In recent years, no book has caused as much discussion and controversy as Dan Brown's The Da Vinci Code, which has held a place on the New York Time's Bestseller List since its release by Doubleday in March 2003. From the day the first copy slid off the shelf, it has sold in excess of 40 million copies and caused unrest within the Roman Catholic Church, due to its controversial portrayal of the Catholic organization, Opus Dei, and several other issues that shake the beliefs of Catholics worldwide.
Now that The Da Vinci Code movie has been released, many are questioning its intent and others are hands-down refusing to see it. Handfuls of concerned individuals are even picketing against the film at theaters throughout the United States, stressing that it portrays the Catholic Church in a bad light. Other Catholics believe it opens an important dialogue as to the role of women in the Catholic Church, an issue long on the minds of modern Catholic women.
For others, however, The Da Vinci Code is merely a compelling novel that was difficult to put down once they picked it up and started reading. The story is edge-of-your-seat thrilling and the characters are enticing, making it one of the most widely-read novels of the 21st century. If you're one of the millions who've read the book, you know that the story begins with the murder of the curator of Paris' famous Louvre museum. Enter the main character, American symbologist Robert Langdon (portrayed in the movie by Tom Hanks), in France for a book signing, who is abruptly summoned to help solve the crime. Joined by French cryptologist Sophie Neveu (Audrey Tautou), granddaughter of the murder victim, Langdon soon finds himself embroiled in a mystery that involves a centuries-old secret society, The Priory of Scion, and Opus Dei, the clandestine Roman Catholic organization that endeavors to seize the Priory's secret...a secret that could change the face of modern Christianity.
Sounds like a good plot, doesn't it? Obviously, millions agree, and now that the movie has been released by Columbia Pictures, with Ron Howard as its director, millions more will flock to the cinema to experience the story.
But who should see this movie? The powers-that-be who are in charge of assigning a rating to each movie released to the American public have pasted a PG-13 label on The Da Vinci Code, officially deeming it appropriate for children over the age of 13, stipulating that parents should be "strongly cautioned as some material may be inappropriate for children under the age of 13."
The Da Vinci Code's PG-13 rating will likely leave many concerned parents questioning the legitimacy of the ratings system. In a movie full of gore, blood, shootings, stabbings, graphic self-flagellation, nudity, and other questionable behaviors, an R-rating would have certainly been more appropriate.
Young teens, whose parents have kept them from reading the novel, will probably be anxious to view the movie and, given its rating, could argue the fact that others see it as appropriate for someone in their age range. That means parents must decide whether their impressionable child is ready to view such graphic scenes as the religiously pious (and naked) murderer, Silas, whipping himself with a cat-o-nine-tails and other torture devices (scenes that would be better implied than acted out) or the slaying of a sister of the Catholic Church.
Many scenes were simply disturbing, even to adults who read the book and were prepared for what they would see in the movie. To expose young teens to this behavior would be both unnecessary and inadvisable. Publications and websites dedicated to promoting quality family fare at the theater, like the online Discovery Journey, say "no" to exposing your young teen to this sort of cinematic behavior. Most believe that The Da Vinci Code is better suited for youth over age 17 who are better able to process the violence and other adult content for what it is...a ficticuous story that appeals to those who enjoy good mystery mixed with compelling historical and religious fact and legend.
