Adoption Groups Upset Over Upcoming Horror Film Orphan
This weekend, Jaume Collet-Serra’s horror film Orphan hits theatres, and while it may seem like a story we’ve seen far too many times before, that is precisely what has a number of special interest groups up in arms. Various adoption and foster care groups in the United States are calling for a boycott of the film, which they feel depicts adopted children in an unflattering light. They are concerned that the portrayal of an “evil” orphan on screen will only reinforce negative stereotypes about the risks and anxieties that parents feel when going through the process of adoption. Does this sound ridiculous or what?
I’m always amazed by how many special interest groups there are in the world, and how almost every movie that is released nowadays manages to upset at least one of them. Clearly this is a fictional story and I seriously doubt that anyone would make a connection between this movie and the decision to adopt a child in real life. Still, I guess I can see how some people might be alarmed by the line in the trailer that says, “It must be hard to love an adopted child as much as your own.” I wouldn’t be surprised if this line ends up being cut from the movie. A spokesman for Warners also said they are thinking about adding a pro-adoption message at the end of the DVD release of the film. What do you think, is there any validity to these concerns, or is this just another special interest group clamoring for publicity? In case you haven’t seen it, I’ve embedded the trailer after the jump.
Comments (58)
How come we don’t hear about this bull shit from other movies?
Why didn’t Astronomer boycott Armageddon?
Posted by RJ on July 23rd, 2009Good lord…its just a movie, there is no reason to get upset.
Posted by Matt Keith on July 23rd, 2009people might (just might) subconciously get influenced by unlikely things they see, even a movie. and on top of that the movie does put adoption under a bad light, which already is a delicate issue. so yeah i can see how it might get these people all riled up. but still it does feel a little exaggerated.
Posted by modesilver on July 23rd, 2009Generally speaking, I despise “special interest” groups. Almost without exception, they are a bunch of boring, self-serving, hypocritical, reactionary, a-holes.
However, anyone with the heart to adopt and love a child as if it were their own gets a pretty big pass in my book to bitch about a silly movie.
Besides, if anything, this promotes both the movie and a discussion about adoption by people who might not have considered it before – I highly doubt that people who have been seriously considering adopting a child will be disuaded by a horror movie… Especially since there will only be about 7 people who pay to see this movie anyway…
Posted by Shut-Up Ed on July 23rd, 2009“However, anyone with the heart to adopt and love a child as if it were their own gets a pretty big pass in my book to bitch about a silly movie.”
Bitching about a movie and calling for a product boycott are two completely different things. I did my fair share of bitching about Transformers but I didn’t go around calling for a boycott of GM vehicles.
Posted by Dave on July 23rd, 2009“Generally speaking, I despise “special interest” groups. Almost without exception, they are a bunch of boring, self-serving, hypocritical, reactionary, a-holes.”
Take that World Wildlife Fund.
You know, as much fun as I like to poke at everything from PETA to the anti-smoking groups to that Tim guy and his Show Me The Vulva campaign, hearing this broad generalization against people out there with a passion for their certain issues, is considerably more annoying than the broad generalizations I hear from them against people not taking up their cause.
I’d rather hear an annoying lecture about not properly sorting my recycling than an obnoxious lecture against people for actually giving a shit about something. You actually used the word “despise”. Harsh, man. That’s a pretty lousy attitude, I have to say it.
Posted by Goon on July 23rd, 2009Isn’t the orphan in this supposed to be a ghost or something? They say in the trailer that the adoption company had never heard of her. If this were a real live killer kid thy might have had more of a point.
Posted by MJS on July 23rd, 2009I’m gonna back off a bit from the tone/browbeating there. I guess what I really basically wanted to say is that even though there are obviously lobbyist types of special interest groups full of dishonest lowlifes, I associate most of them with good decent people with good intentions who are occasionally, sometimes often, annoying, because they spend so much time with a certain issue that they will lack a broader context or view.
So even though when a group will complain about X in certain movies or TV shows, as a whole I pretty vehemently disagree with your characterization of them as people.
Posted by Goon on July 23rd, 2009As someone with an adopted sibling, I admit that the quote in question rankles me, and makes me unlikely to watch a film which I would otherwise catch opening night.
Posted by Wintle on July 23rd, 2009yeah deffinatly the opening line is harsh and i can see where anyone (special interest groups or not) could have a problem with it.
but as far as a movie goes absolutly not. Do these SIG really think that people are that dumb? If you were seriously considering adopting a child, no horror movie thats completely fictious is going to change that. i think they need to give people more credit then that.
there were no pro choicers complianing about Juno
Posted by rick on July 23rd, 2009I too made the assumption that the secret was that she was some sort of ghost or demon. Do they think potential parents might be worried they’ll adopt a kid only to find them already dead?
Posted by Kim on July 23rd, 2009“I wouldn’t be surprised if this line ends up being cut from the movie.”
Why? Is this some sort of socio-political movie with an agenda? I seem to recall a group representing albino people being up in arms with Warner Bros after The Matrix Reloaded came out.
Should “some” people getting upset over something be enough cause for censorship? How many “normal” people would freak over a Todd Solondz film? Should he stop making movies?
Posted by Dave on July 23rd, 2009“I seem to recall a group representing albino people being up in arms with Warner Bros after The Matrix Reloaded came out.”
There is always gonna be people that complain about stuff like that….people complained about the cannibals in Pirates 2 as being racist and just recently w/ Transformers 2 w/ “The Twins”.
Posted by Matt Keith on July 23rd, 2009“there were no pro choicers complianing about Juno”
I think actually there were some pro choice groups upset that the clinic was full of idiots/uncaring people.
Posted by Goon on July 23rd, 2009Abortion clinics ARE full of idiots and uncaring people. It’s sort of a job requirement when you are paid to facilitate the killing of unborn children… don’t cha’ think?
Posted by Shut-Up Ed on July 23rd, 2009I’m sick of all these groups whining about every little discrepancy in how their “special interests” are being represented. Even groups protecting my general category of the human species (e.g. the NAACP); seriously need to step back and stop making a mockery of themselves.
Posted by Ryan M. on July 23rd, 2009No, Ed.
Have you ever seen the documentary Lake of Fire, S-UE? It does everything it can to not take sides in the abortion debate, shows actual full abortions so you can decide for yourself, shows how they treat people when they come in, and regardless of how you come out on abortion, there is no question in my mind that those people at least were nothing but professional and sensitive to the emotions going through the woman’s head, and weren’t staffed with bubblegum blowing children handing out flavored condoms.
I actually do know a few people who have had abortions, and I would not say anything more on their cases other than that of all the issues they had about it before and after, the staff were not among them.
But I guess the idea that an abortionist could still be a decent human being stands in the way of the strawman many want to burn down. (or at least makes it harder to murder them or blow up their clinics). But if you still feel this way then I’ll advise you not to watch Vera Drake.
Can we get back to talking about special interest groups in terms of how they affect movies, instead of just generalizing groups of people as evil? Or is this thread just a sad excuse to attack any special interest group we disagree with?
Attempt: My number one most annoying case of a special interest group shutting down a TV/movie is the group that shut down Clone High USA because of its depiction of Gandhi. They annoyed me not because I have any certain opinion Gandhi or whatever Indian group issues they have, but simply because they didn’t get the stupid joke, and they succeeded, and thats why Clone High only lasted one season.
Posted by Goon on July 23rd, 2009Adoption is wrong!
Star Wars taught us that – if Yoda had not callously hidden Darth Vader’s children from him and basically used FORCED ADOPTION on Luke and Leia; the people of Alderaan would be alive today.
I rest my case.
Posted by rus in chicago on July 23rd, 2009Adoption is necessary to keep barren women from dressing up their pets as people.
Posted by Goon on July 23rd, 2009“But I guess the idea that an abortionist could still be a decent human being stands in the way of the strawman many want to burn down.”
No Goon, an abortionist cannot be a decent human being because he/she makes their living sucking the brains out of unborn children. Explain to me how that a person who does that can be a “decent person.”
It’s rediculous. It’s impossible.
Rus:
If Yoda had not spirited the twins away, The Deathstar would never have been destroyed by Luke Skywalker and many more planets would have suffered the same fate as poor Alderaan.
However, I agree, he should have submitted a complaint to Naboo Social Services if he thought that Anakin Skywalker was an unfit parent… I can;t be sure, but I suspect he may have exceeded the Jedi “peacekeeping force” mandate by essentially kidnapping another persons children.
Posted by Shut-Up Ed on July 23rd, 2009To Sean:
“What do you think, is there any validity to these concerns…”
Whether or not the concerns are valid, I think I understand them. I think it comes from the same place that makes people think that smoking on screen = people starting smoking. I don’t think how they are portrayed will cause reasonable regular human beings to suddenly change their mind about them, but it may embolden the ideas of some people who had already made up their minds about such things. The kind of person who would decide orphans are evil from this movie are probably the kind of people who think that already, or you wouldn’t want adopting to begin with
of all things i’ve seen in movies that actually did maybe scare me, it isn’t Jaws keeping me out of the water, its that sometimes I don’t like being underneath airplanes on the street very much, I randomly recall a specific death that kicked off an episode of Six Feet Under. And my fear there is completely irrational.
Posted by Goon on July 23rd, 2009“Explain to me how that a person who does that can be a “decent person.”
You are just using this thread as an opportunity to go attacking people who don’t share your specific values, and I don’t want to see the thread shut down for getting too far off topic. Especially since if you’re going to throw the word ‘evil’ around and judge people, I would be very prone to call you names in return. If you want an answer about why I am pro-choice, email me. I’d also be interested to know if veterinarians, soldiers or a number of other people are ‘decent’ because of how one could crassly summarize their profession.
If thats not a reasonable alternative: Shut up, Ed
Posted by Goon on July 23rd, 2009Goon
1) I am not attacking you or anybody else.
Posted by Shut-Up Ed on July 23rd, 20092) Not endorsing murder of children is not a “value.”
3) Never used the word “evil.” That was you.
4) I could care less why you are pro-choice. But I’m glad you were not aborted. That would have really sucked for you.
You said these people murder children, but yet you’re backing off from saying they’re evil? and think that’s not attacking anyone? nor did you attack ‘almost without exception’ everyone in special interest groups? Are we in Campealand where its not an attack if they’re not part of the thread?
I’m talking about values because the issue is more complex to me than murder/not murder. It involves overpopulation, the number of women that would die if it were outlawed, how to handle something that would turn to the black market. All these things are part of an overall sense of values and priorities on this issue, and these things will factor into whether I believe a person with a job like that can be a good person. I invited you to email me because a comprehensive reply would seriously derail this entire thread.
I am upset at you, and this is why:
It’s not because of your specific views. They’re not new to me, I’ve had this discussion before. I’m angry because you threw this issue out there with a “Dont you think?” and then asked “Explain to me why…”, and now that I invited you to explain just why over email, you’re now saying you don’t care to find out why.
You’d have to know this is the kind of issue that derails threads. If you’re not going to email me, this is the last post in my participation of said derailment. I offered.
Posted by Goon on July 23rd, 2009WOOHOO! Abortion debate! Probably not the place for it, but what the hell, right?
“Killin’ babies is wrongz, and Godz is takin’ y’all ta HHHEEEEELLL when yoo die!!1″
“Don’t matter whether yoo were raped, yer 14, or yoo just aint ready! It aint up to you to decide! It’s up to GAWD!!!!11″
ROBBLE ROBBLE ROBBLE!
amiright? no?
How ’bout that T-Formers Deux, eh? That’s a good ‘un!
anyone?
seriously though, Shut-Up Ed, this is probably not the place to push your Pro-life agenda or ANY agenda really. It’s a movie blog. Write about the issue at hand. And furthermore, try to be a LITTLE more open-minded when dealing with people’s opinions and beliefs that you don’t agree with. Goon was nothing but respectful when responding to your comments.
Take a lesson.
Posted by Fatbologna on July 23rd, 2009Thanks, Obese Lunchmeat, but I doubt your comment will do much to quench the tangent
Do you have any specific memories of a movie/TV show you love that got shut down or bombarded with attacks from special interest groups?
Posted by Goon on July 23rd, 2009Boycott? hum…
Posted by Big Hungry on July 23rd, 2009Well I have not seen the movie but I will say this. If a fictional movie makes someone not want to adopt a kid who was going to… it might be for the best. Because adoption is a full commitment and the world needs more people who really want to help and not ones who can easily be unmotivated.
Not that I can think of. Films aren’t usually affected by protesters to the point of being pulled or edited.
Video games on the other hand have had a LOT of problems that HAVE caused publishers to pull/censor titles.
The Manhunt2 debacle was a pretty big one, although it wasn’t a great game to begin with. Recently a title called Six Days in Fallujah lost all of it’s distribution because of protesters. I think that film distributors in America have gotten used to people protesting their products and seem to have gotten over it knowing that it’ll eventually blow over. Game companies on the other hand constantly bend to the will of certain family-friendly groups. Being that games are now more profitable than all media combined, I think that publishers are more interested in maintaining a clean public image.
I totally respect a rights group to push their cause and make their voice heard, but I think that far too often these groups are using certain causes to push a political agenda.
Posted by Fatbologna on July 23rd, 2009@Big Hungry
My argument would be that anyone who is swayed by a bad B-horror film on whether they want to commit to raising a child probably shouldn’t have one anyway.
Posted by Fatbologna on July 23rd, 2009I’m not pushing an agenda. I’ve never been to a political rally, I’m not a member of any political party, and I rarely vote.
And for the record, I don’t think that doctors who perform abortions are “evil.” Again, that was you that said that, not me. I said they are not “decent.” The act of perfoorming an aboortion is evil, yes, and should be outlawed – I think the people that do it are misguided, confused, and disturbed.
I’m sure there are many polite, well dressed, donating to charity, help old lady cross the street abortionists. But they take money to kill children. That is not a decent act. It is an indefensible act. And I have absolutely no moral equivalency about it.
Some things really ARE that simple.
Killing children is an immoral act. It is an indefensible act. It is one that should not be legal except in the most extreme cases i.e. health of the mother. And even then ONLY if there is a very significant chance that the mother will die without action. It is a human being? I can’t believe that this conversation can occur in a civilized society? It’s incredible!
Fat – If you can show me any sort of research at ALL that gives me some numbers of rape victims that have been impregnanted by their attackers, I’d love to see it. Really. I would. Because I would have to imagine the chances of that occurring are somewhere in the neighborhood of 1,000,000,000,000,006/1.
Also – I said I’m glad neither of you were aborted. That’s not an insult. I mean it. You should be pretty stoked your parents didn’t murder you because they fucked at an inconvenient time.
Posted by Shut-Up Ed on July 23rd, 2009What does any of this have to do with abortion?
Posted by James on July 23rd, 2009Not too much.
Posted by Shut-Up Ed on July 23rd, 2009@Shut-Up Ed
LOl, my being aborted was a definite possibility as my parents were very young when they had me. Seeing the difficulty they had raising me makes me appreciate that they didn’t. Doesn’t mean that I think they didn’t have the right to if that was their choice. My parents fought. ALL the time. We were broke. ALL the time. They drank. ALL the time. My birth made their lives a living hell, because they were too young and too immature to deal with a child. But they worked. They got their shit together and they toughed it out. They still aren’t rich. But they ARE happy. If they’d decided to waylay all that pain and effort by aborting me, though. It would have been their right.
It’s THAT simple.
My parents had every right to make whatever choice they wanted to. As long as they discussed and fully understood what they were doing, they would have had every right to do that. Being that I was a fetus, I was still a part of my mother’s body. I didn’t get a say, and I shouldn’t have. Morality and empathy are often lacking when talking about the woman having the abortion and placed onto the non-thinking, unaware being inside of said woman. I’m not going to get into gestation periods and everything else. It’s a matter of choice. It’s no one but the mother’s choice. Her body, her choice.
As far as the rape question goes, I’m not going to get into numbers games. If a man rapes and impregnates a woman it’s HER choice to abort it.
in your own words: Some things really ARE that simple.
Posted by Fatbologna on July 23rd, 2009and he started it.
Posted by Shut-Up Ed on July 23rd, 2009Were you a human being when you were inside your mothers womb?
Posted by Shut-Up Ed on July 23rd, 2009DAMN! HE PULLED ME INTO IT! IDIOT! I CAN’T BELIEVE I FELL FOR IT! ON A MOVIE BLOG!
DAMN YOU, Shut-Up Ed!!
YOU’VE MADE ME A HYPOCRITE!!
Posted by Fatbologna on July 23rd, 2009@Shut-Up Ed
not yet. I was an organism. not a human. I didn’t have a mind or a sense of self.
it’s all semantics though. YOU DO NOT AGREE WITH ME. I DO NOT AGREE WITH YOU. End of discussion. Neither one of our minds will be changed in this discussion. It’s pointless. It’s potentially an eternal and cyclical argument that people will ALWAYS steadfastly remain on one side of.
Your beliefs do not coincide with mine. I respectfully disagree with you. No one is right here. No one is wrong here (except you
).
finis.
Posted by Fatbologna on July 23rd, 2009Summary of this thread:
http://yesyouare.ytmnd.com/
Good advice to all of us:
http://stfuandgtfo.ytmnd.com/
and both of them have more to do with movies 
Posted by Goon on July 23rd, 2009Fat
You don’t have a sense of self until you are approximately two years old. So I’d be careful there…
You certainly had a mind.
If you were an “organism” what kind were you if not human?
Posted by Shut-Up Ed on July 23rd, 2009My vote for lamest special interest group tantrum ever goes to flight attendents who got mad about Flight Plan.
Posted by Rusty James on July 23rd, 2009“It must be hard to love an adopted child as much as your own.”
I don’t get being upset with this line. I didn’t watch the trailer, as I have no interest in the movie, but it seems to me a valid point. It must be hard, and I’m sure it’s a real issue to people thinking about adopting.
Posted by Henrik on July 23rd, 2009“You don’t have a sense of self until you are approximately two years old. So I’d be careful there”
I used to advocate legislation that would make abortions legal up untill 1½ years old
. I was a riot at parties.
Posted by Henrik on July 23rd, 2009My vote for best special interest group tantrum ever goes to the Institute of Dead African American Storage who got mad about the sub par facilities in which to store dead black people in Pulp Fiction.
I wonder if a government institution has ever stepped in and complained over depiction of conspiracies, etc
Posted by Goon on July 23rd, 2009SUE, since yo seem to have a lot to say on the matter. And since Sean has let it be known that he prefers that threads not go off on politically loaded tangents; why don’t you take Goon up on his offer to email him.
Posted by Rusty James on July 23rd, 2009@ I wonder if a government institution has ever stepped in and complained over depiction of conspiracies, etc
Well anything to do with holocaust denial who run into trouble in germany.
Posted by Rusty James on July 23rd, 2009“Well anything to do with holocaust denial who run into trouble in germany.”
Oh yeah, right. There was that wrestler JBL who got into trouble there for even goose stepping and saluting to get heel heat. Careful though Rusty, if someone wants to talk about holocaust denial now apparently this means you “started it”
Speaking of emails, Rusty – email me when you have a chance
Posted by Goon on July 23rd, 2009Henrik,
I’m not surprised – and that’s not too controversial anymore – afterall our own president supported legislation to make it legal to abort children out of the womb.
I’m pretty sure he’s got someone on his staff that used to advocate for the legality of abortions for children aged 2 years and under.
Crazy.
Gives me an idea for a cool movie though – with advances in genetic engineering – mothers no longer have to carry children – machines do it for them and they can design their children any way they see fit – could lead to some moral dillemas… i.e. “Whoops! I won a 2 week trip to tahiti – abort my baby.” Maybe have AI care more for the lives of the children then the human parents that dispose of them for the sake of convenience?
Maybe too close to Gattaca? I think there is potential. It would be tre’ controversial = money.
Posted by Shut-Up Ed on July 23rd, 2009Goon you ABSOLUTELY started it. You were the first to mention abortion. Then you made it personal.
Smiley faces don’t make you less of a prick.
Posted by Shut-Up Ed on July 23rd, 2009I’m not quite sure how the topic turned to abortion, but I guess I shouldn’t be that surprised.
What about just discussing whether or not Orphan looks like a decent movie or not?
Posted by Sean on July 23rd, 2009Someone asked for statistics about pregnancy and rape:
“the national rape related pregnancy rate was 5.0% per rape among victims aged 12–45 years, producing over 32 000 pregnancies nationally among women from rape each year”
Source:
Posted by MJS on July 23rd, 2009Holmes MM et al. Rape-related pregnancy: estimates and descriptive characteristics from a national sample of women. American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology, 1996, 175:320–324
MJS,
That’s a LOT.
Shut-up Ed,
“Fat – If you can show me any sort of research at ALL that gives me some numbers of rape victims that have been impregnanted by their attackers, I’d love to see it. Really. I would. Because I would have to imagine the chances of that occurring are somewhere in the neighborhood of 1,000,000,000,000,006/1.”
Suck on THAT penis of validation…
Sean,
The Orphan looks… poor.
btw, Vera Farmiga seems to have a lot of problems getting a decent kid. Between this and Joshua maybe she should just hang up her child rearing gloves and call it a day.
If you want a really effective bad kid movie I HIGHLY recommend an English film called “The Children”. That one’s kinda disturbing and is already available on R2 dvd or…other places.
Posted by Fatbologna on July 23rd, 2009“Goon you ABSOLUTELY started it.”
All the evidence is right here.
Comment 10 rick says no pro choicers attacked Juno. post had no opinion/comment about abortion.
In comment 14 I tell rick that Juno did indeed have some people attacking it. no opinion/comment on abortion.
In comment 15 you reply and make a specific comment on abortion.
So either rick started it or you started it, but considering rick was actually on topic…. You started it. Take some responsibility for your own actions. You deliberately went for the hot button issue. You’ve even now, and you alone, added a political bent to it. I admit I took your bait and responded to you, but I also provided the out so this thread could move on, and you’ve rejected it.
Posted by Goon on July 23rd, 2009
It’s like being in my Catholic high school all over again. EVERYONE LOVES FIGHTING! Yaaaay!
Posted by Falsk on July 23rd, 2009When I first saw the Orphan trailer, I was actually taken aback at the 1:04 point (in the video) with the title card “There’s Something Wrong With Esther”
THAT should have been the title of the movie. That has creepy appeal and makes your movie seem somehow a tad smarter than plain old “Orphan”. I actually forgot the title a couple times and when I first saw this post I was like “Oh yeah, There’s Something Wrong With Esther”
Posted by Goon on July 23rd, 2009It seems whenever a special interest group makes a comment or attack towards a film, it does nothing but benefit it. At the very least it gives it exposure. Rather or not it does well, or is a good movie, I dont know. I thought the trailer looked like a generic “the child is evil” horror film. the idea that she is adopted just happens to be its gimmick instead of her being the “daughter of satan” or whatever other demonic twist has been used in the past.
Posted by Captain N on July 24th, 2009The only thing offensive about this trailer is how shitty it makes the movie look. Im going to pass on this one.
Posted by Chelsea on July 24th, 2009Fat – Goon
“The most convincing study of pregnancy and rape in peacetime settings (Holmes et al. 1996) (aka the study you cite) involved a three year longitudinal study of a representative sameple of several thousand American women. Among victims of reproductive age (12-45), the rape related pregnancy rate was 5%…. Hammond et al. (1995), whose work was based on in utero DNA paternity tess, report that 60% of the women who became pregnant after rape WERE IMPREGNANTED BY A CONSENSUL MATE. Thus, the figure reported by Holmes et al. probably should be corrected to about 2%. At this time it is not known whether false rape allegations influenced this percentage.”
- A History of Rape (2001)
Goon – you brought up abortion. Not me. I made a general statement about Abortion clinics. You made it personal.
You started it.
And you are a prick.
Posted by Shut-Up Ed on July 24th, 2009Ed I have to disagree, you’re the one who started forcing your opinion down everyone’s throats. Goon has never been one to back down from an argument, but you started this one. With that being said, I think it’s time to shut down comments on this thread.
Posted by Sean on July 24th, 2009