Review: Creation DVD

STUDIO: Lionsgate | DIRECTOR: Jon Amiel | CAST: Paul Bettany, Jennifer Connelly, Martha West
RELEASE DATE: 6/29/2010 | PRICE: DVD $27.98
BONUSES: featurettes
SPECS: PG-13 | 108 min. | Biography | 2.35:1 | Dolby Digital 5.0

RATINGS (out of 5 dishes): Movie | Audio | Video | Overall

The life of Charles Darwin as he struggles over the ramifications of his Origin of Species theory is explored in Lionsgate’s Creation.

Paul Bettany (Legion) stars as the famous scientist and Jennifer Connelly (The Day the Earth Stood Still) as his wife (Connelly also is Bettany wife off-screen).

The film effectively shows the difficulties of Darwin, who is under pressure from scientists to publish his theory of evolution, while also coming to terms with the way his theory digresses from his own religious beliefs. All this while grieving over the death of his eldest daughter Annie, which makes him withdraw from his family.

The story isn’t one that many of us know about Darwin, and it’s an interesting look at the man who changed the way we think about life on Earth.

Bettany does an excellent job of portraying Darwin’s anxiety, and the tension is built brilliantly by Connelly and Darwin’s reverand Jeremy Northam (TV’s The Tudors). Also, newcomer Martha West is fun and fresh as Annie. Expect to see her in more roles in the future.

Director Jon Amiel (TV’s The Tudors) weaves viewers through the past and present well, giving us a look at the man rather than just the scientist.

A quiet movie, Creation is a nice portrait of Darwin during the time he was solidifying his theory, and it will be enjoyed by all who like biopics as well as good human dramas.

The DVD includes a featurette on the making of the film and it’s London premiere, with interviews with Bettany who admits he knew very little about his character before being cast in the film. To better understand the man he was acting, Bettany read Darwin’s Origin of Species book and said he was surprised at its author’s humor.

The featurette also features Darwin’s great grandson, who has turned the scientist’s estate into a museum. He gives a tour of some of the highlights, such as the room where Darwin wrote the book.

Other featurettes on the disc explore the subject of evolution versus religion, with thoughts from scholars on both sides.

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