I Guess He Isn't As Important As He Thinks He Is

http://www.noahmovie.com/?gclid=COP5qb3Wo70CFa5DMgodcEkAHgBy Howard Gensler POSTED: March 20, 2014 RUSSELL CROWE went to meet the pope, but the pope said "No-ah." Crowe and the makers of the big-budget film about the animal ark-ivist attended Pope Francis' general audience yesterday but didn't get what they most wanted: a photo-op. Maybe Crowe will have better luck if he accompanies the Philadelphia delegation later this month. Crowe had lobbied hard for a papal thumbs-up for his film "Noah," and the ensuing publicity a Francis blessing would bring. The film has been banned in much of the Muslim world because of its depiction of the prophet Noah, while U.S. conservatives have complained the film takes liberties with the biblical account of the flood. (Hey, Moses probably didn't look like Charlton Heston, but no one protested over it.) The Vatican spokesman, the Rev. Federico Lombardi, said the request from producers of "Noah" for a private audience was immediately turned down. In an email yesterday to the Associated Press, Lombardi said there was similarly no scheduled "meet and greet" after yesterday's general audience, when VIPs can often get a quick word with the pope. "They could have been at the audience like anyone else," Lombardi said. The audience drew an estimated crowd of 80,000, so it would be kind of like getting a quick word with Chip Kelly after an Eagles game. Pope Francis is loath to lend such blessings for publicity. Given his sensitivities to the Muslim world - and his upcoming trip to Jordan, Israel and the Palestinian territories - it would seem natural that he would decline any public endorsement of a film that might offend Muslim viewers. Variety reported that the "Noah" delegation, including Crowe, director Darren Aronofsky, producer Scott Franklin, and Paramount Pictures VP Rob Moore, had met with the pope. Variety cited a spokeswoman for Universal, which is distributing the film in Italy. But in an email to AP, Paramount merely said the delegation "went to hear" Francis' address at the audience. Crowe was spotted in the VIP section of St. Peter's Square, but was too far back to reach the pope.