In The Golden Compass we encounter another film against which some Christians have attempted to organize boycotts. The initiating controversy lies with the book on which the movie is based, His Dark Materials, Book 1: Northern Lights, by Philip Pullman, published in the United States under the title The Golden Compass. The main point of contention is the book's identification of the "church" with the Magisterium, the international organization portrayed in the book and in the movie as attempting to control day-to-day life. Since Philip Pullman is a self-avowed atheist who openly uses anti-God rhetoric, some believe the books that make up the trilogy intentionally encourage children to question the existence of God. More moderate voices are more likely to claim with Tony Watkins, managing editor of the U.K.-based Web site culturewatch.org, "[T]ruth can stand for itself if it is given a fair hearing." The movie, on which this study focuses, intentionally removes all references to the church and also replaces or omits the harsher elements of the story, choosing to appeal to an audience of children and families. Even so, it has been rated PG-13 for fantasy violence.
Although he markets his books as fantasy for children, Pullman would say his trilogy is more appropriate for teenagers and adults, and indeed, adults have embraced both the quality of the writing and the engaging nature and thought-provoking character of the content. The movie departs from the book in such significant ways that one needs to deal with the movie on its own terms, and this study attempts to do just that.
It is best that most participants, and definitely the leader of the group, see the movie before using this study. While a long description of the film is provided, most participants will need to have seen the movie. Three scenes from the film are summarized, and questions for reflection are provided.