Christian marketing agent Tim Penland and Universal Pictures are at odds over whether or not a soon-to-be-released motion picture is blasphemous. A Martin Scorsese-directed film, The Last Temptation of Christ is based on the Nikos Kazantzakis novel of the same name. According to Penland, the script he reviewed includes scenes that portray Jesus fantasizing over Mary Magdalene and engaging in homosexual activity with one of his disciples.
Penland was initially contacted earlier this year by Universal to help promote the film in the Christian community. “My role in this from the beginning was to help Universal build a bridge with the Christian community,” says Penland, who performed a similar service for Warner Brothers’ The Mission. However, he knew from the beginning the film might be blasphemous. The first script he read included several objectionable parts. “I marked 80 of the 120 pages as being troublesome,” he says.
Still, Penland addressed the National Religious Broadcasters (NRB) earlier this year and assured them Universal would deliver a film that affirmed Christian faith. “I knew the chances were high that I was being used, but I was hoping to develop genuine dialogue between Christians and Hollywood,” says Penland. At that time he also indicated he would resign if he learned the movie was blasphemous (CT, Mar. 4, 1988, p. 43).
Bailing Out
By June 12, Penland was convinced Universal was not keeping its end of the bargain. He resigned his consulting role with them, citing a “bootlegged manuscript” and Universal’s changing of a screening for Christian leaders. “I received a copy of a new script from Reverend Donald Wildmon of the National Federation for Decency and I could see my worst fears were being realized,” says Penland. “I told them the script would offend Christians and urged them to let a group of Christian leaders preview it. When they kept putting the screening off, I knew it was time to pull out.”
Simon Kornblitt, vice-president of marketing for Universal, denies Penland’s accusations and maintains the film, due for release at the end of the summer, will affirm Christian faith. “To our knowledge, the script released by Reverend Wildmon is an old script. We told Mr. Penland it was not the current script, but he has chosen to resign over this issue. As for the screening, we have simply had to postpone it because production of the film is behind schedule. We have scheduled a July 12 special screening for the Christian leaders Mr. Penland recommended, and even that date requires that we interrupt production.”
Penland had originally recommended five Christian leaders to preview the film: Bill Bright of Campus Crusade, California pastors Jack Hayford and Lloyd John Ogilvie, Wildmon, and popular author James Dobson.
According to Universal, they are proceeding with the same plan Penland recommended. “I find it surprising Mr. Penland would agree to work on a project that he initially found so awful, and then back out,” says Kornblitt, noting that Universal paid Penland “a significant amount” for his services.
Penland claims he has been used and regrets working on the project. “I was a babe in the woods, and I regret my role in recommending the project to the Christian community,” says Penland.
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