Movie Review: Creation

I FINALLY got to see Creation this week. It is available on Netflixs now. I never had a chance to see it when it was in theaters (it never showed anywhere near where I lived). I really enjoyed the movie and felt like the showed Darwin for the human that he was. I am sure there were some liberties Hollywood took for dramatic effect, but I thought it played well to convey the point. Darwin was a Christian that grappled with his observations in science and his faith, or lack there of after his daughter dies. Darwin has to deal with hypocrites and trouble makers, and his wife, who was a devout Unitarian, and her fear that they would never live together in heaven if he continued to pursue his thoughts on evolution. Huxley proclaimed that Darwin would finally be the man who is known for “killing God” which seems to freak Darwin out pretty bad (see the trailer below at about 65 seconds in). It was an interesting insight into Darwin’s home and family life. There are quite a bit of flashbacks to move the story along. My husband did not like this, but it did not bother me too much. In the end I thought it was well acted and an interesting story. I really do not understand why so many Christians would be afraid to see this film. Maybe they would be more understanding of the man behind the Origin of Species and stop being so afraid of what they really do not know. Darwin was just another human, not a demon for his thoughts on evolution.



© ReBecca K. Hunt-Foster

No Creation in the US?

For those of us who have been patiently waiting for the US release of the new movie, Creation, it looks like we may be waiting for it to come out on DVD. While this movie is about Charles Darwin, it appears that the film will focus on Darwin's loss of faith after the death of his 10 year old daughter, not so much on his work On The Origin of Species. Unfortunately, for those of us who live in the US where the general population largely does not believe in evolution (only 39% of Americans do), it appears that we will not get to see the film until it is available on DVD since it has not found an US distributor. However, if you are traveling to Bristol for SVP or have other European travel plans, you can see the film, as it opens this Sunday in the UK. The film is also opening at the Toronto Film Festival. It appears that if you are in any country other than the US you will have a chance to see this film! Sadly, the it appears that the untra-conservatives once again have Hollywood scared:

• "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." [link]

Give me a break. To bad Darwin can't sue them for slander.

• "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." [link]

It is sad to see the US is still living in the dark ages when it comes to free thinking (which it appears is being controlled by conservatives/religious leaders and thier "power" over Hollywood)- in this case of making Darwin's story (or this chapter of his story) accessible to the general US population. I guess that is to risky to the conservative agenda. However, last year a distributor for the creationist film Expelled was found and the film was largely circulated around the US! How can we circulate a film like that and not make the other side of the coin available also!?!

Why not just release it and let the people of the US make up their own mind. Those who do not want to go do not have to go. Who would have guessed that just the name Darwin could invoke such fear!

Hopefully a US distributor who is not a big chicken will be found and we will all have a chance to see his movie that is already getting great reviews!

Thanks to Denver for the heads up on this!


© ReBecca K. Hunt-Foster, poster © BBC Films and the UK Film Council