The city commission has approved a measure that urges a ban on ``The Last Temptation of Christ,'' a movie one commissioner called ``garbage'' because of its fictional portrayal of Jesus. The 3-2 vote by the commission in this well-to-do Orlando suburb asks Universal Pictures not to distribute the film unless it is changed ``to eliminate the fictional material which defames the character of Jesus Christ.'' It also urges theaters to reject the film, and asks residents to contact the filmmakers and express their opposition. ``This is the type of garbage they want to put in our movie theaters,'' said Commissioner Tom Ivey, who proposed the resolution Tuesday. Ivey, who is running for a Florida House seat, said the script portrays Jesus as a weak, unstable man and a sinner. The film, tentatively set for release in September, has drawn criticism elsewhere. Last week, fundamentalist Christians picketed the home of MCA-Universal Chairman Lew Wasserman in Los Angeles. Publicist Catherine Leach of MCA Inc., parent company of Universal, said Wednesday that filmmaker Martin Scorcese ``firmly believes that this film is a religious affirmation of faith.'' She called efforts to prevent the film's release censorship.
