DECIDE FOR YOURSELF

By Ashley Behn

Did you receive the following email this week?

"THE GOLDEN COMPASS, a new movie targeted at children, will be released December 7, 2007. This movie is based on a the first book of a trilogy by atheist Philip Pullman. In the final book a boy and girl kill God so they can do as they please. Pullman left little doubt about his intentions when he said in a 2003 interview that 'My books are about killing God.' The movie is a watered down version of the first book and is designed to be very attractive in the hope unsuspecting parents will take their children to see the the movie and that the children will want the books for Christmas. The movie has a well known cast, including Nicole Kidman, Kevin Bacon,and Sam Elliott. It will probably be advertised extensively, so it is crucial that we get the word out to warn parents to avoid this movie. You can research this for yourself. Start with this article on Snopes.com."

This email came to us about 10 times with a note from the sender requesting that we boycott the movie. We took a look at the websites that were listed with the email as proof that the movie is what boycotters are saying that it is. As suggested, we started witih Snopes.com, then moved to BBC.com & Philip Pullman's personal site. Here are some of the facts found regarding The Golden Compass:

• The Golden Compass is the first in a trilogy of children's books Pullman labels as "His Dark Materials." This trilogy is about a streetwise girl who travels through multiple worlds populated by witches, armor-plated bears, and sinister ecclesiastical assasins to defeat the oppressives of a senile God.
• Books in the series have already sold more than 15 million copies worldwide.
• Pullman is an avowed athiest.
• The final book in the trilogy won the Whitbread Prize in 2001, the first children's book to do so.
• Pullman mentions the word "kill" alot in interviews and this movie is supposed to be targeted at children.
• All advertising for the movie presents the movie as a harmless fantasy, but all reviews state otherwise.

Will you see the movie? That is up to you. If your child would like to see The Golden Compass, we are suggesting that you see it first before giving the "ok." Whether or not you are a "spiritual person" (as Pullman describes), may not be the issue. Children's movies should be light, imaginative and healthy for their minds. A movie that has a background of being known as "His Dark Materials," is about killing and exploring the dark side of the spiritual world, does not fit the bill for a movie targeted at children. Your thoughts? Send us an email.

Sources: Snopes.com

BBC News

Philip-Pullman.com

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