Christians call for boycott of ‘atheist’ Pullman film

Two years ago US Christian websites extolled the virtues of children seeing the film version of The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe - the adaptation of CS Lewis's classic book, starring Tilda Swinton and James McAvoy. Now the same blogs are buzzing with negative speculation about the message of The Golden Compass - the first adaptation of Philip Pullman's His Dark Materials trilogy. Roman Catholic groups in America are calling for a boycott of the film, saying that it is bait to ensnare children in his "atheist agenda" and that the British author's trilogy promotes "atheism for kids".
 
Bill Donohoe, the president of the Catholic League in the US, says Pullman's books are deeply anti-Christian and he fears the film, starring Nicole Kidman (above) and Daniel Craig, will prompt parents to buy the books. The third book in the series, The Amber Spyglass, as Donohoe puts it, climaxes in an epic battle to "destroy God". A growing number of north American Catholic leaders have taken up the call for a boycott, urging parents not to take their children to see the film, with one Ontario school removing Northern Lights, the book on which the film is based, from its library shelves.
 
At the weekend Daniel Craig and the film's director, Chris Weitz, came to Pullman's defence, claiming that the books were not anti-religious or anti-Catholic and were against the abuse of religion. The Catholic League also called for a boycott of the film adaptation of The Da Vinci Code but it went on to become one of the highest-grossing movies of 2006.

Inital reviews suggest The Golden Compass could be a Chrismas hit. The Guardian critic gives it four stars, adding: "If Darth Vader wore a blond wig, a slinky dress and a dab of Chanel behind each ear, he could hardly be as evil as Nicole Kidman, playing the gorgeous villainess Mrs Coulter... statuesque, elegant, seductive, with a hint of cold steel." ·