The Lefty Hollywood Watch: Is 'Paul' really a Christian trashing film?

The conservative right has its story and it's sticking to it: Any tax increase is a sign of Armageddon, teachers unions are out to destroy our educational system, Barack Obama is a Final Four-obsessed Socialist mandarin and, oh yeah, Hollywood is at war with conservative America's Christian values. That's the party line at Andrew Breitbart's Big Hollywood website, which regularly sounds the alarm against every tiny perceived slight against the right in nearly every Hollywood movie.

It was Big Hollywood that led the charge against "Avatar," America's biggest box office hit,  claiming it was full of pro-environment and anti-military propaganda. John Nolte, the website's editor, even went after "The Blind Side," perhaps the most pro-conservative-values film to come out of Hollywood in years, focusing on one shot that coaxed a laugh out of a photo of George Bush on a post office wall.

Now Nolte is up in arms about "Paul," the zany new comedy from Simon Pegg and Nick Frost, the guys behind "Hot Fuzz" and "Shaun of the Dead," which he's calling a Christian-trashing film, saying he can't imagine why the "Hot Fuzz" crew "would choose to go out of their way to antagonize Christians with a $40 million investment on the line...I guess their bigotry just got the best of them." Even though he clearly hasn't seen the film himself, he pulls some quotes from a few reviews to support his claim that "Paul" is some kind of "left-wing, atheist polemic disguised as escapist comedy."

Actually, it's a comedy. And good comedy has to be allowed to take aim at anyone, from minorities and silly, self-important bozos to crass opportunists and blowhards of all shapes, colors, creeds and political stripes. With "Paul," Pegg and Frost decided to make fun of America's Comic-Con geekdom, so the film revolves around a pair of sci-fi nerds on an odyssey through our UFO heartland. They do have fun with a religious fundamentalist (played by the wonderful Kristin Wiig) living in a trailer park, but if you can't laugh at the sight of her wearing a T-shirt showing Jesus shooting Darwin, then you clearly have a humor deficiency.

Nolte has been crowing that "Paul" had a weak opening, since he believes that supports the party line at  Big Hollywood, which is convinced that Hollywood lefties are so eager to send ideological messages that they keep losing money on films that insult God-fearing Americans. Actually, Hollywood loses money on all sorts of movies all the time, but if Nolte really believes that Hollywood is driven by ideological, not profit, motives, someone should let him sit in on a couple of studio marketing meetings in which the marketing team is desperately trying to find ways to reach every sliver and slice of every demographic known to man.

In Hollywood, capitalism reigns supreme. They want the blue state audience and the red state audience and everyone in between. As for a comedy like "Paul," the Big Hollywood true believers should lighten up a little. Or take some advice from New York Post's Kyle Smith, a conservative who gave a big thumb's up to "Paul." Smith believes conservatives should try to be less paranoid about possible slights, saying, "Going to the movies with our offensiveness detectors set on hypersensitive is the liberal's favorite pastime, not mine." I couldn't agree more. Sometimes a cigar is just a cigar and sometimes a nerdy sci-fi comedy is just a silly movie trying to make you laugh.    

-- Patrick Goldstein

Photo: "Paul" writer-actors Simon Pegg, left, and Nick Frost pose for a portrait earlier this month in New York City. Credit: Jessica Rinaldi/Reuters

Comments

[Laura Mitchell]

I saw Paul the other day and I haven't laughed that hard at a movie in a long time. Folks need to lighten up, it's just a movie.

[Jack]

I wasn't going to go see Paul. But after this wacko's review, I will go to the theater.

[Gerald]

Goldstein is playing distortion games and knows it. The New York Post's Kyle Smith, in addition to being a race-baiter, is an ATHEIST who mocks and bashes Christians all the time. Goldstein knows this. If "Paul" or any other movie treated Muslims and Jews the way that it does Christians, Goldstein would be up in arms.

[Judy]

We all know that Hollywood's bottom line is $, that's a no brainer, however the constant lifting up of what Christians usually find sinful, i.e. murder, adultry, homosexuality is being portrayed in a different light. Rehab is all the rage, and being gay is now "acceptable" and we give millions to poor pathetic Sheen and we at first laugh along with him, then we see how much a truly miserable creep he is. Are Christians suspicious? Why not, all the values that we hold scared are put to the test, our tax dollars are spent on art exhibits that feature "Piss Christ", iis there another revered figure allowed to be depicted in such a demeaning manner? Shame on the industry for always playing to the lowest common denominator in people, yet when it comes to the Oscar's were are the profane and filthy films?

[DrDave]

This level of paranoia is a severe medical condition. John Nolte is obviously mentally ill and should be seen by the same psychiatrist who is seeing Charlie Sheen.

[wrtrprod7]

What's really offensive is what an easy, tired target Christians have become for Hollywood. Lazy, cowardly writers, pick on another religion and see how much the media cheers you on.

[David Williamson]

Actually, I would say Paul insulted all relegions equally. It just happend to be christians in the movie. You could have replaced any relgion, and the theme was, that if you are relegions, your a moron, their words not mine.

[Reason]

Ok Let's try this;

All those who think this:
"Whats really offensive is what an easy, tired target Christians have become for Hollywood. Lazy, cowardly writers, pick on another religion and see" and similar things I have a POV for you.

What if these lazy cowards are christians with a different sense of humor than you? What if they are lapsed christians with legitimate resentments against the religion which they lampoon in humor? What if the lazy cowards don't care about you or your magical beliefs and just took a wack at the most common religion in our society realizing most would get it?
My point is that your position of these writers attacking your religion intending to destroy it, assumes knowledge of the unamed offenders motivations as well as beliefs to the exclusion of those possibilities and any others besides the one you have assumed, when you have never once met or spoken to them. How is this possible? More magic maybe?

Get a life moroon, its a camp movie!

[Sabrina]

If Paul is a Christian trashing film, so what? It's not the first, and probably won't be the last. Those who have to slam people for their religious beliefs only show their own ignorance and narrowmindedness. I say we who are Christians are better off praying for those folks, and making our OWN films (and there's plenty of subject matter to choose from if one reads the Scriptures or lives of the saints)...than spinning our wheels saying "leave Christians alooooone!" Have we as Christians gotten so busy trying to be 'trendy' and fitting in with the world that we forgot about what Christ himself said on the Sermon on the Mount ( Matthew 5: 10-12) "Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. “Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you."

[heather chavez]

im glad that it may be down on Christian's . HELLO not everyone is Christian ,some may say that thay dont belive in god i dont. so why not have a movie like this i hope i see more .we are a world with out monsters and demons why not gods.