Very good as a movie tho' characters are two dimensional

Rating: 5/10 (15 November 1998)

Jodie Foster's character is an unbelievable weak-knee'd atheist. She gives the impression that religious belief is the norm and that the only way an atheist could have come into being is thru some cathartic event to drive away belief in some vague hereafter. Hence, she comes across as some weak willed little nonbeliever without true conviction for her inner self.
Geesh! Could the screen writers have given her character the opportunity of her intellect and examination of the weakness of religious belief (instead of the hackneyed dead dad as the reason), the scene of her wavering before the congressional committee would have been an excellent opportunity "to discuss" the weakness of religious belief and the strength of atheism.
It was a weak film meant to throw a sop to the fanatic religious portion of society to verify their own view of who athiests are.
"Remember back when you were born . . . what a blissfully, happy atheist you were?"