ABC scored with Mel Gibson and Jesus Christ

Fox News ^ | Feb 18th,2004 | Adam Buckman

[missyme]

Gibson's first TV interview on the subject of his new controversial movie about Jesus drew 17 million viewers Monday night at 10, according to Nielsen figures released yesterday by ABC.

Diane Sawyer (search) conducted the interview for a special edition of ABC's "Primetime," (search) subtitled "Mel Gibson's Passion."

The numbers should be enough to land this edition of "Primetime" among the top 20 highest-rated shows of the week. They also indicate a strong appetite for the subject of Christ, especially as it pertains to the firestorm surrounding Gibson's movie, "The Passion of the Christ."

The movie, which Gibson directed and produced, is scheduled to open in one week, on Ash Wednesday, Feb. 25.

It's a graphic depiction of the bloody final hours of Jesus' life based on biblical accounts. For months, the movie has drawn accusations of anti-Semitism from Jewish groups angered by the movie's depiction of the role of Jews in Christ's crucifixion.

Gibson was last interviewed on the subject in The New Yorker last September and does not appear poised to make the talk-show rounds in the coming week.

His only booking appears to be "The Tonight Show with Jay Leno" on Feb. 26, the day after the movie's release.

In the meantime, NBC's "Dateline" will have a full hour Friday night (beginning at 9) on the final days of Christ. The show, anchored by Stone Phillips, uses the movie as a jumping-off point for an in-depth look at what is known and not known about Christ's final days.

The show uses ancient texts, plus interviews with experts who can interpret them, to retrace Christ's activities in the days leading up to his crucifixion.

And Sunday night, Pax TV (Ch. 31) will present Gibson's own documentary about the making of his movie, titled "The Making of 'The Passion of the Christ' " (9-10 p.m.).

The special includes interviews with the movie's cast and crew - including Gibson - although the director does not use the "Making of" special to address the controversy surrounding the film, a Pax spokeswoman said.

[evolved_rage]

Hmmm. Every ad I saw had Sawyer asking Mel if he was Anti-semitic followed by a quick shot of a wide-eyed Mel. I guess the ads won.

[jeffo]

Gibson bows to pressure, changes "The Passion"

In a move designed to appease detractors who have labeled his upcoming movie antisemitic, Mel Gibson has made numerous changes to the controversial film.

"I am just sick of the fight," remarked Gibson from his offices late Tuesday night. "The movie was intended to be a very personal statement of my faith, but the controversy has has changed it into something else entirely. I hope that these changes remove the bad feelings but still leaves at its core the message I was trying to convey". The re-shoots were reportedly done in secret last weekend.

Gibson, a Catholic, had come under fire when early viewers of the movie reported that it places the blame for the death of Jesus Christ on Jews, and many fear that the film will inspire hatred or even violence against them. Although the details of the changes to the movie were not confirmed, sources at Gibson's production company give the following details:

• The setting of the movie has been changed from Judea, traditional homeland of the Jewish people, to Saskatchewan, Canada.
• Although Jesus remains of Jewish lineage in the movie, no other Jews appear in the movie. Instead, Jesus' death is sought by a large group of terrorist aliens from another galaxy.
• The horrifyingly graphic scenes of Jesus' crucifixion have been replaced with him being sternly talked to and, in one scene, being made to stand in a corner for several hours. This has resulted in the movie being re-rated as a "G" film.
• In the most shocking change, Jesus no longer dies at the end of the movie. He is instead rescued by a company of Navy Seals who represent each of the world's major religions.

Insiders who have seen the changes have had mixed reactions. Actor James Caviezel was apparently unavailable for re-shoots, and in the new scenes Jesus was played by a much taller man who holds a cape over his face.

The film opens nationwide this Friday.

[rovenstinez]

What bothers people is Mel actually believes...THE MESSAGE. And it is precisely his firm conviction that unsettles people who have gone astray in a flea market of philosophies that sell cheap, and render no use to the inner person that desires to know his Creator.

[biblewonk]

It was a Mel Gibson love-in. She played softball with him and most of it was about Mel not about Jesus. I wish that she'd have asked him about gay marriage. She and her ilk will do their best to grill W on that issue but Mel gets a free hr of advertising. OK there was a little gospel there too, just a little.

[My2Cents]

I watched about three-quarters of the show. The fact it was hosted by Diane Sawyer almost made me miss it entirely.

[JohnnyZ]

ABC scored with Mel Gibson and Jesus Christ

That's not the best title.

[My2Cents]

The show uses ancient texts, plus interviews with experts who can interpret them, to retrace Christ's activities in the days leading up to his crucifixion.

Do they mean "the Gospels"?

[bray]

You forgot the other change, Jesus is going to be played by Whoopie Goldburg.

Pray for W and The Salvation of Iraq

[JohnnyZ]

The show uses ancient texts, plus interviews with experts who can interpret them

I cringe to think who they might consider experts.

[Maximilian]

The re-shoots were reportedly done in secret last weekend.

LOL. This is hilarious. Did you write this yourself?

[My2Cents]

in the new scenes Jesus was played by a much taller man who holds a cape over his face.

LOL...Film has been retitled, "Savior 9 From Outer Space"

[Constantine XIII]

"The show uses ancient texts, plus interviews with experts who can interpret them..."

D'oh *smacks forehead

[MissAmericanPie]

Amos and other places in the bible describe the famine of the last days will be for the truth, and for the word of God. It's good to see that there are still a few million that want to be fed. I hope the movie does a good job.

[colorado tanker]

The show uses ancient texts, plus interviews with experts who can interpret them, to retrace Christ's activities in the days leading up to his crucifixion. Do they mean "the Gospels"?

Yes, but since none of them attend services or know the least thing about the Bible, they don't know the word.

[GretchenEE]

These reports keep emphasizing the people who charge the movie is anti-Semitic.

Very little is being said about the content. That's the real issue. Who is Jesus, what did He do that He was crucified, and how in heaven's name did He rise from the dead, as the Gospels' eyewitness accounts say.

THERE'S the real story.

[GretchenEE]

Thanks for the update at post #3. This is good news for the theologically squeamish.

[Gorjus]

The show uses ancient texts, plus interviews with experts who can interpret them, to retrace Christ's activities in the days leading up to his crucifixion.

Do they mean "the Gospels"?

Of course not. If the 'ancient texts' were going to be those in the Bible, they'd have said so. The fact they feel they need something else says they reject the authority of the Bible. They'll claim to include the Gospels, but it will be as one source among many - and I'd take a large bet the Gospels will not be shown as the most reliable source.

They'll probably find an 'ancient text' which reports what was described in Matthew 28. After the guards reported what had happened, the chief priests and elders, devised a plan, they gave the soldiers a large sum of money, telling them, "You are to say, 'His disciples came during the night and stole him away while we were asleep.'..."...And this story has been widely circulated among the Jews to this very day.

[Gorjus]

Instead, Jesus' death is sought by a large group of terrorist aliens from another galaxy.

Whew! You had me goin' there for a minute. But we know the bad guys have to be white Aryan racists (as in the movie version of 'Sum of All Fears'). No way the libs would allow us to insult the no-doubt disadvantaged and persecuted aliens. Why, if Gibson changed to that story line, he might as well not even have bothered.

[jeffo]

LOL. This is hilarious. Did you write this yourself?

Yes, thanks, I am good for one funny a year, and dang its only February.