So says Lorenzo Minoli, producer of one of two made-for-TV biopics about Pope John Paul II currently in production. Minoli's will appear on ABC.
The other, set to appear on CBS, has the backing of Opus Dei, conservative Catholic movement which had strong ties to the late pope.
As a Lutheran, I don't have a lot in common with Opus Dei. But since when did they give up their right to free speech? And why is the movement's involvement a basis for dismissing a film?
Nowhere is the notion of political correctness, with its decided prejudices and accompanying condescension and penchant for cartoonish villainizing, more widely accepted than in the film industry.
I don't think it is as much about political correctness or freedom of speech as it is about marketing, not wanting your product (in this case a film) to be connected to only a narrow slice of the consumers that might otherwise be open to it. Imagine having a baseball movie and then reading comments that it is strictly a movie for fans of the 1969 Seattle Pilots.
ReplyDeleteBobo:
ReplyDeleteFirst of all, thanks for dropping by and for leaving your comments.
You may be right. But I can't help but feel that there are certain opinions that are more widely accepted within the film and television communities than others and that those views are given decided preference. Divergence from them is regarded as anathema. Those who disagree with them are seen as being guilty of hatred or intolerance. I don't think that's fair.
You're right that a film aimed at fans of the Pilots (later the Brewers) wouldn't be likely to gain a big audience. But there's no reason that a movie about the Pilots couldn't be made. Similarly, there's room in the universe for movies about John Paul II that involve Opus Dei and those that don't.
Thanks again!
Mark