Help Bring "Creation" to the United States

[Ian David]

Help Bring "Creation" to the United States

Creation, a Charles Darwin biopic, is having some trouble finding a distributor in the United States. The film will come to theatres in the UK on September 25th and has successfully secured distribution in nearly every major market--including Europe, Canada and Australia—but not in the U.S. The film, which is based on a successful book and stars Jennifer Connelly, has created a lot of buzz already—and we want to bring that excitement here!

But American distributors are scared. It’s been 150 years since Charles Darwin’s On the Origin of Species was published, yet some still consider the book to be controversial. To borrow a phrase from our British neighbors, this is balderdash.

Please sign our petition in support of the film. Let distributors know you want to see it and you won’t stand for censorship!

Check out a clip of the film here:

More:
http://action.americanhumanist.org/t/9133/petition.jsp?petition_KEY=2101



"If mental degenerates like religious conservatives still exist into the twenty-first Century, my theory of 'Survival of The Fittest' shall be in serious question."


See prior thread:

Charles Darwin film 'too controversial for religious America'
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=228&topic_id=56306&mesg_id=56306

[ixion]

1. while I don't yet see this on Amazon, it is already available for pre-order on Netflix

so, no worries. Now that there is a 'controversy', this film will easily find a distributor in the US.

[Christa]

2. Done

I am posting it all over.

[struggle4progress]

3. ‘Creation:’ A drama about the life of Charles Darwin

by Eugenie Scott, Director of the National Center for Science Education

I and NCSE staff were invited to view the new Jon Amiel movie, Creation, starring Paul Bettany and Jennifer Connolly. I believe it to be a thoughtful, well-made film that will change many views of Darwin held by the public—for the good. The acting is strong, the visuals are wonderful, and it treats with loving care the Victorian details of the furnishings at Down house and other sites (such as Malvern), and the local church ...

As someone with a stake in how the public understands evolution and it’s most famous proponent, the bottom line for me was that the science be presented accurately. The second was that the story of Darwin’s life be presented accurately.

I have no problems with the former: natural selection and evolution (common descent, expressed in the movie by the tree of life metaphor) are both presented accurately, and although the movie does not dwell a great deal on the actual science, the importance of science to Darwin was apparent. Darwin was accurately presented as a curious naturalist (engaging his kids in natural history—geology, beetles, nature walks—even scientifically studying his baby! etc). Darwin is seen as a careful scientist—lots of microscope work, lots of careful record-keeping of pigeons, barnacles, etc. It is also clear—which is historically accurate—that Darwin was held in high regard as a scientist by his colleagues. The scientific part was fine.

How about the historical part? I have just read Randal Keynes’s Annie’s Box, the book upon which the movie is based, refreshing my memory on the details of the period of Darwin’s life covered by the movie. Plus I already know a bit about Darwin’s time, given my odd line of work, and my former career as a university professor teaching evolution. I am satisfied with the historical presentation, though not fully in agreement with all of it. But that’s OK. This isn’t a documentary about Darwin, it’s a movie about Darwin. And there’s a difference. With the latter, you don’t expect absolute fealty to the historical record—though you don’t have to—and shouldn’t—accept wholesale violations ...

http://pandasthumb.org/archives/2009/09/eugenie-scott-r.html

[moggie]

5. Oh dear, Genie doesn't know how to use apostrophes?

DTM. I'm switching sides.

[gtar100]

4. signed

America has flipped on its head. It is such a backwards country because of 30 years of hard-right politics and fundamentalist Christianity getting the spotlight in our media and, hence, in our minds.

[comtec]

6. k 4 later

[rd_kent]

7. Distributors are only scared of LOSING MONEY on this bomb.

They have created this so-called "controversy" to get media attention.

[GreenStormCloud]

8. Too intellectual for American audiences.

No car chases, no gasoline explosions, no sex scenes, no fights, etc. And they expect this to play over here?

I wonder how many people would be able to correctly answer: "Who was Charles Darwin?"

[gk88850]

9. Fucking ridiculous that we can't see it