Clinton Eastwood’s latest movie, “American Sniper,” has stirred up controversy not because of its politics but because of its use of a doll instead of a real baby.
In a scene in the film, Bradley Cooper and his onscreen wife, Sienna Miller, can be seen passing the faux baby between one another, reports The Hollywood Reporter.
Eastwood, 84, and the actors try to lend the lifeless prop some hint of vitality, but it’s impossible to miss, and according to the website, the audience at a media screening laughed aloud at its obvious artificiality.
The Hollywood Reporter goes on to suggest that California’s strict child labor laws may be to blame for the use of the doll, but the film’s screenwriter/executive producer Jason Hall claimed the two babies filmmakers had expected to play the role just didn’t come through.
“Hate to ruin the fun but real baby #1 showed up with a fever. Real baby #2 was no show. (Clint voice) Gimme the doll, kid,” he wrote in a since-deleted tweet at journalist Mark Harris.
While the faux infant might be raising eyebrows, it’s not keeping people away from the film.
Over the holiday weekend, the film brought in a massive $105.3 million, a record for January (its three-day total of $89.5 million is the second-best for an R-rated film, trailing only “The Matrix Reloaded”).
The film is nominated for six Oscars including best picture.