Story courtesy of Allison

CATHOLIC GROUP ATTACKS MOVIE

BY ELEANOR O'SULLIVAN
MOVIE WRITER

It's quite the spectacle: An Academy Award-winning film company and a respected anti-defamation organization are duking it out over a movie few have seen.

The brouhaha went public yesterday at a press conference held by the Catholic League at its New York headquarters. The league is protesting a movie its members say "drags Catholicism down to the gutter level."

The movie is "Dogma," written and directed by Highlands native Kevin Smith ('Clerks," "Chasing Amy"). Smith's personal look at Catholicism was applauded by Roger Ebert and The New York Times but taken to task by Variety when "Dogma" was screened in May at the Cannes Film Festival.

The movie's distributor is Miramax Films ("Shakespeare in Love"). Miramax is threatening to sue the Catholic League over protests of "Dogma." Miramax is owned by the Walt Disney Company. Earlier this year, Miramax executives Harvey and Bob Weinstein began shopping the controversial film to other distributors.

At yesterday's press conference, Catholic League president William Donohue circulated a letter from Mitchell Silberberg & Knupp of Los Angeles, the law firm representing the Weinsteins, corporate heads of Miramax.

The law firm's June 15 letter responds to the league's plan, which is, according to Donohue, to "push a few buttons, and we will not hold back," regarding organized protests over the release of "Dogma."

"We intend to hold the League fully accountable for any wrongdoing, injury or damage it causes," writes Daniel M. Petrocelli of the law firm.

"The letter is wonderful," said Donohue at the press conference. "It proves who the true enemies of free speech really are."

"We plan protests through letter writing, phone calls, a petition drive and peaceful demonstrations," said Rick Hinshaw, the league's director of communications.

"By speaking out about it now, we hope to inspire substantive changes (in the film) or discourage the distributor from going forward (with the film's release)," Hinshaw said.

The controversy heats up further today when the league's one-quarter page ad runs on The New York Times' op-ed page. It protests the release of "Dogma" and asks Disney to sever its ties with Miramax, producer of the film.

"Dogma," which Ebert described as "wildly irreverent, with characters who try to make sense of faith," stars Ben Affleck, Matt Damon, Salma Hayek, Linda Fiorentino, Chris Rock, Alan Rickman, Smith and Jason Mewes.

Hinshaw pointed out several objectionable scenes.

"A few that really stand out are: a rather graphic description of the film's theory that Mary and Joseph had sex; that from their sexual relations, they have a descendant who works at an abortion clinic and a lot of toilet humor and four-letter words," Hinshaw said.

Hinshaw said no representatives from the Catholic League have seen "Dogma," which has been shown at Cannes and in test-market screenings. But from reading the script, available on the Internet, and from reading early reviews, he said, the league found objectionable material.

The United States Catholic Conference in Washington has yet to comment on the film. Reaction, when it comes, will be in the form of its publication's movie review, according to Bill Ryan, deputy director of communication for the USCC.

"We are aware of the film and have been reading materials about it," Ryan said yesterday. "The way things work here, the broadcasting office will make the views of the conference known through a review. I presume one will be forthcoming, but I don't know if there has been a screening yet."

Miramax did not respond to calls for a comment yesterday.

"Do we have a comment? Of course not," quipped Kim Loughran, Smith's assistant at his Red Bank production company, View Askew.

Did Loughran know if Miramax had sold the film -- said to be priced between $12million and $14 million -- to another distributor?

"No, but we would all love to know; we'd all breathe easier," Loughran said, adding that Smith was not in the office and was unavailable for comment.

Said to be in the running are Artisan Films, Lions Gate Films and the venerable Hollywood studio, MGM. Spokesmen for these companies could not confirm that they were in the running. Smith's agent, Tony Angellotti, said no sale had been made yet. No release date has been set, but late fall has been suggested if a distributor can be settled upon shortly.

Hinshaw said the Catholic League is the largest Roman Catholic civil rights organization in the United States, with 350,000 members. It publishes a monthly newsletter, Catalyst, that "alerts members when we find something that is objectionable."

Eleanor O'Sullivan: (732) 922-6000, Ext. 4516.

Religion writer Lois M. Rogers contributed to this story.