Golden Scandal

The latest in a long line of rabble-rousing maneuvers by religious muckrakers against the so-called "evils of Hollywood", The Golden Compass (the other fantasy film this holiday season) is drawing fire (from such organizations as the Catholic League) for "bash(ing) Christianity and promoting atheism". True, they may have initially had some concern; the new movie is based on the first volume of author/ avowed atheist Phillip Pullman's best-selling His Dark Materials trilogy, known for its anti-organized religion bent. However, the filmmakers (including director Chris Weitz) have gone on record to state that all of the book's controversial themes were excised in adapting it to the screen.

Of course, they're not listening, insisting that if Little Johnny sees the movie, he'll make mommy buy the book for him and *poof!* instant atheist. In other words, it is another "but what about the children?" rant that is beyond tiresome at this point. Naturally, their next step is to boycott the movie, the tried and true knee-jerk scenario that has been common practice amongst these "holier then thou" types for centuries.

If this all sounds vaguely familiar, you may recall a similar stance against the film version of another controversial novel, The Da Vinci Code. A call to boycott that movie went largely unheard, as its $217 million box office proves. Furthermore, it was a bad movie, whereas Golden Compass looks like has a lot more going for it then Tom Hanks in a mullet; with Nicole Kidman in glam bitch mode, a scruffy Daniel Craig and some armored-up polar bears, it promises to at least look interesting. In the end, with or without the Christian moviegoers (who turned another fantasy epic -- The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe -- into a blockbuster), how well The Golden Compass is received will be known when it opens December 7 in theaters nationwide.

Links via Imdb.com, MTV.com and Hollywood.com.