Caught a lovely Sunday crowded as hell afternoon showing of The DaVinci code. I say this every single time I go to a movie no matter what the outcome "Blessed are those who expect nothing for they shall not be disappointed".
I had not signed on to the "The DaVinci Code" scandal. I have a block when it comes to mass hysteria novels. The Christmas gift novels...ie....Harry Potter, The Davinci Code, A Million Little Pieces, She's Come Undone, Lovely Bones, Wicked, The Five People You Meet in Heaven and The Celestine Prophecy. To name a few of the, "Everyone's gone mad for this book", club. In order for me to sign on, I either have to discover the book before the mass hysteria (Lucky for me I found "She's come undone", before the mass hysteria because I love it, love it, love it and would still be waiting around to read it had I not.) Five of the above mentioned are all books I want to read, but just can't because of my mass hysteria block. So needless to say I didn't really know the real deal of The Davinci Code, just the gist of it.
My love, respect and admiration for Sir Tom Hanks is what got me in to see the movie, because I had no urge whatsoever. (The free "Davinci Code", movie ticket courtesy of the Spiderman box set didn't hurt either) First of all the billboards scattered about Los Angeles for the movie did not draw me in at all. They look like some advertisement for an old Lifetime Television special.
I paid little attention to the media's coverage on the religious upset and all that jazz because I shut down. And I still can't believe I hadn't heard the specifics of the religious uproar, especially me, with my beliefs of women as the martyrs, the superior yet most abused, mistreated and taken for granted group of humans, sadly, even by ourselves.
After seeing the movie, I intend to read the novel. That's for damn sure. I could tell without reading the novel that this was a hard one to transfer to film. I'm sure if I had read the book first I would've been upset about all that was left out and how things should've been made clearer and yadda, yadda, but lucky for me I didn't and my interest in the book has been fueled by Ron Howard's interpretation of Dan Brown's work of fiction. The movie is getting mixed reviews. And I understand, but Dayna Clark, as general Jill Shmill audience, enjoyed the movie and all it's performers. Tom Hanks, Ian McKellan, Alfred Molina, Jean Reno. Love all these guys, these gifted actors.
Outside the theatre, there was a woman in a wheelchair with an elaborate spread of signs protesting The DaVinci Code...Denouncing the DaVinci Code. Just sparking everyone's curiosity, making everyone want to go see what all the hoopla is about. Her purpose and all the other protestors....fanning the box office sales flames.
In the world of fiction and movie fantasy women can be raped, cut into pieces, thrown from moving vehicles, stabbed, shot, raped again, have babies ripped from their wombs, all kinds of horrific things I could never imagine in my wildest writer's mind has happened to women on screen and in print.....But actually glorifying one and raising questions about a woman's role and worth in biblical times the way "The Davinci Code" did, causes protests and gasps from the religious masses. Sad State of Affairs.
Don't get me wrong, I get why it would cause protests, because it sure raised some questions in my mind. Even though it's supposed to be a work of fiction. But at the end of the day.....it's still supposed to be a work of fiction. A Hollywood adaptation of a novel, said to be a work of fiction. Protestor's just make folks feel there must be something to it.
All this to say....The Davinci Code is worth seeing and a reminder to the all too serious protestor's.....Richie Cunningham(Ron Howard) directed this movie, not documentary, movie. So relax and continue to believe what you believe and leave Hollywood to it's sinful ways. It's Hollywood, we're talking Poltergeist, Blair Witch, The Omen, The Exorcist....can't stop, won't stop!
