The Da Vinci Code

valleygirl

Cathlete
Is anyone else growing tired of hearing and reading about the book/
movie? Has anyone seen the movie, and what did you think?
 
I haven't seen the movie but was just talking to my inlaws about the notariety the book/film are getting...To be honest, DH and I didn't even know what the story was about so we finally asked SIL tonight! LOL I'm not interested in going to see it in the least. SIL or FIL said the critics say the movie is slow moving and boring. They say to read the book if you want but don't bother with the film....
 
I read the book at someone else's urging and honestly I don't see what all the fuss is about. While some of the ideas in it were compelling, I thought the storytelling was tedious and the writing average. I was glad when the last page arrived. So, no, I won't be seeing the film :)

I've never really understood the whole "protest a movie" thing either. If you don't want to see a movie, don't see it, but let others make the choice for themselves!

Sparrow

Life is not a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in a pretty and well preserved body, but rather to skid in sideways, thoroughly used up, totally worn out, and loudly proclaiming ‘Wow - what a ride!’ — Peter Sage
 
I read the book, thought it was good, interesting, and gave me something to think about. Don't know what the FUSS is about. It is FICTION! says it on the book! x( x( So everyone up in arms should calm the hell down!
Ann Marie.
 
I read and enjoyed the book as I much prefer my fiction to be laced with historical fact/fiction. It raised some interesting questions. I had already read Holy Blood/Holy Grail, and it was a continuation of some of those ideas, so I really enjoyed it.

However, I can't picture Tom Hanks as the lead character (please, the LEAST smoldering actor on earth) and I have heard it has been critically panned, so I probably won't bother seeing it until it comes out on DVD. I am, however, vastly enjoying the discomfort of the Catholic Church. I'm Catholic, so I'm allowed. :)

Marie

PS: Has anyone read any of the other Templar-genre books which have since come out? I was looking at a bunch in Border's but I hate paying for iffy fiction in hard back...
 
I loathed the book. I thought it was predictable and boring and the characters were poorly drawn. I also hated the fact that for a while (until he was proved completely wrong), Dan Brown implied that the story was based on fact. I will definitely not be going to see the movie.
 
I just finished the book last night, and enjoyed it. I agree that the writing is mediocre, but the story is great. It opened my mind and rekindled my interest in history and art. I don't have much interest in the movie because the reviews I've read so far have been poor.

I agree with you that I don't know what the fuss is all about, and I am growing weary of hearing about it in every form of media.

Regarding Shelley's comments, I never heard any statements by Dan Brown. There is a fact sheet at the beginning of the book, that states exactly what is fact. I just assumed that everything else was fiction, so I had no confusion in that regard.

-Nancy
 
I find it difficult to sit through 2.5 hours of ANY move, let alone one that's supposed to be boring.

One of my pet peeves are books that are obviously written to be made into a movie. The entire time I was reading it, I couldn't get that out of my head.
 
Nancy, that is a part of the problem. The "facts" at the begining of the book are fiction too. The interesting ideas the book seems to raise in everyone's mind are based on nothing. People, in my humble opinion, are already too confused about religion and the church. They look to books of fiction to make up their minds instead of speaking to theologians, priests/pastors, or reading the Bible. I read the book and agree with Shelley's "review" and don't plan on seeing the movie. I do, however, understand the protests to a degree. If you, as I do, believe in the divinity/humanity of Jesus, the idea that he wasn't God, was married, and had children, and that the whole reason for the church is to hide this is deeply offensive. We as a nation are very quick to stiffle anything that may offend someone of a different faith or nationality, but if you are a Christian, it's open season.
 
Robin, all it said really was that Opus Dei has an office building on Lexington Avenue, and that the descriptions of the art and architecture are accurate, and that sort of thing. I believe all of that actually is true, right? I mean the "facts" were very brief and limited. Everything else is clearly fiction.
-Nancy
 
>Nancy, that is a part of the problem. The "facts" at the
>begining of the book are fiction too. The interesting ideas
>the book seems to raise in everyone's mind are based on
>nothing. People, in my humble opinion, are already too
>confused about religion and the church. They look to books of
>fiction to make up their minds instead of speaking to
>theologians, priests/pastors, or reading the Bible. I read the
>book and agree with Shelley's "review" and don't plan on
>seeing the movie. I do, however, understand the protests to a
>degree. If you, as I do, believe in the divinity/humanity of
>Jesus, the idea that he wasn't God, was married, and had
>children, and that the whole reason for the church is to hide
>this is deeply offensive. We as a nation are very quick to
>stiffle anything that may offend someone of a different faith
>or nationality, but if you are a Christian, it's open season.


BINGO!!!!!

Michele
 
>However, I can't picture Tom Hanks as the lead character
>(please, the LEAST smoldering actor on earth) ...

I never pictured the lead character as "smoldering." Though I didn't picture him as looking like Tom Hanks, either! More like a middle-aged character actor.
 
I saw the movie this weekend. I had never read the book. I liked the movie although I agree it was slow at times but it did hold my interest. My friend who I went with read the book and she liked the movie but did say that the book was more detailed. I say see it or don't and make your own minds up. Like everything else in life we all cannot like the same things. WHat a dull world it would be if we did.


Terri
 
>Nancy, that is a part of the problem. The "facts" at the
>begining of the book are fiction too. The interesting ideas
>the book seems to raise in everyone's mind are based on
>nothing. People, in my humble opinion, are already too
>confused about religion and the church. They look to books of
>fiction to make up their minds instead of speaking to
>theologians, priests/pastors, or reading the Bible. I read the
>book and agree with Shelley's "review" and don't plan on
>seeing the movie. I do, however, understand the protests to a
>degree. If you, as I do, believe in the divinity/humanity of
>Jesus, the idea that he wasn't God, was married, and had
>children, and that the whole reason for the church is to hide
>this is deeply offensive. We as a nation are very quick to
>stiffle anything that may offend someone of a different faith
>or nationality, but if you are a Christian, it's open season.

I'm not religious, as many here know, but ITA agree about it being "open season" on Christians, which is why I boycotted alot of stores this past Xmas season. But that's another controversy :p

Sparrow

"Life is not a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in a pretty and well preserved body, but rather to skid in sideways, thoroughly used up, totally worn out, and loudly proclaiming ‘Wow - what a ride!’ — Peter Sage
 
What I find offensive is that something I hold to be a truth (Jesus is the son of God, was born a man, died for my sins, was resurrected and is now alive) is a lie created by the church for its own gain. I certainly uphold the idea of questioning everything and that each person has to make up his or her own mind. I'm not trying to preach or convert anyone here. I just think it is unfair of a society that strives so hard not to offend some groups see nothing wrong with attacking the bedrock beliefs of another. I would hope that anyone who has questions based on this book or any other, for that matter, would go to the correct sources to have them answered.

Actually, I have a problem with a lot of movies and TV being presented and bought by the average viewer (not any of the educated crowd here!) as truth. I'm afraid too many are swayed by what Hollywood presents and celebrities say as truth rather than searching and finding their own beliefs.

And I spent much too long trying to write this without offending anyone. Please, accept apologies for any unmeant insults.
 
The book is fiction. I believe the people making such a fuss about it are the ones that are confused.

And I agree Tom Hanks was not the right choice for the movie. Now, I could see Tom Cruise or Ben Affleck but not Hanks.

As for the Catholic church...it has more reasons to be uncomfortable than this book. I was also raised Catholic so I am allowed
:)
 
I enjoyed the book and expect the movie to be a let down.

The movie has raked in $225 Mil internationally. Probably wouldn't have pulled in half of that if the churches and protesters ignored it instead of making it a controversy.

For years people have written books about Masons and Shriners being evil conspirators, running the world with very little protest. I can't imagine what could be more evil than trying to help handicapped or burned children.

But as a previous poster addressed the Catholic church has more than this movie to worry about, it's position could be a diversionary tactic.

I too am Catholic.

Dave
 
I actually enjoyed the book, although I liked Angels and Demons a lot better - that was church vs science with a scientist actually about to prove the existence of God.

Dan Brown does state the the book is fiction. He makes a reference to papers proving the existance of the Priory. Those papers (which do exist) have been proven false. At no time does he even suggest, however that the main premise for the book, the idea that Jesus married and had children, is true.

Personally, and this is just my opinion, I think the idea that Jesus had kids is laughable. There would be no way to hide something of that magnitude for 2000 years, especially if someone like Leonardo Da Vinci and other scientists knew it. The church may have been powerful enough at one point to hide it, but they are no longer.

I'm Catholic as well, born and raised. And there are aspects of the Catholic church that I do not like - one is the treatment of women. I find Dan Brown's theories on how those rules came about much more interesting than the main point of the story, and worthy of further investigation.

I think the conversery is fabulous for religion. Night after night - and it even made it the Cathe boards - of discussions of the religious merit of the book? How could that not make people interested in learning more? And I think that's a really good thing - that people are considering their beliefs. Even in the junior highs, they're talking about this book and what it means to religion. God does work in mysterious ways...
 

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