titled Passion and is talking to high level officials in the CC to try to maintain accuracy. Mel's been doing some pretty good stuff lately.

[Paul Atreides]

Oh, good! You know about the three-disc version coming up. I wasn't looking forward to breaking the news to you, especially after your wife surprised you.

[Paul Atreides]

It has a few vulgar words in it (no blasphemies) but it is very reminiscent of The Birds. In that movie, there is the same "invasion" that is not explained. I rather enjoy movies that don't sum up a hour and a half in five minutes. I think it is good to discuss movies and not be handed all the answers.

[Polycarp]

I didn't have the heart to tell Mrs Polycarp either, she was so proud of herself for bringing home something I've so much been looking forward to.

I'll just have to quietly purchase the next edition, so as not to hurt her feelings. Its a sacrifice, but one I'm willing to make...

[OrthodoxPresbyterian]

I didn't have the heart to tell Mrs Polycarp either, she was so proud of herself for bringing home something I've so much been looking forward to. I'll just have to quietly purchase the next edition, so as not to hurt her feelings. Its a sacrifice, but one I'm willing to make...

What else are Office desk-drawers for?

[Paul Atreides]

When the Dune miniseries came out, I bought it knowing full well that an extended version would be out a couple of years later. Sure enough, it came out on three discs, with additional footage. Now, I have both versions, plus the Lynch movie.

[Polycarp]

You caught that too, huh? I even pointed it out to Mrs Polycarp at the time (it was our 12th wedding anniversary date.)

[Brett66]

I bought the LOTR DVD today(widescreen), I thought it had those scenes in it already. Daggum it!

[Paul Atreides]

http://www.thedigitalbits.com/reviews2/lotrfellowship2disc.html

[MissAmericanPie]

They look like Hershey's Kisses.

[bootless]

The movie was good and I thought the tin foil hat scenes were hilarious :-)

I loved the movie! My 10 y/o son, who spent the last half of the movie covering his eyes (he was a little nervous), but holding onto me, and listening anyway, just asked me if we could see it again. I know he liked the spiritual overlay of the movie.

I almost fell out of my seat when I saw the tin foil hats! I think they made the kids look like they were big Hershey kisses!

[jlogajan]

"I don't think Shyamalan has any great doctrinal agenda other than illustrating that God exists and that he cares about us," LeBlanc said. "If that's radical, then that shows how spiritually impoverished we are as a culture."

The above quote pretty much says it all.

Huh? Typical religious double-talk. If "God" cares about us, why the heck is he sending aliens to kill us.

There are lunatics who start buildings on fire so they can run in and try to rescue people and be seen as a hero. We call these people insane. We don't form religions around them.

[green nexus]

Remember the son at the dinner table?

"I hate you...".

Remember the father in the basement?

"I hate you..."

Deliberate logical equivalence. Very cool.

Yes! That is what makes this movie so good, and work so well; everything leads to the next thing, and everything comes together seamlessly. Some people I saw the movie with thought parts of it were boring, but I think they just don't have the patience to recognize how important it was to the resolution of the film that all these seemingly small things be set up into place. Must be a modern American attention span thing.

[bootless]

...maybe I'm reading too much into it...

I don't think you're reading too much into it at all. As a matter of fact, the author of a Christian manuscript I was editing last week described a demon that he had envisioned (it's a long story) to be nearly identical to the aliens in the film, down to the three-clawed hands and feet. I don't think that was a coincidence AT ALL! But look who won in the end! <><

[Polycarp]

You've become incredibly predictable. Would it be better in your humble opinion if the aliens were big, ugly, mean, and homosexual?

[bootless]

I'll just have to quietly purchase the next edition, so as not to hurt her feelings. Its a sacrifice, but one I'm willing to make...

You're a good man.

(BTW, got any kids who are Pokemon fans?) :-)