Today’s Prayer Focus
MOVIE REVIEW

The Invention of Lying

also known as “This Side of the Truth”
MPA Rating: PG-13-Rating (MPA) for language including some sexual material and a drug reference.

Reviewed by: Thaisha Geiger
CONTRIBUTOR

Moral Rating: Extremely Offensive
Moviemaking Quality:
Primary Audience: Adults, Teens
Genre: Romance, Comedy
Length: 1 hr. 40 min.
Year of Release: 2009
USA Release: October 2, 2009 (wide—1,700+ theaters)
DVD: January 19, 2010
Copyright, New Line Cinemaclick photos to ENLARGE Copyright, New Line Cinema Copyright, New Line Cinema Copyright, New Line Cinema Copyright, New Line Cinema Copyright, New Line Cinema Copyright, New Line Cinema Copyright, New Line Cinema Copyright, New Line Cinema
Relevant Issues
Copyright, New Line Cinema
Lying

Lying in the Bible

Truth

About the Ten Commandments

The Decalogue

Have you kept each of the Ten Commandments? Are you good enough to go to Heaven? Answer

Atheism

How to witness to atheists

God

God

How can we know there’s a God? Answer

What if the cosmos is all that there is? Answer

If God made everything, who made God? Answer

Was Jesus Christ only a legend? Answer

Is Jesus Christ a man, or is he God? Answer

If Jesus is God, how could he die? If Jesus died on the cross, then how can he be alive today? Answer

Is Jesus Christ really God? Answer

Pain, suffering and the origin of bad things

Why does God allow innocent people to suffer? Answer

What about the issue of suffering? Doesn’t this prove that there is no God and that we are on our own? Answer

Does God feel our pain? Answer

ORIGIN OF BAD—How did bad things come about? Answer

Did God make the world the way it is now? What kind of world would you create? Answer

Salvation
Is Jesus Christ the answer to your questions?
Discover the good news that Jesus Christ offers

Are you good enough to get to Heaven? Answer

Gambling

Gambling

Should Christians be involved with lotteries or other forms of gambling? Answer

Love

Love

What is true love and how do you know when you have found it? Answer

Sex, Love & Relationships
Learn how to make your love the best it can be. Discover biblical answers to questions about sex, marriage, sexual addictions, and more.
Featuring Ricky Gervais
Jennifer Garner
Jason Bateman
Jonah Hill
Martin Starr
Tina Fey
Rob Lowe
Christopher Guest
Jeffrey Tambor
JSee all »
Director Ricky Gervais, Matthew Robinson
Producer Lin Pictures, Lynda Obst Productions, Media Rights Capital, Radar Pictures, Wintergreen Productions, See all »
Distributor Distributor: New Line Cinema. Trademark logo.New Line Cinema, division of Warner Bros. Pictures

“In a world where EVERYONE can only tell the TRUTH… this guy can LIE.”

Under the ruse of a romantic comedy, “The Invention of Lying” is actually a religious satire that specifically attacks Christians and our belief that Jesus Christ is the Son of God. Before this movie, I was not familiar with the lead actor Ricky Gervais. However, after seeing that he is credited as one of the writers, I immediately assumed that he’s an atheist. After a brief research, he is, indeed, an outspoken one who sadly lost his faith at the tender age of 8.

Set in an alternate reality, Mark Bellison (Ricky Gervais) is an unsuccessful screenwriter. In his world, only honesty exists. People say what is on their mind truthfully and uncensored. While in real-life society, honesty is often respected; people of this world seemingly prefer to share only the ugly truth with one another. Getting fired from his job, his despair deepens when his love for Anna McDoogles (Jennifer Garner) is unreturned.

Down and out, Mark goes to the bank to withdraw his last remaining $300. During the money exchange, something goes off in his head, and he does something no one else in his world has ever done before: lie. He then proceeds to tell the clerk that his account actually has $800.00. And since no one in this alternate reality knows what lying is, they automatically believe whatever Mark says without any doubt.

Later on, his mother is on her deathbed, and she shares with Mark that she is scared of death and its eternity of nothingness. Not wanting to see his mom so hopeless, Mark proceeds to make up a story about how after death, one will go to their favorite place in the world, have their own mansion, and reunite with old family members.

ETERNAL LIFE—What does the Bible say about it? Answer

Eternal death in the Bible

The word quickly spreads of Mark’s knowledge of the afterlife and thousands stake out his apartment, desperate for more information. Stuck in his own lie, he has a Moses-like moment and creates 10 commandments about a “man in the sky” who controls everything and everyone. While the public has their own questions, they completely accept Mark’s few absurd answers and change the way they live their lives. Mark then becomes a rich and powerful man, since he’s believed to be the only direct connection to the “Man in the Sky.”

If based on plot alone, the story is rather weak and slow moving. However, the romance is portrayed sweetly. Mark never lies to Anna, even though doing so would help him win her over. As a satire, it’s rather indecisive and deceptive, hiding behind the premise of a romantic comedy. It finally reveals its true motive about halfway through the movie. While the attack is sometimes subtle and other times outright, Gervais isn’t soft spoken when it comes to vocalizing his own personal opinions about Christianity. After viewing a few video clips of his religious discussions, I noticed that Ricky Gervais would sometimes range from being profane to sounding somewhat hurtful as he discussed his atheism.

TIPS—How to witness to atheists

Does God really exist? How can we know? If God made everything, who made God? Answer

In past interviews, he has stated that he lost his faith in Jesus when he was 8 years old. His older brother asked him if he really believed in God. When his mother immediately cut off his brother from continuing the discussion, Gervais states that is when he knew Jesus was not real. He has also called Jesus an “unpaid babysitter,” since parents will often use the name of Jesus when they want their kids to remain on their best behavior.

If this is truly the sole reason for his ceasing to believe, he must have felt a deep sense of betrayal. Children are very impressionable. This is why Jesus gave a stern warning to any who might falsely lead children who rightfully believe in Him. In Matthew 18:6, Jesus said:

“But if anyone causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin, it would be better for him to have a large millstone hung around his neck and to be drowned in the depths of the sea.”

I remember growing up in a very nonreligious home. My father would often use the “Jesus” card whenever he wanted things done his way, even though he did not believe in Jesus himself. Likewise, if Jesus is merely used as a warning device or “babysitter” as Gervais states, it would certainly be easy to persuade children of not believing in Christ since there is no firm foundation of knowledge. Christ does not want his name to solely be used for disciplinary purposes. Instead, parents should teach their children about Christ’s love and how to build a strong, personal relationship with the Savior. In Ephesians 6:4, Paul wrote:

“Fathers, do not exasperate your children; instead, bring them up in the training and instruction of the Lord.”

Offensive Content

The language is somewhat mild by today’s standards. There’s one use of the “f” word, and it’s used to say, “F**k the Man in the Sky.” He’s also called a “bastard.” There are vulgar sexual discussions, and the derogative word “faggot” is used, as well, plus “pr*ck” and “boobs.”

The film’s main offense is its attack on Christ. While the writers did use some Biblical references, several were obviously misconstrued and not correct. It’d be easy to write a novel on this film, but I’ll only point out the main themes. I will be using the Scripture to counter the lies since in 1 Timothy 3:16-17, Paul wrote:

“All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting, training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.”

Christians are ignorant.

  • In this alternate reality, the humans are portrayed as ignorant, easily led, and willing to blindly accept whatever a person tells them. They’re even willing to believe in a man in the sky whom they cannot see. I believe it’s pretty safe to say that these ignorant humans are supposed to represent Christians.

    While the book of Hebrews does say that faith is “…is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen,” God also does command us to “test” everything. John wrote,

    “…do not believe in every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God.”

Jesus was a lying, selfish man with ulterior motives.

  • In the film, Mark Bellison represented Jesus Christ. He became the only one who could communicate with the “Man in the Sky.” He led the people by the thousands to believe in the higher power. In one point of the movie, he gently walked around and told people lies, making them feel better. He even gained money, a bigger house, and an impeccable reputation from all his lying.

    This is the exact opposite of Jesus Christ. While Jesus never lied, one should look at what the Gospel says for even further evidence. God purposefully gave Jesus a tainted lineage of past sinners (look at Tamar!). In addition, Jesus was born in the most humbling of circumstances. He never gained any riches or sugarcoated the truth. He told people the truth even when it was not what they wanted to hear. In the end, they killed him for it. The Son of God became a man and experienced all the hardships any human faces. Scriptures says that Jesus “…made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant.” The most important thing of all was how He was obedient to the Lord and endured a miserable death to become a worthy sacrifice for us all.

God makes us do evil things.

  • During one interview, Ricky Gervais said that if there was a God, he wonders why God made him an atheist. Also in the film, it states that God controls everything and makes people do good and bad. This is not true. People are responsible for their own actions. God cannot tempt people to do evil deeds. This is stated in James 1:13-14.

    ”When tempted, no one should say, ‘God is tempting me.’ For God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does He tempt anyone; but each one is tempted when, by his own evil desire, he is dragged away and enticed.”

It’s within our right to be thoroughly offended by Ricky Gervais’ script. After all, he is attacking the Heavenly Father. However, I believe this was Gervais’ objective. Rather than anger, I feel sorrow for the lost man and remember when Paul wrote that, “for the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved, it is the power of God.” I used to believe in another false religion and scoffed at the idea of the Christian God. Through research and God’s grace, I found out that the only Savior is Jesus Christ.

To those who have ever been humiliated for their faith or even mocked as this movie has done. Be proud that you bear the name of Jesus Christ and were cleansed with his holy blood. If people tease you for your faith in Christ, then this is wonderful, for at least they know you by your faith. Peter wrote,

“But rejoice that you participate in the sufferings of Christ, so that you may be overjoyed when His glory is revealed. If you are insulted because of the name of Christ, you are blessed, for the Spirit of glory and of God rests on you.”

On a final note, not only should Christians pray for Rick Gervais, but the millions of others who also remain willingly lost. It’s important that Christians diligently read and study God’s Word, so that when the time comes, we will “always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have.”

Violence: Minor / Profanity: Heavy / Sex/Nudity: Heavy

Learn how to be more effective in evangelism
Stumped about how to share your faith in Christ with others? Our EffectiveEvangelism.com site assists Christians in effectively reaching out to others with love and truth. Learn about the worldview of the people you meet, ways to share the gospel, read stories submitted by site users, and more.

See list of Relevant Issues—questions-and-answers.


Viewer CommentsSend your comments
Positive
Positive—Most Christians would see this movie’s concept of God portrayed as a lie. This is all done for the purpose of humor and, more importantly, to provoke thought. Instead of thinking of it as blatantly mocking Christianity, Biblical truth, religion, and morality, we should be open-minded enough to examine other world views, even if we reject them. Provoking religious examination is always a positive thing, because we can then address and answer the doubts that even the most faithful Christians have. When I taught at a strict religious academy, our best weapon against unbelievers was to discuss other religions and their flaws, to answer questions about Buddhism, atheism, Muslims, Hinduism, etc. Don’t stick your head in the sand—do not be afraid to examine Christianity and the reasons you believe in it. Simply taking offense and not addressing the questions arising in this movie accomplishes nothing.
My Ratings: Moral rating: Excellent! / Moviemaking quality: 4
Jennifer, age 40 (USA)
Neutral
Neutral—First, I begin by noting that the other comments on this film are spot on. Fundamentally, this film presumes that there is no God, and it shows the main character in effect inventing religion. Followers of the religion are by implication gullible idiots—except, of course, that everyone in the film are gullible idiots about everything. The film also suggests that lying in world of truth creates happiness and freedom, where, of course, we know that, in fact, the opposite is true. That said, I found the scene where Gervais tries to explain religion to the gathered crowd an example of how superficially most people are in their seeking of truth, and it posed the “problem of evil” (why does an all-loving God allow terrible things to happen?) cleverly. This is an example (not that more were needed) of how Christians need to think about how we speak to the world. It’s a sweet rom-com, and don’t be surprised if it leads to some interesting theological conversations in the aftermath.
My Ratings: Moral rating: Average / Moviemaking quality: 3
Rigs, age 44 (Canada)
Neutral—I am an agnostic but I was brought up in a Christian home and empathize with Christians and the Christian faith. I am also a fan of Ricky Gervais' work. I didn’t find this film particularly excellent but it did have some very funny moments. I was glad to read this review that countered the obvious atheist agenda running throughout the film and I felt it was important to read this after the film that had me uncomfortable at times but I often found challenging and clever. I feel Christians should engage in debate with moviemakers like Gervais or those who share his views, rather than just being offended because, quite frankly, being offended doesn’t achieve a whole lot!
My Ratings: Moral rating: Average / Moviemaking quality: 3½
Tom, age 26 (United Kingdom)
Negative
Negative—It always amuses me when today’s “new atheists” have to resort to tactics like morphing a cute romantic comedy into an anti-Judeo/Christian screed, knowing that they have a captive audience (I actually walked out around the time of the pizza box “tablets”). This overbearing condescension reminds me of when Steven J. Gould made an “appearance” on “The Simpsons” to essentially mock anyone who disagrees with what he insists is “science.” This coming from a group of people that faults others for proselytizing. Apparently, I can no longer go to the movies without these zealots imposing their misguided belief system onto me and everyone in the theater (Incidentally, there wasn’t much laughter in this theater during the rant, particularly over the pizza boxes—it’s just not sinking in, Ricky).

As a person of faith, I’m constantly being reminded by atheists such as Ricky Gervais just how “stupid” I am. Yet when I end up in discussions with these “enlightened” individuals, I find myself face-to-face with intellectual paper tigers who can easily be ripped to shreds by anyone who reads and thinks. I would not recommend this movie to people of faith, but if they do see it, I hope it will motivate them to take up intellectual arms against an irrational group of faithless missionaries determined to foist their hollow world view on the rest of humanity.

In a more general sense, I’d like to not only ask the producers of this movie for a refund, but would also like them to explain to me when it was “proven” that there is no life after death. Certainly the arrogant tone of this movie is based on “science” as atheists see it. Could I see the study, please? Can you show me the experiments? The data? Was it written on a pizza box? The burden of proof is on YOU, since you’ve clearly made the claim that you are somehow certain that there is nothing after death. No? Didn’t think so. This is a commonly held belief that is blindly accepted in our culture, and as such needs to be challenged.
My Ratings: Moral rating: Very Offensive / Moviemaking quality: 4
Curt Emich, age 47 (USA)
Negative—My husband and I went to this movie in hopes of seeing a fresh romantic comedy, which it seemed to start out as, but somewhere about a third of the way through, the movie took a disturbing turn when the main character decided to “lie” about God, or “the Man in the sky” by basically explaining away religion and God as an untruth. This then became the main focus of the film, and the issue of lying was almost a side note. It was difficult as a Christian to look beyond this issue as it was so morally offensive, and obviously became the producer’s soapbox for his atheist beliefs. How disappointing!
My Ratings: Moral rating: Very Offensive / Moviemaking quality: 4
Sheila, age 51 (USA)
Negative—Like the first viewer mentioned above, my wife and I went to see this movie thinking it would be a fun romantic comedy. …The initial premise of a world without lying is interesting, although it is portrayed as a Pollyanna, and at other times depressing/mean place. It is a fallen world where people can not lie. After a few initial laughs, the movie’s main message is revealed. A large portion of the movie is a relentless, often blatant, attack on God, Jesus, and Judeo-Christian beliefs. I was very offended to watch this movie present the idea that God, and the Christian faith in particular, is a well intended lie people have been told to help them feel better and make it through this life in hopes of Heaven for eternity.

Several examples of scenes I found offensive are when the main character parodies both Moses giving the ten commandments, and in a somewhat more subtle way, Jesus the son of God. God is presented as the man in the sky that is responsible for all good, and all bad that happens to people. When the crowd is told that the man in the sky is responsible for all bad things, one man in the crowd curses God with the f-word.

Please don’t waste your time or make the mistake we did in giving your money to the producers of this movie.
My Ratings: Moral rating: Extremely Offensive / Moviemaking quality: 2
John, age 38 (USA)
Negative—Even to the end of this movie I continued to hope that there would be some sort of repudiation or softening of the blatant ridicule of Judeo/Christian beliefs and values which forms the core of the screenplay. Creative? Yes, but the comedy quickly became strained and the oppressiveness of the atheistic message overwhelmed any moral the writer might have intended by having Anna make a decision to listen to her heart. I wish I had not wasted time and money on this movie and hope that it quickly goes to oblivion.
My Ratings: Moral rating: Very Offensive / Moviemaking quality: 4
Con Massey, age mature (USA)
Negative—My husband took me to see this movie on my birthday. We were so excited to get out and go see this movie, because it looked so funny in the previews, and we thought the idea was very clever. We were disappointed that they were not move clever in approaching this theme of being the first ever liar. We thought, for example, that he would be the first ever person to bluff in a game of cards or make really fun movies and then, of course, learn his lesson. The movie took a nasty turn and deeply offended my husband and I when it presented Christianity as a lie. We both sat there, each afraid to “ruin” the experience for the other person by suggesting to walk out. Afterwards, we agreed that we would do more research on sites like this before “wasting” our time together, and that we would indeed walk out next time, if we were caught off guard again.

This movie was a slap in the face, and I was very disappointed.
My Ratings: Moral rating: Extremely Offensive / Moviemaking quality: 1½
Marie, age 31 (USA)
Negative—I went to this movie with 10 other co-workers thinking it would be funny and entertaining and being rated PG-13 how bad could it be… WOW! The trailers make you think that the lie is based around dating and being successful. The lie is actually mocking Christianity… “the man in the sky.” Throughout the movie, just a few of the obvious: it mocks the ten commandments, simulating Jesus' traditional appearance, and especially life after death which is the main premise of the plot, the BIG LIE! This movie is not suitable for anyone, let alone under 18 years old, with references to “F--- the man in the sky” and in the first 15 minutes of the movie during the first date blatant talk about masturbation. The only redeeming factor of the movie, is that it tries to show that people should be loved for who they are and not because of appearance and success.
My Ratings: Moral rating: Extremely Offensive / Moviemaking quality: 3
Rose, age 51 (USA)
Negative—I wish I would have checked this Web site BEFORE we went to see this film. My husband and I went thinking a movie about a world where people could not lie was a clever story line. Boy were we wrong! The movie was nothing but a direct attack on Christianity. The lead actor tells a “lie” by telling his dying mother about heaven and “the man in the sky” obviously meaning God. The rest of the entire movie mocked the Christian faith. Besides that, it really was a very slow, boring movie. Do NOT go to this movie. It’s horrible!!!
My Ratings: Moral rating: Extremely Offensive / Moviemaking quality: 2
Jami, age 50 (USA)
Negative—I was soooo repulsed by this movie, The Invention of Lying, that I felt a little sick to my stomach when it was over. How this movie portrays our faith in God and His Son Jesus Christ as a lie is painful to watch. The foul words they used in reference to His name was incomprehensible. I went with a friend to see this movie with hopes of seeing a fun comedy. BOY was I mistaken!! I’m also surprised that so many high profile actors would be involved in this disaster of a movie. It was slow, boring, and vulgar toward all Christians. I feel very sorry for the people that wrote this script, knowing that this is what they believe. I’m sure they will find that most EVERYONE that sees this movie will find it offensive. I will be praying for them to see the Real Truth.
My Ratings: Moral rating: Extremely Offensive / Moviemaking quality: 1½
Tina Giffin, age 40 (USA)
Negative—Remarkable… to hide behind the pretense of a comedy when it is a direct attack on Christianity (calling the Word of God a lie) and Judaism (perverse portrayal of Moses). What makes this movie dangerous to easily influenced minds is that it subtly implies that what is bad should be considered good and what is good should be seen as bad, all in a light-hearted package. Vulnerable new believers and children could be affected by the obvious atheistic messages.
My Ratings: Moral rating: Extremely Offensive / Moviemaking quality: 2
Carolyn Hoffmann, age 60 (USA)
Negative—I was hoping for another stellar performance from Gervais, like his last, GHOST TOWN, but was sadly disappointed. While he’s still his usual, funny self, the context and substance of the movie is just horrible. Movie begins with very crude references to masturbation and continues with blatant blasphemy of God. I almost walked out 2 times in this movie… I wanted to enjoy it and find a good moral lesson, but there really was none (unlike GHOST TOWN). Being a Christian, it is a very offensive movie, and I felt like I was just supporting another Hollywood agenda. Skip this Gervais movie!
My Ratings: Moral rating: Very Offensive / Moviemaking quality: 3
Debbie, age 35 (USA)
Negative—As a Christian, I felt insulted. As a movie-lover, I felt insulted. As a thinking person who has studied the rich history of the Bible and the complexities of the sixty-six books, I was insulted by the grade school-like na-na-na-na-na, in your face, comparisons this movie makes with its bad analogies and ignorance of Biblical truth, to Christians. Just like open-mouth fish ready to swallow any bait, the people in the movie who believe the man’s “lie” about there being a life after death, are obviously supposed to be comparable to Christians. But frankly, the only people in the world that I perceive to be anything like the gullible believers in this movie, are the ones who watch what Hollywood dishes out nowadays and swallows it, “hook line and sinker.”

Also, the sets looked cheap and I kept wondering what kind of budget the movie had. I would like to tell Hollywood this: If you’re going to put down the Bible and what people believe… get it straight. Nobody I know believes that God gives people cancer as implied in the movie. In fact, the Christians I have known throughout my life believe that God heals people of cancer all the time. We do believe that sometimes, our own choices are what bring about some of the bad things that happen to us. (As in, we will reap what we sow.) However, we know that no matter what the difficulty, even if we have been treated unjustly, God is by our side and will bring us through it. We don’t blindly serve some God who is ready to smack people down but a God of forgiveness and love who has a magnificent, intelligent plan.

And while we’re talking about truth here… why didn’t any of the movie trailers ‘fess up to the anti-Christian theme? Oh… you mean, it’s okay to slap Christians in the face with sacrilege, but make sure you get their money first? Got it. This movie has caused me to make a new vow to myself: I will not go to any movie without first consulting Christian reviewer perspectives. I truly believe that if more of us would agree to make Hollywood woo us if they want our money, we would see less of this kind of movie being made.
My Ratings: Moral rating: Extremely Offensive / Moviemaking quality: 1½
Regina, age 53 (USA)
Negative—I had been interested in seeing this movie for some time because, for one thing, it sounded like an interesting and comical premise, but even more so I wanted to see it because it was the first major motion picture to be filmed in my home town of Lowell, Massachusetts. So when my mother, who is unsaved, decided to order it on pay per view I didn’t object. With a PG-13 rating how bad could it be?

I did find it fascinating to see the locations I look at every day (as a taxi driver) on the “big screen.” I wish I could take the experience back. I wholeheartedly agree with the other reviews posted here that the entire film constitutes an attack on Christianity on so many levels. When the man in the crown shouted “F--- the guy in the sky” I cringed, and I should have just walked away then.

Of course, the first warning should have been the masturbation dialogue right at the beginning but when it seemed to mellow out following that I decided to let it go. Being a Christian I feel I can somewhat recognize the attacks but for both my mother and a friend of hers who watched most of it as well, both of whom I am trying to witness to for Christ, it served to undermine my efforts.

As someone else here said, I think I have through this one single movie learned that it is better to read the reviews first before being ambushed like this. Of course I could have just walked away but my mom DID pay good money, and I just HAD to see the movie my city starred in. The main point of this review was to say this: I am ashamed to find out that this great claim to fame that all the papers in town have been clamoring about is just another weapon in the world’s arsenal of Satanic attacks on Christianity.

Pray for my city, Lowell Mass, that we be not judged for this piece of garbage and AVOID THIS FILM!
My Ratings: Moral rating: Extremely Offensive / Moviemaking quality: 3½
Tobbie, age 32 (USA)
Negative—Unfortunately, the selected rating system does not reach the lowest depth rating that this film deserves… 0. This film is poison. Do not see it if you love the Lord Jesus. The good thing is that I really don’t want to go to the movies anymore.
My Ratings: Moral rating: Extremely Offensive / Moviemaking quality: ½
Joann, age 51 (USA)
Negative—This movie is blatantly a satanic movie and for various reasons: 1. The main character spot a satanic handsign somewhere in the beginning of the movie, while on phone. 2. There’s a blatant parody of Moses' 10 commandments! The main character said: “Should I write them on 2 tablets?” We all know that the mockery of biblical principles are devilly inspired.
My Ratings: Moral rating: Offensive / Moviemaking quality:
Flaey, age 26 (Cameroon)
Negative—“The Invention of Lying” was not what I thought when watching the trailer. They were smart hiding it from everybody. It took an unexpected turn towards dismissing god and making Christians look gullible and stupid and the actor as the smart guy who made it all up. I am getting tired of these movies dissing Christians while every other religions remains unchallenged. It’s funny how reincarnation teaches people they can come back as a dog or a worm in their next life and Hollywood directors take no pleasure in making fun of this, just Christians right?

At the beginning it had a more personal touch (lying to get money, women, etc.) and later on he lies about a creator to make her mother’s passing away more peaceful, openly implying there’s actually nothing after death. The honesty is nothing more than pure atheism making it another worldly movie with nothing to love but themselves!
My Ratings: Moral rating: Extremely Offensive / Moviemaking quality: 4
Yem, age 25 (USA)
Comments from young people
Negative—My family and I decided to watch this film after seeing previews, thinking it was a clever, funny, romantic comedy, but instead we had our religion and our beliefs mocked and insulted. This film is a direct attack to christians, and I do not recommend this film to ANYONE. I am shocked and disgusted by Ricky Gervais (writer/director). For someone to take the time to write, direct, and act in a film devoted to nothing but insulting and mocking a single religion is ridiculous. Ricky Gervais wishes to destroy Christianity by making a mockery of its entire foundation. In the film he depicts Christians as senseless, ignorant, gullible, and meaningless individuals who will believe anything they are told. Gervais attempts to portray Jesus Christ as a liar and a conniving manipulator.

In a world where lying doesn’t exist everyone instinctively believes Gervais' character when he lies to them. He claims to be a messenger from “the man in the sky” (God). Who he states is solely responsible for all that is evil and bad in the world. The character then presents the people with an outrageous depiction of the Ten Commandments that he wrote on 2 pizza boxes to represent stone tablets.

In the final minutes of the film there is a scene in a chapel where there is a mural of the crucifixion where Jesus Christ is replaced by Gervais. This film in its entirety is a disgrace to film makers and actors who actually take the film industry seriously like its intended.

My family and I feel attacked, disgusted, insulted, and ridiculed for our religion and faith in Jesus Christ. I ask that everyone who reads my opinion of this film will STRONGLY advise your friends and family not to watch this movie. My family and I are deeply offended by Ricky Gervais' attempts to draw people away from Christianity, and sugar-coat it with the “romantic comedy genre” to conceal the real purpose. This film purpose is to misguide, not to entertain. TWO THUMBS DOWN!
My Ratings: Moral rating: Extremely Offensive / Moviemaking quality: ½
Peyton, age 16 (USA)
Positive—I felt that this movie was not bad. I’ll tell you why. It never insults Christianity. In a world where no one could lie, there would be no religion anyway. The religion that Ricky Gervais' character creates is in no way related to Christianity. I feel that this film was hilarious—and has a good message. So, in closing, I say that this movie is funny, good, and only offensive if you believe in a type of Christianity where God only gives you three strikes.
My Ratings: Moral rating: Average / Moviemaking quality: 4
Jacob Phelen, age 15 (USA)
Negative—I did not watch this movie till the end; my friend and I walked out of the theatre disgusted. I’m sixteen, and I’m from Toronto. I am a die hard Jennifer Garner fan. I’ve seen almost every movie she’s acted in, so I begged my friend to come see it with me. So we went, and we watched up until they started making fun of God, like when they said “we have to stop the bast**d man in the clouds.” I was repulsed and left the theatre with my friend. Although I found the acting good, I found the story highly offensive towards me and my God.
My Ratings: Moral rating: Extremely Offensive / Moviemaking quality: 3
anonymous, age 16 (Canada)
Comments from non-viewers
Negative—I’m glad I haven’t seen the movie, but heard in detail from my 20 year old son, who regrets taking his girlfriend. Did this sneak past us? I’m shocked that I haven’t heard about it. One more step the world has taken away from the truth. I guess Gervais and Satan are proud. Pray for all!
My Ratings: Moral rating: Extremely Offensive / Moviemaking quality: 1
Kelly, age 40 (USA)