Are Americans really this stupid?

[Mr. dB]

Charles Darwin film 'too controversial for religious America' - Telegraph

According to this article, only 39% of Americans believe in Evolution.

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.

 

[inkspot]

39% seems low, I'm okay with that. I'm leaning towards aliens crash landing on earth.

 

[-SD-]

District 9 seems like as good a theory as anything else
plus they got badass guns ans shit

 

[bakemeacookie]

That's not it, the real problem is -t he movie being overshadowed by protests and controversy and loser christians outside movie theaters (those wacky baptist church i'mn sure will be out there protesting!) and thus theater owners will NOT carry a movie that will give them a headache and won't be #1 at the box office anyways. And blockbuster doesn't want it for the same reasons. Controversial movies are never good sells. Ever seen a moive about islam or prophet mohammed ever released? abortin? illegal immigraiton?

c

 

[EnderJE]

That's not it, the real problem is -t he movie being overshadowed by protests and controversy and loser christians outside movie theaters (those wacky baptist church i'mn sure will be out there protesting!) and thus theater owners will NOT carry a movie that will give them a headache and won't be #1 at the box office anyways. And blockbuster doesn't want it for the same reasons. Controversial movies are never good sells. Ever seen a moive about islam or prophet mohammed ever released? abortin? illegal immigraiton?

c

Yeah, the Passion Of The Christ didn't do so well.

 

[HAYEZ]

People and there stupid fucking polls. 39% sounds low. You cannot get a accuratte poll questioning just a small group of people. You need to poll everyone. No matter what 1000 people you question they do not represent the millions

I'd live to see the movie. Only ignorant people think this world just started the oher day and we were just put here

 

[bakemeacookie]

Yeah, the Passion Of The Christ didn't do so well.

wasn't controversial to christians. meaning there was no people protesting outside theaters telling everyone they're gonna get aids and die.

plus mel gibvson can make a lot more money than whatever this film can. no theaters gonna dump toy story 3 from a screen just to play this movie. no one knows who paul bettany is.

c

 

[mrplunkey]

I'd think the 39% depends on how they asked the question. Microevolution is probably more accepted than 39%. Evolution as the origins of all life is probably less accepted.

 

[-SD-]

I always thought the clinton/lewinsky scandal was perfect for a major A list movie. i mean they make a movie called "W" and frost/nixon but no lewinsky scandal movie? its like the elephant in the room no one in hollywood saw.

 

[samoth]

I didn't bother reading the OP, but the answer is a definitive yes.