Just what is Expelled—the controversial new documentary hosted by Ben Stein—even about, anyway?

That's one big question in the debate surrounding the film, with many opponents declaring that the movie is about defending Intelligent Design as valid science. Those defending the movie, however, say that it's really about freedom of speech and academic censorship. That's largely the position assumed by Chuck Colson, who writes that "Expelled is not anti-science; it is anti-censorship." Says Colson, the scientists who take part in the film all share "a commitment to science and the unfettered pursuit of truth."

Andre Salles, writing for the Beacon News in Aurora, Illinois, says the premise of the movie is this: "The scientific community is so enraptured with Charles Darwin's theory of evolution that they are working as one to stamp out anything that may contradict it, especially the notion of intelligent design. Scientists with impeccable records are being ostracized from that community—losing their jobs, their tenure, their professional credibility—for even giving voice to the notion that life may have been the work of an intelligent creator."

Stein himself discusses the movie in similar terms. "Darwinism had led to academic suppression. Anyone who questioned the orthodoxy of Darwinism was losing his job, getting harassed, losing his grants, losing his office, her office. This was not supposed to happen in a country based upon freedom of speech."

Still, despite the best of intentions, Stein's movie isn't winning over all its critics. Fox News' Roger Friedman says the movie is "a sloppy, all-over-the-place, poorly made (and not just a little boring) 'expose' of the scientific community. It's not very exciting. But it does show that Stein, who's carved out a career selling eye drops in commercials and amusing us on sitcoms, is either completely nuts or so avaricious that he's abandoned all good sense to make a buck."

Scientific American has a more measured criticism. "It speaks to their anti-intellectualism and fundamental misunderstanding of science that for the makers of Expelled (and ID advocates more generally) the answer 'we don't know yet' is a badge of shame. 'We don't know yet' is what defines the fruitful frontier for science; it is what directs scientists' curiosity and motivates them to spend years on research. Research starts where knowledge and certainty drop off. It's one of the many ironies of Expelled that Ben Stein says he wants this movie to free people to ask questions about science, but the ID theories he defends would close off inquiry with nonanswers."

Expelled opens in about 1,000 theaters across the U.S. this Friday.

In other movie news:

Ben-Hur to become TV miniseries (Variety)
Produced by director of the 1959 film

Michael Flaherty discusses Narnia, Screwtape (High Calling)
Walden president on marketing to evangelicals; new movies

Woody Allen interviews Billy Graham (Film Detail)
Clips emerge from a late-60s TV special

Disney, Pixar unveil crop of animated features through 2012 (press release)
Cars sequel, third Toy Story both in the works, as well as numerous others

J.K. Rowling to testify in court (AP)
Potter author says HP encyclopedia violates copyright

Stars turn out for Charlton Heston's funeral (AP)
Schwarzenegger, Selleck, Stone, Nancy Reagan among guests

Biographers mixed on W script (The Hollywood Reporter)
Oliver Stone's script is some right and some wrong, experts say

Rob Corddry cast as Ari Fleischer in W (MTV)
Former Daily Show correspondent plays press secretary in new biopic

© Christianity Today International. All rights reserved. Click for reprint information.

Read more  'News'

				Try 3 Issues of Christianity Today FREE! Name Street Address City/State/Zip E-mail Address No credit card required. Please allow 4-6 weeks for delivery. Offer valid in U.S. only. Click here for International orders. If you decide you want to keep Christianity Today coming, honor your invoice for just $19.95 and receive nine more issues, a full year in all. If not, simply write "cancel" across the invoice and return it. The trial issue is yours to keep, regardless. Give Christianity Today as a gift Buy 1 gift subscription, get 1 FREE!

Subscribe to the FREE CT at the Movies Newsletter:    RSS Feed   RSS Help