CINDY ELLEN RUSSELL / CRUSSELL@STARBULLETIN.COM David Nickerson from Calvary Chapel spoke last night to Samantha Beechie and Melissa Sambo about "The Da Vinci Code" at the Ward Stadium 16 theaters.

Many in isles accept 'Da Vinci' as fiction

Some Christians say they enjoyed the movie and were not offended by it

THERE WERE packed houses in Honolulu movie theaters yesterday for the opening of "The Da Vinci Code," based on the best-selling novel that has stirred controversy among Christians since it was published three years ago.

"We're Catholic, and we have no problem with it," said Robert Trent, of Hawaii Kai, who attended the first matinee with wife Lee-Ann. "It's entertaining."

The Trents and others who made a point of attending the earliest showing said they knew of charges of historical inaccuracies in author Dan Brown's fictional tale of a centuries-old plot to keep secret the marriage of Jesus and Mary Magdalene. Most of Brown's villains down through the ages were agencies or individuals connected with the Catholic Church.

If any of the first viewers came away offended, they could not be found among the people pouring from the Ward Stadium 16 theaters yesterday.

"I'm close to the story of Christianity," said Charles Brennan, of Makiki. "I enjoyed it. I wasn't offended."

His friend Stanley Wada chimed in, "Except that there was a lot of killing going on. ... To me that didn't set well."

Belinda Beebe of San Diego said, "We are reading how people are obsessing over it. How could you not use your minds to recognize it is fiction?"

Her husband, James, a retired Methodist minister, said, "There are some seminary professors who thought Jesus may have married.

"I don't take offense." Some local Christian groups do take offense at the story, and they dispatched teams to "minister" to moviegoers last night. David Nickerson of Honolulu said he came early to see the movie to prepare him to "refute its fallacies."

He and Cliff Birchfield are members of Calvary Chapel Honolulu. "Members of several churches will be going to all the theaters this weekend and through next week," Birchfield said. "We will meet with moviegoers to dispel confusion or concerns raised by the content of the movie. We will not picket; we don't intend to be disruptive. We respect the efforts the theaters have made to bring religious movies here such as 'The Passion of the Christ.'"

CINDY ELLEN RUSSELL / CRUSSELL@STARBULLETIN.COM Calvary Chapel members prayed last night before canvassing "The Da Vinci Code" moviegoers at Ward Entertainment Center. They included David Nickerson, left, Nick Tanaka, Van Komatsu, Rocky Komatsu and Duncan Szarmes.

One exception is a group of Catholics who planned a joint movie expedition to be followed by a debriefing by Hawaii Catholic Herald Editor Patrick Downes to be printed in the diocesan newspaper.

The Rev. Marc Alexander, vicar general of the Hawaii diocese and the usual spokesman on theological issues, declined numerous media requests to comment on the movie. His written response was, "One just can't ignore the lies and half-truths that pervade this work of fiction called 'The Da Vinci Code.'"

He referred all queries to the diocese Web page www.catholichawaii.org, which contains a detailed report on historical points prepared by the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops.

"I think it should give people good conversation as long as they keep in mind that it comes from a novel and requires one's imagination," said Sister Joan Chatfield, a Maryknoll nun who took in the earliest matinee at Dole Cannery theaters.

Chatfield, who taught film study and religion at Chaminade University and Maryknoll High School, especially liked the "new way of doing flashbacks" and the musical track.

She said the first images on the screen should set the mood for viewers. "Imagine Works is the production company. It's a good starter, telling you to let your imagination work."