Christian Critic Blasts Talladega Nights' Anti-Christian Content

by Jenni Parker
August 7, 2006

(AgapePress) - - Although funnyman Will Ferrell's new movie, Talladega Nights: the Ballad of Ricky Bobby, finished first at the box office this past weekend, the comedy was not a winner as far as Christian movie reviewer Ted Baehr is concerned.

Baehr, publisher of Movieguide.org, is waving the yellow flag over the film about a dim-witted NASCAR racer with a gung-ho, win-at-all-costs attitude. According to Associated Press (AP) reports, the Christian media reviewer describes Talladega Nights as "a racist, bigoted work that ridicules the Bible Belt, Southern white men, Christianity, Jesus Christ, the family, and American masculinity."

The Movieguide review of Talladega Nights describes the film as "politically correct," in that it ridicules faith, family, traditional values, Southerners, white males and other ideas and groups that are fair game to those who share typical liberal notions of what is "PC." The review also notes that Ferrell's movie contains "lots of blasphemous and borderline laughs," along with "strong sexual references, excessive foul language and strong homosexual content."

Baehr is particularly incensed over Talladega Nights' satirical references to Christianity, such as the lead character's prayers to "baby Jesus" and his "running around ... mocking God" at different points in the film. "A couple of scenes in the movie are just extremely blasphemous," the movie analyst observes; yet he feels this kind of anti-Christian bigotry gets a pass in Hollywood, while other kinds of religious bigotry are denounced.

Baehr points to the recent incident involving producer, director and actor Mel Gibson and the anti-Semitic remarks he allegedly made during his arrest on suspicion of drunk driving. "If we take the position that what Mel Gibson said is religious bigotry," the Christian film reviewer contends, "then [much of the content in Talladega Nights] is religious bigotry too."

It is a simple case of "what's good for the goose is good for the gander," Baehr insists. "You need to be balanced in all of this," he says. "Now, if we're worried about Mel Gibson apologizing for his anti-Semitism, I think it should be equally just for Will Ferrell to apologize with his writing partner for his anti-Christian bigotry."

Although Talladega Nights did well with moviegoers this past weekend, Baehr believes the movie will probably be overtaken and passed when the more meaningful and faith-affirming film, World Trade Center, debuts this Wednesday. He predicts that next week, the fact-based film on the 9/11 disaster will replace Ferrell's anti-Christian comedy as the nation's number-one movie.