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Unbelievable! Yeah, let's all march our troops into "dialogue." The fact that our troops are completely disarmed for a fight seems to be irrelevant!

Many of our Christian sheep will be ripe for slaughter from DVC. All they will have to go to battle with is the Bible. But DVC undermines biblical authority by saying that the Bible was the product of a purely political process. This debate will shake the faith of many who are not prepared for it.

So, what can we as Christians do in response to the release of this movie?

Some are suggesting a protest. But the problem with this option is that it doesn't work. Any publicity is good publicity. Protests not only fuel the box office, they make all Christians look like idiots. And protests and boycotts do nothing to help shape the decisions being made right now about what movies Hollywood will make in the next few years. (Or they convince Hollywood to make *more* movies that will provoke Christians to protest, which will drive the box office up.)

Some suggest that we simply ignore the movie. But the problem with this option is that the box office is a ballot box. The only people whose votes are counted are those who buy tickets; if you stay home, you have thrown your vote away, and you do nothing to shape the Hollywood decision-making process regarding what movies will make it to the big screen.
 
Some suggest that we go see the movie so we can be better prepared to discuss it, to "engage the culture," so to speak. But if you've read this far, you already know how I feel about this. The problem with this option: No one's listening. They think they know what we're going to say already.

But I'd like to offer another option.

On DVC's opening weekend—May 19-21—you should go to the movies. Just go to another movie. That's your way of casting your vote, the only vote Hollywood recognizes: The power of cold hard cash laid down on a box office window on opening weekend.

Use your vote. Don't throw it away. Vote for a movie other than DVC. If enough people do it, the powers that be will notice.

The major studio movie scheduled for release against DVC is the DreamWorks animated feature Over the Hedge. The trailers look fun, and you can take your kids. And your friends. And their friends. In fact, let's all go see it.

Let's rock the box office in a way no one expects—without protests, without boycotts, without arguments, without rancor. Let's show up at the box office ballot box and cast our votes. And buy some popcorn, too.

As for The Da Vinci Code, don't go see this stupid movie. Don't pay money to have the insidious lies of the enemy introduced into your heart and mind.

Let's "othercott" DVC on May 19 by going to see Over the Hedge instead.

This commentary was adapted by permission from Nicolosi's online blog, Church of the Masses.

Barbara Nicolosi is the founder and director of Act One, an organization whose mission is to train committed Christian writers to work in the Hollywood film industry.

© Barbara Nicolosi 2006, subject to licensing agreement with Christianity Today International. All rights reserved. Click for reprint information.

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Da Vinci Dialogue Heats Up	Printer view
A commentary last week suggested that Christians "othercott" The Da Vinci Code, arguing that engaging the film is akin to debating with the Devil. Then wham!, the e-mails came rushing in.