They’re desperate to kill the magic lion

The Sunday Times ^ | December 11, 2005 | Minette Marrin

[paudio]

There has for several days been a tremendous fluttering in the dovecotes of the liberal intelligentsia; this twittering and squawking has been caused by the dramatic appearance of Aslan, the Christ-like lion in CS Lewis’s children’s story The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe; the multi-million-dollar Disney film of the book was released here last week to huge publicity. Several prominent members of the commentariat have felt moved to express their contempt and indignation at something that will give huge pleasure to millions of children. If it were not so repressive and censorious, this would be comic. The problem for liberal intellectuals is that The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, like the whole Narnia series, is overtly Christian, for those that have ears to hear, and therefore religious propaganda and therefore a bad thing. Young minds might be perverted by this insidious stuff. The flames of this indignation have been fanned by the fact that the film has been eagerly taken up by the American Christian right.

[paudio]

I'm glad that people start to notice how intolerant 'intellectual' liberals are.

[VOA]

Young minds might be perverted by this insidious stuff.

Sounds like that one court ruling that dictated removal
of a Ten Commandments display from a school.
The judge had a Freudian slip...by admitting that one hazard of
such a display was that children might actually read The Ten Commandments
and be influenced by them.

[cricket]

bump for Narnia. . .

[Adder]

They might notice how intolerant they are, but it won't make liberals stfu , go away or be ignored.

[hershey]

The MSM is having big problems reviewing this film and we know why.

[MillerCreek]

Yes, there's just nothing like the mere mention of Christ to get liberals and their faux tolerance frothing.

I'm surprised someone hasn't said (yet) that the film "represses" some personage and/or "insults the Jews" or represents "hate speech" or something. I'm anticipating that the faux-tolerant will, however, in time.

[ThreePuttinDude]

History's view of "King of the Jungle"

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The Democants view of the "King of the Jungle"

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[durasell]

Why is one lion trying to jump over the other lion?

[infidel29]

Why is one lion trying to jump over the other lion?

Thanks for my first laugh of the day.

[KC_Conspirator]

I have noticed that as well. Articles in Britain and the Wash. ComPost have been acting like the White Witch and trying to kill Aslan in reviews of this movie.

[GermanBusiness]

Maybe some British papers and the WP condemned the movie, but a quick look at www.rottentomatoes.com shows an 80% positive commentary for the film.

Newsday in New York pans it as boring as do the two Orlando papers. Some unknown critic says she doesn't like the idea of children being made 'militaristic'...but the majority of major papers give it thumbs up.

And Roger Ebert and Roeper give it "Two Thumbs Up" saying the Christian theme is not watered down and appropriate to the story! I think Roeper thinks the White Witch is sexy...but that is another issue. ;-)

[durasell]

Part of the marketing for the movie is to make it look like an "under dog," which is kind of tough when the product costs $150 million.

[browardchad]

The Hallmark Channel aired a biographical "special" on Lewis the other night -- not a bad job, although I can't say I'm an expert.

There's also an excellent refutation of the Narnia criticism up at The Chronicle: For the Love of Narnia.

It seems the chief sniper is a militant avowed atheist who's written a children's series to promote his own venomous anti-Christian views. What a surprise.

[durasell]

What did they say about his marriage?

[patriciaruth]

Let the ACLU take their children to see Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire and scare their tots to death for Christmas.

That is a movie that should not be seen by children, because of the unremitting scenes of evil actions by Lord Valdemort and his Death Eater followers.

At least J.K. Rawlings recognizes there is true and deep evil in the world, but the book had some fun and wonder in it, too.

Trouble was fitting the whole book into a 2 hour plus movie. To make sense of the main plot line, the screen writers had to cut most of the fun and wonder, leaving a tale as dark as the second film of the Lord of the Rings series.

[browardchad]

What did they say about his marriage?

They portrayed the civil marriage as an impersonal act of kindness to allow Gresham to stay in Britain. When she became ill, he realized he loved her, according to the film, and he was devastated when she died.

[Hardastarboard]

Why is one lion trying to jump over the other lion?

Thanks for my first laugh of the day.

No, no, no. You guys know nothing of animal behavior. That male lion is protecting that female lion, by guarding her from attack from behind. :-)

[durasell]

A Grief Observed is a very good book. The only thing of his that I've read.

[Drammach]

According to the show, the marriage was originally a "convenience" to keep her and her sons in england..
Lewis was quoted as calling it a "paper" marriage..

As time went on and she was discovered to have cancer however, he finally professed his love.. and found that his profession was readily accepted, and returned..
They were remarried in a religious ceremony by a freind in the clergy..

Her cancer went into remission, and they were able to spend a short time together in a fuller relationship before her cancer returned and finally claimed her life..
He was as devastated by her passing as his own father had been at Lewis's mother's death from cancer.. and fell into an almost identical depression..
Lewis managed to recover somewhat, though never fully..

A movie was made of that relationship some time back..
I don't recall the name..
It was a bit of a tear-jerker..

[durasell]

Remains of the Day -- chick flick, didn't see it.