MovieChat Forums > The Soloist (2009) Discussion > Hey I dig making fun of us Atheists!

Hey I dig making fun of us Atheists!

posted 15 years ago by tyler1451
23 replies | jump to latest

Cool, I love it when Christians make Atheists look like bumbling nerds! They dumb it down to "YA SO LOL WUT ELSE DONT U BELEEV IN?"

Incase you couldn't tell, I was being sarcastic. I had heard pretty good things about this movie, but When they over toned and fxcking overtoned "LOL GUISE GOD IS OUT THERE CUZ HE MADE GUD THINGS HAPPEN LIEK MAKE LOPEZ BETTUR PURSON ND HELP NATHANIEL", This movie lost a lot of points for me.

The worst was when Lopez interviews the overly nerdy, sweatervest wearing Atheist of "Atheists of greater LA". Downey's character starts wise cracking and taking a jab at Atheists and the guy just stands there like a bumbling idiot (which I can almost assure you any Atheist would have torn him a new one). It's ironic that the script tried to make Atheists look like no good dumbasses and only good things happen to people who believe in God, but it was the Atheists of Greater LA that adopted a highway, and that Nathaniel killed his mom, or hurt her I don't remember, and that Lopez was an *beep* for 89% of the movie.

Maybe I'm dwelling, but I sure as *beep* ain't nitpicking. If they cut that whole scene out it would have been a great movie for me, but since they didn't, it just comes off as "BELEEVE IN GOD CUZ GUD THINGS HAPPEN".

___________________________
"They treat you like dirt!" - Wikus Van De Merwe

[–] bloovee 15 years ago

Makes a change from depicting Christians as pious idiots - oh, sorry, you must have missed Tom Hollander's part.

[–] tyler1451 15 years ago

"Makes a change from depicting Christians as pious idiots"

Yea, don't you hate when movies show something FACTUAL?!

___________________________
"They treat you like dirt!" - Wikus Van De Merwe

[–] 15 years ago

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[–] wil-stone 15 years ago

the film doesn't really take a dig at atheists per se, but rather those that are more anti-theist than just atheist. the kind that go out f their way to make people aware there is no god. the ones that sponsor highways.
It seems, along with it's dig at the overtly Christian character, that the film was trying to convey the importance of a personal god. This is only exaggerated when the Robert Downy Jr's character claims to experience "grace".
Personally i think this is unnecessary to the storyline and spoiled the kind actions of all the characters involved.

on a personal level i couldn't care less what people think about a personal god. it may well be calming to some people, but it doesn't make it true. and, if it isn't true then you are treating adults like children. You appreciate their belief the same way you appreciate a child's belief in the tooth fairy, saying the tooth does not exist would be upsetting, so best go along with it.

[–] UhThatOne123 15 years ago

I'm atheist and I thought that part was hilarious..

TickTickTickTickTOCK

[–] 15 years ago

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[–] Smelly_Kelly 15 years ago

So what, you can dish it out but you can't take it? Grow some balls, you're both just a group full of ass holes.

[–] spiden 15 years ago

Why would you, a presumably reasonable and intelligent person, be frolicking about the highway network claiming to be part of an organization of people against belief? I'll answer that for you, you're not. In fact, and I'm speaking hypothetically, you are probably a very sane little non-believer.

This film showed the viewer blatantly that the man that Lopez interviewed was quite nutter butters. Then again, it put a similar light on the freaky cello-teacher-religious-fanatic who didn't have enough patience to teach Ayers for more than a few minutes.

"I can almost assure you any Atheist would have torn [sic] him a new one..."

Frankly, I'm not a fan of this statement. Here, you act as if there are actually dudes crawling about the city streets in their strait-jackets, nay, sweater vests who are part of just such an organization. When, actually, the atheistic belief (or, rather, lack thereof) is against organized religion and wouldn't be banding together against faithful establishment.

This film doesn't take sides on any issue, it merely tells its story with a few quirks thrown in. Since religion is a large element in the film, it took a harmless jab on atheists. Whom, if you want my honest opinion, were begging to be jabbed in a story with this sort of theme.

I'm a devout sinner (I love that oxymoron!) and lean towards a strong agnostic root. Filmmakers tend to imply that I have a lack of imagination and that I am without hope and whatnot, save the creators of The Soloist, with which I didn't feel any such prejudice. The same can be said for you, for the reasons above.

"People will remember you if you talk like that."
-George Carlin

[–] 15 years ago

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[–] rachy88 15 years ago

Theists take beatings all the time on screen (and it's funny). You can handle it too every once in a while. Learn to laugh at yourself.

"Did Steve tell you that, perchance?"

[–] !!!deleted!!! (4524359) 15 years ago

Us atheist are the minority on the planet (not in my country though) so just deal with it and show that you're better than them.

[–] BanjoKazooie1988 14 years ago

It was just a scene. I'm atheist, myself, and I had no problem with that. If I was in the atheistic character's shoes, however, it would be a different story. When asked disparagingly, "So, what else don't you believe in?" I would have simply replied, "Mocking the beliefs of others."

[–] Jessaly 14 years ago

I thought the significance of the scene was to emphasize the importance of believing in something, not a god per se, but having something you can rely on constantly to keep you going. Especially when you're in such a difficult position. I'm a full-blown atheist. But I think that's important. I think religion is important because people use it to heal themselves, people use it to help others. We're not in the dark ages anymore, only extremists use it to hurt, I'm referring to your average theist, not those who run Jesus Camp. It's especially important to have a personal god when you're suffering from a mental disorder and it's hard to feel hope or anything. Nathaniel's god was his music, and of course Steve. God not representing a deity, but comfort and reliability.

I'll join you when hell freezes over.
Dumbledore's Army!

[–] bostonlatin 14 years ago

Funniest scene in the movie.

The rest was a snooze fest.

[–] 14 years ago

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[–] citizenofdis 12 years ago

> I thought the significance of the scene was to emphasize the importance of
> believing in something, not a god per se, but having something you can rely on
> constantly to keep you going.

But in reality "believing in something" in the sense of religious belief is not really helpful. It's not that atheists don't believe in anything, it's that we don't believe in god(s) because there is 0 evidence for any existing.
Any belief needs to have sufficient grounds for me to actually adhere to it.

Take Nathaniel for example. He believed that Steve Lopez was a god. Now, the only difference between him and that Christian music teacher was that his "god" has been dead for 2000 years and is not a contemporary man.

[–] bill_ferencz 14 years ago

As an atheists, I thank you for your comment!
Nothing needs to be said, one just has to read your input.

[–] the_flaming_priest 13 years ago

I wasn't exactly happy about it, plus the whole movie is filled with religious stuff.

But i've seen christians and muslims made fun of in movies so I suppose I can handle a few comments about how stupid it is NOT to have imaginary friends.

[–] dagaul101 12 years ago

I don't think the message of the movie was that only good things happen to non-atheists, I rather think it was highlighting the plight of the mentally ill for all to seeSource:Movie Reviews - The Soloisthttp://moviereviews.noskram.com/2009/09/movie-reviews-for-the-soloist

[–] hugh1971 12 years ago

I think the scene was more about Lopez's desperate need to believe in something, rather than a dig at atheists. Look at the way he interviews the atheist guy - he barely listens to what he is saying and is pretty rude to him. He is so longing to believe that there is some reason or purpose behind things that he can't cope with the idea that it may just all be meaningless. Part of the film's message is that there are no clear cut answers and no neat solutions to the problems of life...

[–] AccidntlTourist 11 years ago

Tyler, you give atheists a bad name.

"Maybe I'm dwelling,..." - more like rambling incoherently.

"BELEEVE IN GOD CUZ GUD THINGS HAPPEN". This sort of exaggerated spelling and yelling may inform us as to your mental state, but does not do much for making your point.

If you go back and watch the movie again - with an open mind - I think you will realize that, if anything, this movie is anti-religious.

[–] hodie 10 years ago

Tyler is a coward trying to get together a posse of atheists (which presumably he would lead) to start a flame war. A real man would have tried his abortive mission single-handedly.

Get me a bromide! And put some gin in it!

[–] gcarras 9 years ago

I know who my god is.

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