Matthew Modine Thinks ‘Jesus Was a Commie’

Actor Matthew Modine, best known for his roles in movies like Full Metal Jacket and TV shows like Weeds, has made a short film entitled Jesus Was a Commie. The film was inspired by a trip Modine took to his hometown in Utah to discover that it had gone from a quaint town to just another victim of urban sprawl. His concerns about globalization, wealth distribution, war, and violence give the movie its social voice.

Though Jesus Was a Commie is on the film festival circuit, it doesn’t have a release date, and it seems unlikely to hit cinemas: after all, it’s only fifteen minutes long. Still, you can view a Modine-edited trailer on the movie’s official Facebook page. It opens with the famous quote from Dom Helder Camara: “When I give food to the poor, they call me a saint. When I ask why the poor have no food, they call me a Communist.” If I can offer a suggestion for wider release of the film, I’d say have some sponsored screenings at various Occupy gatherings around the country.