Expelled: No Intelligence Allowed (2008)

Ben Stein examines the issue of academic freedom and decides that there is none when it comes to the debate over intelligent design.

Director:

Nathan Frankowski

Writers:

Kevin Miller, Ben Stein

Stars:

Ben Stein, Lili Asvar, Peter Atkins

3 wins.

Cast

Credited cast:
Ben Stein	...	Self - Host
Rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Lili Asvar	...	Sara
Peter Atkins	...	Self
Hector Avalos	...	Self
Doug Axe	...	Self
Adam Behr	...	Multiple animation voices (voice)
David Berlinski	...	Self
Walter Bradley	...	Self
Bruce Chapman	...	Self
Anderson Cooper	...	Self (archive footage)
Caroline Crocker	...	Self
Richard Dawkins	...	Self
William Dembski	...	Self (as William Albert Dembski)
Daniel C. Dennett	...	Self (as Daniel Dennett)
Michael Egnor	...	Self

Storyline

Academic freedom is being suppressed, says Ben Stein. He contends that professors from around the United States are being fired from their jobs for promoting, or even exploring the possibility of, intelligent design as an alternative to Darwinism. Stein interviews the expelled academics and other supporters of intelligent design. He also interviews the scientists in the mainstream, who support Darwinism. Stein links Darwinism to Nazism, Communism, eugenics and abortion. Vintage clips of educational films and Hollywood movies are used to illustrate points in a satirical way.

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Plot Keywords:

propaganda | creationism | christian fundamentalism | paranoia | darwinism | 

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Taglines:

Big science has expelled smart new ideas from the classroom...What they forgot is that every generation has its Rebel!

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Genres:

Documentary

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated PG for thematic material, some disturbing images and brief smoking

Did You Know?

Trivia

Michael Shermer has described the rather odd circumstances of his interview for the movie "Crossroads" (a working title for the film) online and in Scientific American magazine. He was asked for his thoughts about firing people for working in intelligent design "a dozen times", but when he asked them for example scenarios and whether they had any other questions about the field, neither Ben Stein nor Mathis was forthcoming. During a discussion about Darwin's links to economist Adam Smith, Stein had to leave and sit in the car outside for "twenty minutes," during which time Shermer joked with Mathis about what he could be doing in there. When he returned, some hand-held footage was shot, and Stein returned to the subject of firing people once more. Shermer describes the experience as "surreal."

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Goofs

When entering a building, a plastic/glass divider (clearly motion activated) opened for Ben Stein, but then also spontaneously opened again for the camera man.

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Quotes

Ben Stein: But will eradicating religion really lead to a modern utopia? Let me try to imagine that and let's let history be our guide.

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Connections

Features The Challenge of Ideas (1961)

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Soundtracks

Personal Jesus
Written by Martin Gore
Performed by Johnny Cash
Courtesy of Universal Music Entertainment
Under license from EMI Music Publishing

User Reviews

Deceitful "documentary"

I don't know if this movie could even be considered a legitimate documentary. The movie is filmed with interjected scenes of Nazi war camps while the interviews are taking place. Apparently Ben Stein blames the holocaust on science and uses this to support his view against evolution. The entire "documentary" is misleading, he rarely shows any subtext of who he is talking to or make mention of any of their accreditation. Ignoring this, Ben never actually makes any real scientific points at all during the entire film. He never even stumps or even makes it appear that he has stumped a scientists anywhere in this film.

Apparently, Mr. Stein's entire objective of this film is to convey no real science (not there there is any in ID to begin with) but rather to preach out about free speech and how we should "teach the controversy". However, there is no real controversy, the "controversy" was already sorted out decades ago. I guess this means we should teach alchemy AFTER the discovery of chemistry because some backwards, ignorant, bronze age people from a time capsule still think alchemy is viable science.

Creationism's explanation for the unexplained is that of supernatural. However, by definition supernatural is unknown. So what the film is really saying is: we cannot explain X with current knowledge, therefore, X = supernatural = unknown (why is there a middle term there?). Just because theory A may not explain X does not mean that theory B automatically explains X.

Disregarding everything that I have mentioned above, the movie is still directed poorly, uses cheesy clips and doesn't flow well.

It is a terrible and misleading movie.

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

18 April 2008 (USA)

Also Known As:

Crossroads

Filming Locations:

Baylor University, Waco, Texas, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$3,500,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$2,970,848, 20 April 2008

Gross USA:

$7,720,487

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$7,720,487

Company Credits

Production Co:

Premise Media Corporation, Rampant Films

Technical Specs

Runtime:

97 min 97 min (European Film Market)

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Color:

Color (Technicolor) Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1