USA: Many New Yorkers who watched "The Da Vinci Code" say the controversy around the film is overblown and needless

Record ID: 859006

  • Title: USA: Many New Yorkers who watched "The Da Vinci Code" say the controversy around the film is overblown and needless
  • Date: 20th May 2006
  • Summary: (AM) NEW YORK CITY, NEW YORK, UNITED STATES (MAY 19, 2006) (REUTERS) CLEARVIEW CINEMA THEATER IN MANHATTAN WHERE "THE DA VINCI CODE" IS PLAYING PEOPLE LINED UP FOR TICKETS FOR "THE DA VINCI CODE" TICKER WITH "THE DA VINCI CODE" LISTING AND PEOPLE LINED UP FOR TICKETS PEOPLE IN QUEUE FOR TICKETS AND OTHERS ENTERING THE THEATER
  • Embargoed: 4th June 2006 13:00
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  • Location: Usa
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  • Country: USA
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  • Reuters ID: LVAEPM9LW34OJQHXOCSWC2B29YH
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  • Story Text: "It's only a movie" was the reaction of many film fans enjoying the release of "The Da Vinci Code" in New York City. The film opened in theaters across the United States on Friday (May 19).
    The film which is based on author Dan Brown's book of the same name has been surrounded by controversy because of what some Christians have seen as Brown's heresy in suggesting that Jesus Christ was married. But even as America's evangelical Christians who see the book as Bible bashing at its worst and are attacking it's film version, many New Yorkers who saw the film on the opening day said that they thought the controversy was uncalled for.
    New Yorkers who watched "The Da Vinci Code" at Clearview Cinemas in Manhattan's Chelsea and spoke to Reuters all agreed that the film should be viewed as fiction and not seen as something blasphemous.
    After emerging from watching the Tom Hanks and Sophie Tautou film, New Yorker Sebo Ragsdale, who liked the film, explained why she thought the controversy over the film was unwarranted.
    "I think that it's - you believe what you believe and I think the movie was more of a fiction based movie. We can believe in a lot of things in life and if you choose to go in with that idea and base it on your religious faith, I think that's the wrong attitude to go in with," Ragsdale said.
    Michelle Dispensa said that she was open to all kinds of interpretations of religious history and that the version of Christian history presented in the film just interested her but didn't bother her on her faith.
    She said, "I'm very open-minded. It didn't offend me whatsoever. It just made me think. It's just history."
    Jason Schell, another New Yorker, said the controversy around the film had probably helped its ticket sales but that he thought it was uncalled for.
    Schell argued, "I think it's really funny though there's all this controversy with the movie's come out, when the book's been on the best-seller list for two and a half years, so where's the controversy then? It just seems like it's just a little and probably I'm bored by it already. Do you know what I mean? There's other things we need to be worrying about for sure."
    Church leaders and protesters have said the book's success is based around a "dishonest marketing campaign" passing off fictitious allegations as religious fact. Many critics have panned the film as well but box office experts believe that the film will still keep drawing in hordes of people who loved the book and are curious to see its film version and decide for themselves.
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