The Passion for Lawsuits

I'm not a Passion basher.

I ended up not getting to see it, but that was mainly because I couldn't find the time and, while I'm sure it's a great movie, it wasn't a real priority for me. I'll get the DVD and watch it at home.

I'm a little disturbed by the ammount of lawsuits surrounding this movie. He's suing because of pirated copies of the movie. He's suing a theater chain to get revenues that they allegedly promised him. He was rumored to have threatened to sue two groups that were protesting the movie.

I understand that Mel had a lot of money on the line. I understand that, in Hollywood, you have to protect your interests. I also had understood that making the movie wasn't about money -- he wanted to get a message out.

The movie pirates were arrested and charged. The movie itself has made a ton of money, and the merchandising promised much more. Another $40 million is at this point irrelevant -- unless you are in this to make money, rather than get your message out.

I don't really blame Mel Gibson, though. He's used to Hollywood -- he isn't used to the whole "Christian arts" thing, where we just want to get our message heard, and maybe make enough money to live on. It just bothers me that something that has changed lives, and has the potential to change many more, is simply another money-making vehicle for Hollywood. Didn't Christ say something like "Freely you have received; freely you should give"?