A British film about Charles Darwin has failed to find a US distributor because his theory of evolution is too controversial for American audiences, according to its producer.

 

Creation, starring Paul Bettany, details Darwin's "struggle between faith and reason" as he wrote On The Origin of Species. It depicts him as a man who loses faith in God following the death of his beloved 10-year-old daughter, Annie.

 

The film was chosen to open the Toronto Film Festival and has its British premiere on Sunday. It has been sold in almost every territory around the world, from Australia to Scandinavia.

 

However, US distributors have resolutely passed on a film which will prove hugely divisive in a country where, according to a Gallup poll conducted in February, only 39 per cent of Americans believe in the theory of evolution.

 

Movieguide.org, an influential site which reviews films from a Christian perspective, described Darwin as the father of eugenics and denounced him as "a racist, a bigot and an 1800s naturalist whose legacy is mass murder". His "half-baked theory" directly influenced Adolf Hitler and led to "atrocities, crimes against humanity, cloning and genetic engineering", the site stated.

 

The film has sparked fierce debate on US Christian websites, with a typical comment dismissing evolution as "a silly theory with a serious lack of evidence to support it despite over a century of trying".

 

Jeremy Thomas, the Oscar-winning producer of Creation, said he was astonished that such attitudes exist 150 years after On The Origin of Species was published.

 

"That's what we're up against. In 2009. It's amazing," he said.

 

"The film has no distributor in America. It has got a deal everywhere else in the world but in the US, and it's because of what the film is about. People have been saying this is the best film they've seen all year, yet nobody in the US has picked it up.

 

"It is unbelievable to us that this is still a really hot potato in America. There's still a great belief that He made the world in six days. It's quite difficult for we in the UK to imagine religion in America. We live in a country which is no longer so religious. But in the US, outside of New York and LA, religion rules.

 

"Charles Darwin is, I suppose, the hero of the film. But we tried to make the film in a very even-handed way. Darwin wasn't saying 'kill all religion', he never said such a thing, but he is a totem for people."

 

Creation was developed by BBC Films and the UK Film Council, and stars Bettany's real-life wife Jennifer Connelly as Darwin's deeply religious wife, Emma. It is based on the book, Annie's Box, by Darwin's great-great-grandson, Randal Keynes, and portrays the naturalist as a family man tormented by the death in 1851 of Annie, his favourite child. She is played in the film by 10-year-old newcomer Martha West, the daughter of The Wire star Dominic West.

 

Early reviews have raved about the film. The Hollywood Reporter said: "It would be a great shame if those with religious convictions spurned the film out of hand as they will find it even-handed and wise."

 

Mr Thomas, whose previous films include The Last Emperor and Merry Christmas Mr Lawrence, said he hoped the reviews would help to secure a distributor. In the UK, special screenings have been set up for Christian groups.

 

Source: Daily Telegraph

 

 

Only in America -_-

However, US distributors have resolutely passed on a film which will prove hugely divisive in a country where, according to a Gallup poll conducted in February, only 39 per cent of Americans believe in the theory of evolution.

 

This more than beggars belief. 61% of the population of the world's most powerful nation....it's downright scary.

 

The film has sparked fierce debate on US Christian websites, with a typical comment dismissing evolution as "a silly theory with a serious lack of evidence to support it despite over a century of trying".

 

This comment really is just too much of a ROFL moment. How about a silly theory with a serious lack of evidence to support it despite more than two millennia of trying?

This more than beggars belief. 61% of the population of the world's most powerful nation....it's downright scary.

This comment really is just too much of a ROFL moment. How about a silly theory with a serious lack of evidence to support it despite more than two millennia of trying?

 

lol.. EXACTLY! .... this is what bugs me about creationists, they find a niggle in the evolution theory then dismiss the whole theory in favour of THEIR chosen belief which has NO evidence.

 

its scary that science is being ignored in favour of supersticion.

Give me a break. The article cites "Christian web sites" as evidence? WTF? Far more controversial films have been released in the US, including the (American made, produced, written) "Religulous" which was given a wide theatrical release last year and is the 7th top grossing documentary to ever be released in the United States.

 

If we're going to have a debate about religion in the US, of course I could never deny that it's a shamefully, pathetically backwards place in many ways. But this article is sub-standard journalism fueled by idiotic comments from the film's producer:

 

"It is unbelievable to us that this is still a really hot potato in America. There's still a great belief that He made the world in six days. It's quite difficult for we in the UK to imagine religion in America. We live in a country which is no longer so religious. But in the US, outside of New York and LA, religion rules."

 

I haven't seen the film and I can read plainly here that it has been well received by critics but it is very difficult for me to imagine an intelligent film could by a man who would make such a breathtakingly stupid comment.

Religious America is a joke. Trust me, I experience it first hand every day.

Oh FFS, what is it with these fukkin' r*t****????? And they have to nerve to criticise Islamic nations for being censorious..... Well, sorry, SAME DIFFERENCE, only the "Censorsh!t" takes a different form, not from a dictator or clerics, but from bloody HOLLYWOOD EXECS and idiotic "Christian" orgs......

 

It beggars belief frankly... Warner Brothers (I think...) seemed to have no problems distributing Scorcese's "Last Temptation of Christ" FFS.... And now, this fukkin' bunch of "Christian" Fascists come along, totally misrepresent the works of Darwin (who, as a Humanitarian, would have been HORRIFIED by how his works were twisted and exploited by the likes of Hitler, etc...) and seem to have won a victory... This is a VERY worrying event IMO, and one which proves to me that the Christian Right in the US have more sway than previously thought....

 

Crazy...... -_-

I generally like America, I am not one of these haters who despise everything they do, but this is one side of the country that I can't stand.

Give me a break. The article cites "Christian web sites" as evidence? WTF? Far more controversial films have been released in the US, including the (American made, produced, written) "Religulous" which was given a wide theatrical release last year and is the 7th top grossing documentary to ever be released in the United States.

 

If we're going to have a debate about religion in the US, of course I could never deny that it's a shamefully, pathetically backwards place in many ways. But this article is sub-standard journalism fueled by idiotic comments from the film's producer:

 

"It is unbelievable to us that this is still a really hot potato in America. There's still a great belief that He made the world in six days. It's quite difficult for we in the UK to imagine religion in America. We live in a country which is no longer so religious. But in the US, outside of New York and LA, religion rules."

 

I haven't seen the film and I can read plainly here that it has been well received by critics but it is very difficult for me to imagine an intelligent film could by a man who would make such a breathtakingly stupid comment.

But the fact that you haven't seen the film is the whole point. The producer and others have put a lot of work into making this film. It has generally been very well received. So surely you can understand their frustration in finding that they can't get it released in one of the biggest markets in the world.

 

It would be understandable (although against the principle of freedom of speech) if a film which questioned some Islamic beliefs failed to get shown in Iran. But Iran doesn't call itself "the land of the free".

But the fact that you haven't seen the film is the whole point. The producer and others have put a lot of work into making this film. It has generally been very well received. So surely you can understand their frustration in finding that they can't get it released in one of the biggest markets in the world.

 

It would be understandable (although against the principle of freedom of speech) if a film which questioned some Islamic beliefs failed to get shown in Iran. But Iran doesn't call itself "the land of the free".

 

Absolutely agreed, although it's important to remember that the producers are allegedly struggling to find a distributor not because the film would be illegal but because they are afraid it would be unprofitable. And I struggle to understand why... I feel like there must be more to the story. The producer says, "Oh well they're all just religious" but I am just not buying it...

Absolutely agreed, although it's important to remember that the producers are allegedly struggling to find a distributor not because the film would be illegal but because they are afraid it would be unprofitable. And I struggle to understand why... I feel like there must be more to the story. The producer says, "Oh well they're all just religious" but I am just not buying it...

 

So, er, what IS the reason then....? I mean, come on... It simply has to be a factor, surely... I'm afraid the producer is kind of right, IMO... I know quite a few Americans in the Alternative/Goth scene who basically fled their hometowns in the likes of Georgia, Alabama, Texas, etc, because of the way they were generally treated by "Christian" types for being into a certain kind of music/dressing a certain way.... I believe you live in Washington...? Is that correct...? Well, the likes of there, NY, LA, Chicago, Boston, dont really have any problems, the rest of your country seems to be completely backward in its attitudes.....

 

 

 

So, er, what IS the reason then....? I mean, come on... It simply has to be a factor, surely... I'm afraid the producer is kind of right, IMO... I know quite a few Americans in the Alternative/Goth scene who basically fled their hometowns in the likes of Georgia, Alabama, Texas, etc, because of the way they were generally treated by "Christian" types for being into a certain kind of music/dressing a certain way.... I believe you live in Washington...? Is that correct...? Well, the likes of there, NY, LA, Chicago, Boston, dont really have any problems, the rest of your country seems to be completely backward in its attitudes.....

 

I agree, and yes I do live in Washington, DC. I guess I would just respond by saying I think there are enough of us non-crazy people in those cities to make the Darwin film a success. How many idiot, intolerant right wing Christians would ever see an intelligent, well-made biopic anyway?? Unless it were about JEEEEESUS :)

 

I agree, and yes I do live in Washington, DC. I guess I would just respond by saying I think there are enough of us non-crazy people in those cities to make the Darwin film a success. How many idiot, intolerant right wing Christians would ever see an intelligent, well-made biopic anyway?? Unless it were about JEEEEESUS :)

 

 

That Family Guy clip is just hilarious..... :lol:

 

There may be enough sane, rational punters out there in the US to make it a success, but it's not the sane, rational punters such as you who run the US film Industry is it...? It's a bunch of complete ass-holes like Mel Gibson, Jerry Bruckheimer and Micheal Bay..... <_<

 

And let's not forget, Gibson is an anti-semitic, racist, Catholic extremist, you just have to look at "The Passion of the Christ" to see that.... I rather think HE had something to say about this film, and probably "persuaded" behind the scenes.... Conspiracy Theory ahoy!!!!!! :lol:

I agree, and yes I do live in Washington, DC. I guess I would just respond by saying I think there are enough of us non-crazy people in those cities to make the Darwin film a success. How many idiot, intolerant right wing Christians would ever see an intelligent, well-made biopic anyway?? Unless it were about JEEEEESUS :)

There probably are enough people to make the film a success. I suspect potential distributors are more worried about demonstrations by those who are rather less sane. The sort of people who think Barack Obama was born in Kenya.

Wasn't there a similar sort of reaction to Inherit The Wind when that was released in the early 60's? Things don't seem to change much.

 

Norma