DREAMWORKS - DREAMWORKS CLOSES TROPIC THUNDER WEBSITE

DREAMWORKS CLOSES TROPIC THUNDER WEBSITE

DreamWorks has been forced to shut down a website promoting its upcoming comedy Tropic Thunder following criticism from groups representing the mentally disabled. The movie, which opens on Aug. 13, focuses on an actor, played by Ben Stiller, who makes a bid for an Oscar by playing a mentally challenged man named Simple Jack. The website had featured a poster with a photo of Stiller and the tagline "Once upon a time ... there was a retard." Groups including the Special Olympics and the Down Syndrome Assn. of Los Angeles, have reportedly arranged a meeting today (Wednesday) with DreamWorks CEO Stacey Snider to voice their concerns about the film itself. Earlier this week, Stiller told the New York Times that the film will speak for itself and actually makes fun of actors who take roles as mentally disabled characters in order to advance their own careers.

06/08/2008