‘The Perfect Family’ Mocks Devout Catholics as Unthinking Bigots
Mockery of religion in general and Catholicism in particular is commonplace in Hollywood– from Showtime’s “The Borgias” to the recent “Three Stooges” movie which features Kate Upton wearing a “nun-kini.” The latest installment of Catholic-bashing, “The Perfect Family,” is slated to come out May 4 – and predictably stereotypes Catholics who believe and practice what their Church teaches as unfeeling busybodies.
The About section for the “The Perfect Family” declares: “Suburban supermom Eileen Cleary (Academy Award® nominee Kathleen Turner) is the ultimate Catholic.” And indeed, the trailer for the movie perfectly reflects Hollywood’s twisted conception of Catholicism. One quote from Turner’s character reflects the view that faithful Catholics are heartless drones: “Well who cares if you’re happy? You’re living in sin!” Another quote is even more explicitly anti-Catholic: “I don’t have to think! I’m a Catholic!”
The plot of “The Perfect Family” is predictable and formulaic. A “devout Catholic” woman, played by Kathleen Turner, is nominated for the “Catholic Woman of the Year” award by her parish. But her “non-traditional”family – a husband who is a recovering alcoholic, a lesbian daughter about to get married to another woman, and a son having an affair – hinders her from attaining that award, which she covets.
Throughout the movie, Turner’s character attempts to “clean up” her family in order to win that award and undercut a rival at the parish. At the end of the movie, she comes to “accept” her family for who they are.
The implication of the movie is obvious: Catholics who dare to follow the teachings of the Church are brainwashed fools who care nothing for the happiness of others.
The command of the Catholic Church to love homosexuals, as expressed by the Catechism of the Catholic Church, is completely ignored by “The Perfect Family:” “The number of men and women who have deep-seated homosexual tendencies is not negligible. This inclination, which is objectively disordered, constitutes for most of them a trial. They must be accepted with respect, compassion, and sensitivity. Every sign of unjust discrimination in their regard should be avoided. These persons are called to fulfill God's will in their lives and, if they are Christians, to unite to the sacrifice of the Lord's Cross the difficulties they may encounter from their condition.”
The film is also a work of homosexual advocacy, having been screened at the London Lesbian and Gay Film Festival. In an interview with the Huffington Post, “The Perfect Family” director Anne Renton (herself a lesbian) proudly noted that she directed a 2007 film about straight people in a hypothetical world of homosexuals, “Love is Love,” featuring“Glee” actress Jane Lynch.
The overt homosexual activism of “The Perfect Family” was not lost on critics. Variety’s Ronnie Scheib, in his review of the film, wrote: “The pic's main agenda, preaching religious tolerance toward gays, is rarely presented as even remotely humorous.” In his review, Scheib also noted “the pic's graceless lurching from genteel ‘Sister Act’-type humor to impassioned, melodramatic gay-rights advocacy.”
Hollywood’s portrayal of devout Catholics and religious people in general as nasty, unfeeling bigots is becoming increasingly overt – and less and less resembles reality.
- Paul Wilson's blog
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Comments
This movie will flop. I don't
Submitted by Liberallies on Wed, 05/02/2012 - 9:50pm.
This movie will flop. I don't get why Hollywood keeps on putting out this garbage, it barely covers the cost of making the movie.
and remember in the USA we can't make fun of homosexuals, Muslims, women, minorities, but Catholic and Christians, specially white males, are ok to mock and spit upon.
Well, to be fair
Submitted by Boudin on Wed, 05/02/2012 - 9:53pm.
You can make fun of all of em, if their Conservatives or Tea Party members.
Seriously?
Submitted by ant on Wed, 05/02/2012 - 10:26pm.
Even the 2% or so gay population is probably going to see 'The Avengers' instead.
A modest proposal
Submitted by redfish on Thu, 05/03/2012 - 12:02am.
A modest proposal:
Lets make a film about a gay couple who adopts a child, and that child grows up to be inclined towards religious conservative views and doesn't believe in gay marriage. Do the parents try to change the kid, or are they content to let him be happy?
'Values Voters'
Submitted by Slyrr on Thu, 05/03/2012 - 12:07am.
This is part of a long game. Remember 2004? When Kerry's campaign crashed and burned? Liberals, leftists and Democrats - in media, education, politics and science organizations - all blamed 'values voters' for the loss.
And everyone knows that's liberal/leftist 'code' for religious people.
So liberals en masse blamed Christianity for cheating them out of their 'rightful' place in the halls of power. And they set forth on a long scheme to destroy religion, so this would never happen again. They've been very coy about it for a long time. They've slyly devalued and sneered at religion in media, in science and schools. They always have, but since 2004 they've stepped it up a bit.
And now they are terrified of losing their power again. And they're blaming religion - again. So now they've become even more overt in their bigotry as they've grown more desperate. Obama set the stage for them. He called people who believe in Christ 'bitter' people who 'cling to God and their guns'. Then he ordered his vassals to 'argue with people and get in their face'. And he commanded them to 'go out and punish his enemies'.
Like they needed an excuse? But certainly they've taken his orders to heart. Now liberals in the media, and in politics, and in education, and in the scientific halls, are not only dismissive of religion. They are hostile. And they're only going to get worse as Obama's poll numbers get worse.
They truly think that if they just spew enough hate against God, it will get Obama re-elected. After all - the liberals declared that Obama is 'sort of' god to them. And they can't afford to have the REAL God getting in the way of their 'sort of' god.