Why I'll Never Forget Going to See The DaVinci Code

I read the book and enjoyed it, especially all the clever puzzles and clues. It was probably the first fiction book that kept me running back and forth to the Internet to look up things such as Fibonacci numbers and the Dead Sea Scrolls. It made feel bad for Mary Magdalene, maligned as a prostitute all through my Catholic upbringing and reminded me that most institutions, religious and political, often gain the most power when they marginalize a portion of the population.

What the book did NOT do, was somehow destroy my faith and beliefs - in fact, it brought religion, a long silent subject in my house, back into everyday conversation. Add to this a renewed interest in history, mythology and symbolism. It made me remember a debate I had over Halloween parties and whether innocent children were really doing the devil's work by coloring Jack O'Lanterns. It made me go back and find the Letter to the Editor I had written so many years ago, outlining all the signs, symbols and artifacts we encounter every day that at one time were religious symbols.

I was anxious to see the movie, wondering how all this research, knowledge and clue-solving could be incorporated into a Hollywood production. I was afaid that Robert Langdon would somehow end up a cross between Indiana Jones and MacGyver. But thankfully, I was wrong.

The movie is good. It moves along and weaves in flashbacks, historic interpretations and mythology. To his great credit, Ron Howard let the characters be played straight out of the book, he didn't try to muddy the water by creating some sort of love interest between Robert and Sophie (something Hollywood is notorious for). And as for the portrayal of the Catholic Church, Catholicism, Christianity - to me, it actually played a small part in the overall tale. There are worse stories involving the Catholic Church and what has gone on over the centuries, and much of them are TRUE.

If theology must be debated because of this book and movie, perhaps it should be to question why this is so controversial to begin with. Obviously, back in the early days of Christianity it was somehow impossible for Jesus to have been both God, who is all powerful, and a man who was capable of normal human relationships and even procreation. To me, this a ridiculous argument. An all-powerful God means just that, "all-powerful." To suddenly put restrictions on that doesn't make sense. But maybe I am just in over my theological head here.

So, I left the movie feeling that I had just seen a pretty faithful representation of the book, complete with enough explanation to spark thoughts for those who hadn't read it. There were enough car chases and killings to satisfy the action movie fans.

But, none of this a why I will never forget going to see the DaVinci Code. As the credits rolled, I was soon alone in the theater, the rest of the audience not interested in who the key grip was. As the cleaning crew began piling in, one young man almost ran me over with his pail and broom. His companion yelled at him, "Watch out you almost ran over THAT OLD LADY." Before I could react, Mr Broom and Bucket waved his hand and replied, "come on, she's not THAT OLD."

Now, I'll never be able to disassociate my entry into old ladyhood with the DaVinci Code for the rest of my life. So, I can't fully reccomend this movie without one caution, it may age you.