Missing an Opportunity

With the opening of The DaVinci Code this week, we have been overrun with outcry on blogs everywhere, TV specials dealing with codes and conspiracies, and media hype in general. The film got mediocre reviews in Cannes. Some folks have their undies in a wad, while others find the book to be interesting writing.

The National Organization for Albinism and Hypopigmentation is protesting the movie's portrayal of Silas, an albino, as a red-eyed psychopath.

I'm all for fairness, respecting other people, and not making fun of people who are different. For crying out loud, I have a girl's name. I know the pain of being laughed at for being different.

I believe that we are on the precipice of changing the way movies are made, of affecting the literature of our world. We are dangerously close to missing a moment to make a difference. It is time to put the kibosh to all movies that are not fair in their treatment of their subjects.

I am calling for an end to all stupid baseball movies. From Kevin Costner's ridiculous For Love of the Game, to Joey/Matt LeBlanc's Ed (a chimp? C'mon...), to the sequels to Major League (II and III), to any movie that depicts a kid as a competitor with "real" baseball players (Little Big League, Angels in the Outfield, Rookie of the Year, Tiger Town--I'm tired of linking...).

Enough is enough. Stop the insanity. We need movies based on accurate portrayals of real people, living real lives. We need truth. We need believability. We need accuracy.

We need more Die Hard and Lethal Weapon.