Christians may have just gotten an unexpected ally against Ron Howard’s latest monsterpiece, The Da Vinci Code.
Oh, sure. Lots of Christian groups have been picking at the book’s and film’s inaccuracies–but they’re focused on matters of fact rather than style.
They may have just gotten an ally who would love to see the film fail at the boxoffice and who couldn’t care less about the fact and will go after the film on grounds of style–even at the pettiest level.
So who is the mysterious ally willing to take on Hollywood?
Hollywood itself.
GET THE STORY.
MEMO TO HOLLYWOOD:
A house divided itself cannot stand.
P.S. Burn, baby, burn!
Author: Jimmy Akin
Jimmy was born in Texas, grew up nominally Protestant, but at age 20 experienced a profound conversion to Christ. Planning on becoming a Protestant seminary professor, he started an intensive study of the Bible. But the more he immersed himself in Scripture the more he found to support the Catholic faith, and in 1992 he entered the Catholic Church. His conversion story, "A Triumph and a Tragedy," is published in Surprised by Truth. Besides being an author, Jimmy is the Senior Apologist at Catholic Answers, a contributing editor to Catholic Answers Magazine, and a weekly guest on "Catholic Answers Live."
View all posts by Jimmy Akin
I didn’t see anything wrong with his hair. It may not be hunk-handsome, but it gives him a certain air of scholarly allure. Sort of a Harrison Ford in Harris tweed thing.
This is funny, because not once, but TWICE, after watching the DVC trailer I have heard people (women) say “I hate his hair. Ugh!”
My teenage son said Hanks looks like a homeless guy.
But hey, seeking the Truth around the globe and avoiding murederous albino monks… who has time to look after their hair?
It’s got to be plugs right? Bad plugs!
I’m not seeing it. I’m not gonna financially support heretics and enemies of the Catholic Church!
If the puddle people of Hollywood get any more shallow, they will evaporate.
Which isn’t the worst thing that could happen.
An actor recently mused “We have to just think about, ‘What have we become? Why is all of this fuss over another human being?'”. Exactly.
Remember the whole thing about houses built on sand…
Heh, I though the hair looked funny when I first saw the trailer as well. But after a while, it kinda…grew on me?
For a second, I was thinking your title might refer to Jews. Downplaying the Jewishness of Jesus as Dan Brown does plays right into all sorts of anti-Semitic myths.
Way too funny. Frankly, I don’t like the look of any of the costuming or art direction based on the trailers I’ve seen. It looks like an extra cheesey movie of the week.
Which is only fitting, considering its source material.
Makes sense for a movie that is pure hair-esy.
Oh, please. Complaining about Tom Hanks’ hairdo? You really think that qualifies as “go[ing] after the film on grounds of style?” I thought the article would be something substantial, like a criticism of the movie’s writing, cinematography, or soundtrack, not something so inane as the actor’s hair.
I dunno….
All I’m trying to figure out is how the Albino monk and the hooded dude from Scream / Scary Movie got separated at birth!
Joy-
I’m sure Jimmy meant to say “on the grounds of HAIR-style”.
Joy, think about this. We’re talking about Hollywood.
I’m still back on whether tom hanks is even an actor. i think he’s dreadful on screen, and i think he’s dreadful in everything he’s been in. really, no talent. he brings nothing to a character that, oh, about 100 other mediocre guys could not bring. he is the result of old-school packaging (the kind of stuff that made america think joan crawford was great): put him in some decently written films, and bingo, people think HE’s good. golly.
I agree! I never liked Hank’s films not only because every time I see him I think “What’s that zany guy from Bosom Buddies gonna do next?” but also because his films all exude a fake, gooey sentimentality that is nothing more than a Skinnerian tug at heart strings. He ranks up there with Mork for me.
As far as the hair is concerned, it does not bother me that he looks bad (because for Tom the handsome cow has been milked dry long ago) what bothers me is that this actor is trying to look like the author of the book.
Dan Brown is so egotistical. He goes beyond “writing about what you know.” His description of the character Langdon fits the author’s photograph down to the tweed and turtleneck. Not to mention the self-centered and condescending attitude that permeates the book from beginning to end. “I’m so smart and interesting! My dad hid my presents!” Pah!
The man is a self-absorbed creep.
Also, I hope when he dumps his old wife his new younger wife is better at researching cause as he is now, he is the Navy Seal of being wrong.
The thing about evil is that it is always selfish.
It is overly simplistic to look at every human institution as either good or evil. However, if we use that model and peg Hollywood as evil, then we can interpret it in that way. No Christian (hopefully) would try to discredit one mission because it competed with theirs. For instance, Catholic Answers would not try to discredit EWNT radio because it is a competitor. We work together for the good and do not grudge the success of others.
On the other side, we can expect rather to see each individual out for himself or herself. They may be united against Good, but they each are out for their own advantage too, so it becomes hard to predict when they will work together and when they will work against each other.
That is pure theory and overly simplistic, but it seems to apply to this case. Hollywood has nothing against attacking Christianity or coming out with terrible films, but each person wants to be the one to succeed, which means hurting their peers.
Oh wait….. Did I say the hooded dude from Scream / Scary Movie?? I meant Senator Palpatine / the Emperor from Star Wars!!
Oh, I’m afraid Tom Hank’s bad hair will be quite operational by the time your orthodox friends arrive.
“Oh wait….. Did I say the hooded dude from Scream / Scary Movie?? I meant Senator Palpatine / the Emperor from Star Wars!!”
That’s my cue!
Well Dan Brown doesn’t consider a single orthodox theologian to be much of a threat. Otherwise he’d have done better research. An analysis of the Da Vinci Code provided by Princess Welborn reveals a weakness in the best seller. The approach will not be easy.
You are required to maneuver through the sloppy prose and skim the pages to this point. The target area is Brown’s faulty understanding the Council of Nicea. This error leads directly to the book’s heretical system. A precise orthodox critique will start a chain reaction which should destroy the book. The Da Vinci Code is shielded by the NY Times, so you’ll have to use Athanasius torpedoes.
Yes, everyone knows about the Sith Lord/Orthodox Catholic bad guy but Howard is not afraid to embellish even more (you want to have a little fun when you spend your days rewriting Western history) so he has actually expanded the role into a whole team of Evil Catholic Assassins! The whole idea is very formulaic. Frightening physical trait, disgusting habit, weapon, and monastic affiliation to something that is not monastic. Thankfully, I have the inside scoop and got the whole list right now! They include:
Todd, the alcoholic Knights of Columbus monk/sniper with leprosy.
Victoria, one-eyed master of the three-sectional yardstick and Wednesday Night Bingo Club nun. (disgusting habit? Reads Wired to look smart.)
Ben-16, popebot from a nightmarish future.
Eggert, Soup kitchen hermit with bulging thighs who mentally controls a murderous pack of marmosets. His disgusting habit is licking plates clean.
The monk Silas is their leader in the movie. He sets them out with the goal of finding Sophie and Langdon and subjecting them to the tortuous Catholic Free Will Toaster (CFWT)!
A lot of fans might be upset Howard changed so much from the book, but I do not blame him because you go through the whole book only to find out the dang secret treasure is on display in the same museum the guy gets shot in!
I mean, why all the hidden messages? Why not save yourself the trouble of running around writing all over paintings, stashing keys, disrobing, and DYING IN THE SHAPE OF THE VITRUVIAN MAN when all he had to do was just point to the dang pyramid and leave a note saying: everyone already knows the truth anyway and Mary Magdalene is buried here!
Even without the heresy, it was a complete waste of time!
Oh wait….. Did I say the hooded dude from Scream / Scary Movie or Senator Palpatine / the Emperor from Star Wars?? I meant Baltar from Battlestar Galactica TOS!!
Don’t forget the Carmelite assassin with foot odor.
He generally kills by strangulation, using a scapular.
I gotta remember this post. It is the funniest I’ve seen in a while!