Over the weekend, “Crash” director Paul Haggis deep-sixed any chances of working with Tom Cruise, Will Smith and Beck (don’t laugh, he collaborated with everyone) after he quit the Church of Scientology. And maybe ruined his chances at another Oscar? Nobody else could have shoe-horned his victory other than Scientology, no?
Haggis not only quit the Church, he penned a poison letter at Scientology’s current national spokesman, Tommy Davis and his failure to denounce the San Diego branch’s endorsement of Prop 8.
In that first conversation, back at the end of October of last year, you told me you were horrified, that you would get to the bottom of it and “heads would roll.” You promised action. Ten months passed. No action was forthcoming. The best you offered was a weak and carefully worded press release, which praised the church’s human rights record and took no responsibility. Even that, you decided not to publish.
The church’s refusal to denounce the actions of these bigots, hypocrites and homophobes is cowardly. I can think of no other word. Silence is consent, Tommy. I refuse to consent.
Scientology rules call for “disconnection” once a member has quit the church which basically means all members are to shun association with such a heathen. However such rule is never publicly admitted which Haggis find total bullshit. “I was shocked. We all know this policy exists. I didn’t have to search for verification — I didn’t have to look any further than my own home.”
The director, who evidently took thirty five years to figure out Scientology was a bigoted scam finished his letter with, “I am only ashamed that I waited this many months to act. I hereby resign my membership in the Church of Scientology.”
Haggis wrote “Crash” after his car was stolen in Los Angeles and he went home and started concocting a story that touched upon all the lives of Angelinos (evidently he assumed someone of n0n-Caucasian race took his car). Does that mean we’ll see a new poisonous and hamfisted screed against sham churches? We can only pray, errr, I mean, hope. [Movieline]