Before Woodstock, life in the United States was often portrayed by Hollywood as an almost idyllic existence. After Vietnam, a majority of the movies made in “Tinsel Town” have been nothing more than exposé’s about the racist, hypocritical, misogynistic and seedy side of middle America. Incredibly, after the Hollywood/Madison Avenue generated cultural collapse in the 1960’s, the nihilistic, American-hating bigots in Hollywood occasionally make films which extol the virtues of the average American. The only plausible reason the sinister moguls continue to produce positive movies about Christ-believing people living in the United States is that the film makers smell money.

 

            Two retro films based on real events which edify the average American man are Hoosiers (1986) and Rudy (1993). Hoosiers is a fictionalized take on the true, Cinderella story of a rural high school in southern Indiana, Milan, with barely enough students to field a basketball team, defeating one of the largest high schools in the state, Muncie Central, to win the 1954 Indiana basketball championship. “David versus Goliath” is how an announcer in the film describes the championship game in Hoosiers. This movie makes the viewer feel good about being an American, knowing that even the little guys have a chance to come out on top. It is also a story about redemption, where a talented but washed-up coach, played by Gene Hackman, reverses a failed career. The player who makes the game-winning basket as time expires gets carried off the court by ecstatic fans and teammates.

 

            Rudy is another uplifting movie. It is about the struggles faced by Dan “Rudy” Ruettiger to play for the Notre Dame football team as a walk on in the 1970’s. Sean Astin portrays “Rudy,” a hard-nosed Catholic kid from a steel town who dreams of playing for the Fighting Irish. What “Rudy” lacks in size, speed, education and brains; he makes up with determination and courage. “Rudy” gets crushed by massive Notre Dame football players along with being emotionally pounded by his family, telling him that he is not good enough to play for the Irish or go to Notre Dame. “Rudy” perseveres and is allowed to dress for his final game after being on the practice squad his entire collegiate career. He gets put in at the end of the game and makes the last tackle: a quarterback sack. “Rudy” is carried off the field by his teammates. A caption at the end of the film notes that “Rudy” is the last player to be carried off the field at Notre Dame. Surprisingly, Hollywood does not mock "Rudy's" Roman Catholic faith.

 

            The young men portrayed in these movies are real-life heroes; not supermen, just kids who overcame adversity and excelled using the talents that God gave them. They did not quit, especially when faced with what seemed to be never-ending discouragement. These films are positive and uplifting but not in a smarmy way. The viewer with average abilities can relate to how ordinary people achieve extraordinary things. Many people watching these movies connect with the emotions that they see on the screen.

 

            The emotional bonding that occurs by viewing Hoosiers and Rudy does not occur with Superman Returns. No one will be in danger of crying or cheering wildly at the end of this film. There is something about this Superman that leaves a queasy, awkward feeling. He is masculine and feminine at the same time. Superman's voice is deep and soft - he is almost always ready to lapse into a lisp. He has rugged facial features but the cinematography captures the skin and complexion of a fashion model. His muscles are pronounced but he appears to be delicate, like a ballerina. He has piercing blue eyes (similar to the eyes of a Nazi in a Spielberg movie) which have a sensitive, dreamy gaze about them. Obviously there is something amiss when an Internet search reveals that sodomites lust over this Superman.

 

            Whoever concocted this film saw fit to not include American way as part of the slogan about what Superman stands for. This is incorrect because this Superman is the perfect personification of the new American way. He knocks up Lois Lane before heading off to his home planet, Krypton, for a five-year hiatus. While Superman is gone, Lois shacks up with the hotshot nephew of the editor at the Daily Planet. It appears that she does not know, until her son demonstrates super-human strength late in the movie, who the father is. When the man of steel returns, Lois goes on a sensual, night flight with him - her body is pressed against Superman’s as she clings to him in mid air. Obviously, according to modern social norms, Lois exercises her Hollywood-ordained “woman’s prerogative” and forgets to mention this flight to her john. When Lois’ paramour asks her if she loves Superman, she lies. Her mendaciousness and lack of any form of commitment is presented as normal and cute. Superman uses his ex-ray vision to peek in on Lois and her “family.” Hollywood is instructing America that stalking and voyeurism is acceptable as long as it is sanctioned by the media. The love triangle and trailer-park-trash drama in this film is straight out of the Jerry Springer Show. If this is not the contemporary, raunchy Hollywood version of the all-American couple, what is? Cleary, the perverts running Hollywood dirtied the wholesome image of Superman and Lois Lane just like they have soiled nearly everything else they portray about the United States outside of Hollywood and New York.

 

            When discussing this movie with a prominent Catholic scholar, it was pointed out that Superman is a “mock messiah.” The diabolical parallels to Jesus are striking: Superman’s father sent his “only son” to Earth; “Savior” is used twice to describe the man of steel; Superman nearly dies and flies up to the upper limits of the atmosphere (Heaven) and extends his arms out in a crucifixion pose, gets rejuvenated by the sunlight and returns to Earth to battle evil; and Superman finally dies after defeating evil and is “resurrected” back to life. The “resurrection” scene is outrageous. It is Cinderella in reverse. The princess/slut, Lois Lane, kisses the prince/fornicator and he awakens. This film is offensive to Catholic beliefs. The comic book character is made into a real-life “savior” who truly battles evil. Obviously, Hollywood wants the world to know that its “savior” hears cries for help from Earth. What does that make the real Savior, Jesus Christ, in the minds of Hollywood’s “elite”?

 

There is no mistaking that “Tinsel-Town” is not a Catholic metropolis. No one even remotely Christian would make a movie like this. Superman expands on the DaVinci Code’s defaming of Christ’s virtue by contrasting Superman’s philandering with its defamation of Christ and Mary Madeline: that they were fornicators who produced a bastard. Satanic Hollywood is swinging both fists at Jesus Christ and the Catholic Church since Mel Gibson’s Passion of the Christ.

 

Why do Catholics continue supporting Hollywood? How many Catholics noticed the sacrilegious aspect of Superman? When will our clergy speak up?