Posted by arturod at arturod.student.princeton.edu on November 15, 1999 at 00:04:02:
Dear Kevin,
I know I might get flamed for what I am about to say, but I just need to bring up a few points. First, I really did like the film. I though it was funny and intelligently written. Overall, I liked it's message: a call for a renewal of faith and a shift away from the dogmatic constraints of Church as an insitution. What I cannot agree with though is the irreverance to various aspects of Catholicism. I wasn't utterly offended by anything in particular in the movie but there were a few times were I thought to myself "I can't believe Kevin did that." I am Catholic and yes I'll agree that the Church isn't perfect. The Church as an institution has its controversies.
I just want to ask Kevin, "why add gasoline to the fire." Catholics are picked on enough as it is in movies. I thought the movie perpetuated some common stereotypes about Catholisism: greedy bishops/cardinals, lazy in terms of faith. Kevin, the aspects of Cathlicsm that you focused on were just the negatives. The movie did not show the strengths of Catholicism . You made it seem like it was the weakest of the religions: one that allows for loopholes in redemption. There was not one good, devoted faithful Catholic in the movie. You need to respect the differences and practices of the various religions. Dude, how could you use the chalice as a golf hole?
Couldn't you have chosen some other denomination (although you proably picked Catholisism because you are Catholic and could relate and write about the subject easier). Catholics are in the minority of the United States and don't need anymmore bad publicity (like the protesting that is corrently going on against the movie by a small group of Catholics that makes us all look bad.) What if the movie had centered on the Jewish fatih and its weaknesses? Do you think the movie would have been released? Do you think Harvey Weinstein would have decided to carry it on Lion's Gate? What if the movie would have made fun of the fundamentalist literalist beliefs of a lot of the other Christian faiths?
I think you delivered a great movie with an even greater message but at the expense of Catholicism. Don't worry about it, I'm still a fan and eagerly await your next movie.