Excerpts from this Catholic League press release also appeared in the single-page Entertainment section of the paper.
The editor of The Monitor, whose blog is here, wrote an opinion that raises some great points and shares personal experience ...
"My son likes books of this genre - having read JRR Tolkein and CS Lewis, not to mention the Harry Potter series - and he checked out of the library the books by Philip Pullman on which the movie is based. ...Rest assured that Ratzinger's lifework has fostered universal familiarity with the term 'Magisterium' among the Faithful, extending even to Ms. Kidman.
Nicole Kidman, a Catholic and a star in the movie, has said she doesn't believe the movie is anti-Catholic; but one can reasonably ask if she knows her faith enough to even spot anti-Catholicism? One has to know the meaning of the term Magisterium before being offended by its misuse."
Still, convince me that spotting anti-Catholicism is a purpose for knowing the faith.
Two weeks back, the school held a Scholastic book fair. Next to the Narnia and the Harry Potter books were placed companion books to The Golden Compass film. I flipped through the book, stopping at a violent still: a gun muzzle aimed at close range at the neck of another person. I didn't want my child buying that book and, for a K-8 school, I wondered how appropriate it would be in general.
The book was removed from the shelves not once but twice, for it always found its way back sometime after I left - the third time I spotted it far from its original placement. Mind you, the movie isn't even out yet - are they anticipating demand or manifesting it?
But the book of the film genre that Scholastic specializes in is practically worthless. And I try to have a policy at home that we don't buy books based on TV shows or movies. I make some exceptions, of course, because there are genuine crossovers. But certainly a picture book of film stills would not make the cut.
2 comments:
Teresa: I'm glad you enjoy the commentary in the Monitor and I don't mind a link to the blog at all. How did you find it? And, it seems you have a wonderful family! God bless,
Paula
I googled your column's name with your last name and found your very lovely Princeton pictures.
I don't get over to Princeton as much as I would like.
You have a big job, as editor, but as a long time reader, I've noticed a better paper, certainly.
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