We just saw the Golden Compass tonight with the kids (we do the dollar show, baby).
Waiting for everyone to shriek and tear out their hair....
Anyone still left? Cool. Here' s my take on the movie.
HOW is this show "anti-God??" Maaaaaybe anti-religion or anti-Catholicism, but killing Christ? I just didn't see it. It was truly a movie of good vs. evil, standing up for your friends and what is right and good.
Patrick was actually the one who pointed out the obvious (to anyone but me, apparently) comparison of "The Magistrate" to the Vatican. Once he said it, I was all "DUH! Me so stupid." I had initially seen the Magistrate as a rebellion against Communistic government.
I was raised as a loose Catholic (don't get dirty on me, now) so I feel that I know most of the in's and out's (or, at least, the ones that turned me off from organized religion) of Catholicism. There definitely was the comparison of "dust" to the Lost Scriptures of Jesus and what-not that slips into the public's knowledge from time to time (Da Vinci Code, anyone?). But for children, it was simply a cool movie with neat graphics. The End.
My kids' belief, or lack thereof, in God of any name will not be influenced by a 2 hour movie centered around a 12 year old girl and her animal spirit. I mean, give kids a little bit of credit!
Opinions, anyone?
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25 comments:
THANK YOU! I took Hannah to see this movie when it first came out. Her one and only reaction was, "It wasn't as scary as Narnia." That's all that was said about it. And then we went shopping!
I haven't seen it but my initial reaction to all the hoopla was give me a break! Turns out I was right :-)
I just rolled my eyes to myself when one of the mothers at school told me she had banned her step daughter from seeing it. Once again, I think we should give our kids a little credit and allow them the liberty of forming their own opinions.
I haven't seen the movie, but I knew that it was NOTHING like they were saying it was.
People love to have things to get their panties in a wad about.
They kill the Christian God in the third novel, not the first. I've read all three books.
The anti-religious elements were deliberately toned down in an attempt to find a wider audience for the movie - they are very obvious in the book. However innocuous the movie may now be, we're still not going to watch it.
I haven't seen the movie, but I've read the hype, and like you, I just don't think kids are going to start revolting against their religious upbringings because of it.
They don't "kill God" actually...they kill an angel who pretended to be the creator to make himself higher than the other angels. And they actually don't kill him.
Scott Westerfeld, a well-known young adult author, posted on his blog about the subject back in December, with quotes from the book to back up what I wrote above, that they didn't kill God..here's the address (one of these days I'll have to learn how to leave a link in the comments):
http://scottwesterfeld.com/blog/?m=200712&paged=2
Ok,I LOVED that link to Scott WEsterfield! (The Dragonfly's comment).
I am totally going to read the books, now. Everyone's entitled to their own opinions on what a book means, but from the impressions I'm getting, it is NOTHING like the hoopla that was going around.
I wondered myself. I remembered all the Harry Potter idiocy but after researching it seemed like the first one was rather benign but the other ones were had more of the athiest tone. I don't know because I've never read them. But what was said was...
the first book was the lure and the others were there to indoctrinate.
Who really knows. I'd like to read them and see for myself, I love Sci-fi fantasy stuff.
The movie actually strayed a ton from the book, and the book is what was crazy. So I've heard. ??
I saw it too...and I think the main anti-Christian thing in the movie was the way the 'bad guys' were wearing outfits very reminiscent of church officials, and how the ministry's buildings looked a lot like churches.
I haven't read the books, but I did hear that the first book is fairly 'mild'.
But in truth, I thought the movie was pretty bad, anyway.
Heidi
I haven't seen the movie and really have no desire too. But I remember hearing that the movie in itself wasn't bad but the reason for it's release was to get kids to have their parents buy the books, which are the anti-Christian/ killing God, for Christmas. Just what I heard. My kids are young and the commercial for that movie scared them as most action movie commercials do.
I haven't seen that movie yet. I wasn't really paying too much attention to all the "controversy" around it! The last movie I saw with the kids was "The Water Horse." They loved it!
Kimmy
Haven't seen the movie, mostly likely won't. But I just love your cute new header!!! :p
Haven't seen it . . . but definitely controversial. I do love $1 shows, though!
Love the header!
yeehaw for exposing our children to more than our own vanilla palate! and huzzah to allowing their minds to bend and stretch a little bit.
i knew all about the OBVIOUS religious allusions in Narnia, but you know what? I STILL let my dd see it - because I am open minded that way.
And Golden Compass gave her more of an interest in the spirit animals concept; image, integrity, inner-struggles than it did anything else.
I think that everyone is entitled to their own opinion. I don't judge anyone who chooses to see the movie or read the books, just like I expect that people who choose not to read the books and see the movie won't be judged.
Glad you enjoyed the movie.
The kind of ignorance that was floating around the internet in regards to the movie was so offensive to me. No wonder many people have such low opinions of Christians.
If people have heated opinions to give about a particular subject, they should at least know of what they are speaking. Otherwise some very valid points about the movie and the book author (or whatever the issue) are completely lost in the hoopla caused by inflammatory rhetoric and 'facts' that are completely untrue.
Sorry, this issue bothered me so much, I got some horrid mass emails about this movie and the few real facts were so obscured by the obviousness that the authors had no first hand knowledge of the subject.
I haven't seen the movie yet, or read the books, but I think I will read them so that I can at least have intelligent, informed conversations with my children about them and the issues surrounding them.
My husband did that with Harry Potter, he has read all the books and seen most of the movies. I could only do the first one, my spirit was really bothered by the rest of them.
I think as parents we need to arm ourselves with knowledge and prayer so that we can help our children learn to make intelligent choices and sensitive discernments in regards to these issues.
I posted about this movie on my blog for Jan. 2oth if you want to check out a few informative links.
I haven't seen it either but got the freak-out emails about how it is about kids killing God and blah blah blah. It kind of makes me want to watch it when that stuff goes around.. maybe that's the point!!
I just wanted to clarify to everyone out there that I truly respect your religious beliefs. If you are a Christian, fine. I hope it's everything you need for your spiritual fullness. I really choose to be open to many ideas. My kids and I discuss the possibilities of reincarnation, heaven, magic, energy, etc. I will support them in any direction their spirits take them. I truly hope that they choose to believe in and take strength from God and an afterlife existence, but I also truly think that the only way to encourage that is to expose them to ALL choices. Not just the ones I hope they believe in.
I mean this as no disrespect, but I just wanted to clarify that even IF these books were obvious statements of "God is fake. Must kill all faiths. Etc. Etc." I will still read them with my kids, IF they were interested. That is the key. Their interest in a subject and our discussions about it.
My beliefs are just that: Mine. I don't feel that I can impose them upon my children, simply because I gave them life.
Also, as an aside, I really think that the bigger deal a parent makes about "banning" a book or movie from their kids, the more exciting and thrilling it would be to see it without the knowledge of the parents.
I had always wanted to read the books anyway and as soon as the controversy started, I did. I really enjoyed them. As soon as the movie is out on DVD, I will definitely rent it. I agree with your above comment.
I thought the movie was very cool. Loved the 'stand up for what you believe in' message. I agree with your assessment. I also like what Dragonfly had to say. (I haven't followed the link yet.)
I saw the movie, heard the controversy and then read all the books.
Bottom line for me? Discussion and questioning ideas, thoughts, beliefs, is a good thing. Stimulation for the brain regardless of what you believe. And, uh, hello, it's fiction. No one is claiming this was True.
I have read that the author is very anti-Christian, anti God. And then there's the Narnia series. Tit for Tat, yes?
Oh, and aren't you more like 4 dollars short? plus popcorn? ;)
Go you! I too thought the hoopla was over the top. Fantasy books and movies don't appeal to me, but if they appeal to Liam, I will surely let him choose to read and watch.
Tricia, we do the dollar show, which is slightly older shows for $1 or $2. LOVE it, cuz we CAN still get the popcorn and pop for the whole family. Don't you guys have one???
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