For some odd reason, Ron Howard, Dan Brown and Tom Hanks can’t seem to get it through their thick skulls that the Vatican and the Catholic Church are not big fans of their movies. I am sure their intuitive response is “who cares?”Well, this recent installment of the logger-heads has everything to do with the movie “Angels and Demons” set to hit the big screens in May. The flack of course is rooted in the questions which the movie raises about the Catholic Church and the holy Mary, among other pertinent religious facts. The biggest jab of all over "The Da Vinci Code," suggested that Jesus was secretly married to Mary Magdalene. Did anyone really believe that? Of course not.
The counter productive aspect of such a vocal resentment to the movie indisputably leads to the “boomerang effect”, or the “forbidden fruit effect”. It is the phenomenon where the very fact that someone told you not to do something, you do it. Just the like predecessor DaVinci Code, many people who would otherwise not have given Dan Brown’s story a minute of their day wanted to see what the Catholic Church was fuming about. I was one such people, and I don’t think I walked out with any more doubts or questions about faith and religion. No one really shows up in a movie theater with a notepad, eager to learn something new. For instance, I can guarantee that I will be too busy enjoying popcorn in the middle row with a gorgeous lady, that the weird details will be inconsequential to me.
Let’s travel back in time to 2004. Mel Gibson’s “Passion of the Christ” was one such movies that religious leaders from all corners of the planet jumped to discredit it way before the release day. They spent all month telling us how soon Mel Gibson was going to hell but you bet I was one of the first people at the AMC Studios wondering who the heck Pontius Pilate was. I thought Jim Caviezel deserved as Oscar for stunning performance as Jesus, I didn’t think anything of Jews and Romans.
The plot in “Angels and Demons"? A physicist, Leonardo Vetra, will find a symbolist, Robert Langdon, and Mr. Vetra's daughter, Vittoria, on an adventure for a secret brotherhood, the Illuminati. (I know I lost you already) Clues lead them all around the Vatican, including the four alters of science, Earth, Air, Fire and Water. An Assassin working for the Illuminati have captured four cardinals and murdered them. Robert and Vittoria also are searching for a new very destructive weapon that could kill millions. Blah, blah blah, that’s it. All 2hours 15 minutes right there.
I’m not sure that premise alone is good enough for my 10 bucks but the Catholic church’s obvious dislike for the film will succeed in generating the additional buzz. Maybe Dan Brown just loves the controversy and the hype, no matter who is one the other side. In my personal opinion, the one group of people I don’t want to upset with my propaganda is anyone capable of sending me to hell. The Pope and The Vatican apparently have the power to do so; at least that’s what it seems like.The point of the story is that “Angels and Demons” is scheduled to hit theaters in two months, and you can bet that 90% of the people who will watch it won’t be seeking for the truth, it will be sheer entertainment. I don’t want to suggest the Vatican is overreacting, but I think Dan Brown and Tom Hank’s are counting on them to make the film a big hit. According to MOVIEMeter, it is up 111% in popularity this week, and you can bet Ron Howard is smiling all the way to the bank.
May 15, 2009, depending on how the weather turns out, I will be curious to see what the fuss is all about. I blame that solely on the “forbidden fruit effect”, courtesy of the Vatican.
