Generation Life takes on Academy Awards
By NADIA POZO
CS&T Staff Writer
Millions of fans were stunned last year when The Passion of the Christ,
which had the third biggest box-office of the year, was snubbed by the
Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. Instead, the Academy bestowed
its “Best Picture” award on Million Dollar Baby, a movie that
depicts euthanasia in a favorable light.
This year, the Academy has snubbed another box-office hit, The Chronicles
of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, based on the popular
children’s books by C.S. Lewis, and nominated — with massive
media hype — Brokeback Mountain, a film about two male cowboys who
fall in love, and maintain their relationship even after they marry women.
Members of Generation Life are outraged at the trend, and are taking their
fight straight to the Academy.
“We, the youth of America, say enough is enough! If success at the
box office is any indication of what we are looking for, then look no
further than the success of movies like The Passion of the Christ and
The Chronicles of Narnia,” states Mark Houck, Generation Life’s
Public School Coordinator, in an open letter to the Academy.
“Both of these movies were smash hits at the box office and received
only four nominations (three for The Passion, one for Narnia) from the
Academy and none of these were for acting, directing or best picture. Clearly,
something is wrong. Either there is something wrong with the millions
of people going to these movies or the problem [is] with the Academy.”
Generation Life, a movement for and by young people who are committed
to building a culture of life by spreading the pro-life and chastity messages
to their peers and to teens, is calling for the Academy to nominate movies
that reflect the values of millions of teens and young adults nationwide.
Houck noted that young people today are more pro-life than their parent’s
generation; that 54 percent of high school seniors are virgins and are
choosing to live a life of sexual abstinence until marriage; and that
more young adults are consistently choosing to elect public officials
who have respect for human life from the moment of conception until natural
death.
“We want entertainment that best reflects our respect for all human
life, our decision to practice sexual purity and our traditional family
value system,” said Houck, who represents hundreds of thousands
of youth and young adults involved in Generation Life in the United States
and Canada.
“The youth are the heartbeat of our nation and we ask that [the
Academy] remember that we represent the current and future success of
the film industry.”
Mark Houck may be contacted directly at 215-885-4668 or at mail@generation
life .org. To learn more about Generation Life visit www.generationlife.org
or call (215) 885-8760.
CS&T staff writer Nadia Pozo can be reached at npozo@adphila.org
or (215) 965-4614.