Nobody wants to make the same mistake the studio executives made in 2004. I wonder how many people lost their jobs. Practically every studio in Hollywood passed on Mel Gibson’s film. This time Hollywood is paying attention. Many argue that there is a Christian audience more than willing to spend their money if Hollywood is willing to create the right product.
I read two articles this past week which highlight the issue of Christian films, their impact on the marketplace, and their influence on Hollywood and the type of movies that are likely to produced in the future.
The first article was from Phil Cooke which discussed the issue of how churches can change Hollywood. He used The Passion of the Christ as his example. One of the major reasons for the success of The Passion of the Christ was due to churches buying block tickets at local theaters. In some cases, they bought out the entire theater. Up to this point, no one had attempted this strategy. Local pastors were motivated because they had the right film with the right message. One church that has perfected this strategy is Sherwood Baptist in Albany, Georgia. In 2008, a film they produced, Fireproof, made $33 million at the box office. A case could be made that without local churches buying block tickets, Fireproof more than likely would have made less than $10 million.
The article goes on to say that with this kind of impact at the box office, the local church will have the ability to influence Hollywood to make more Christian-based films. This leads me to ask whether or not this is really possible. If we make Christian formula films, can that change the culture?
We know that Christians came out to see The Passion of the Christ. But I think a lot of Christians go to the movies and not necessarily to see Christian films. What made The Passion of the Christ special is that it spoke to older conservative, evangelical Christians who rarely came to see a movie.
Let’s also remember the movie received a tremendous amount of free marketing and publicity due to the controversy that surrounded its content. Some labeled Mel Gibson as racist and his film as anti-Semitic. Still others wanted the film banned. The controversy was worth its weight in gold at the box office. The success of The Passion of the Christ has been overstated by many.
Local pastors will not get behind a film unless it has the right message. That usually means a clear presentation of the Gospel message with the plan of salvation. That’s not the kind of movie Hollywood is looking for. At best, Christian formula movies are capable of reaching only a niche audience. Even with the success of Fireproof, the movie did not crack the top 100 films at the box office in 2008. Christians may consider Fireproof to be a success but not Hollywood.
I think the question we should be asking ourselves is whether there is a better plan to influence Hollywood and the culture through the use of media and movies. USA Today’s Weekend Magazine which appears in national newspapers offered insight into how Christian-themed films are taking many approaches at reaching audiences. They suggest that the most influential modern Christian film may be The Blindside, which grossed $256 million. This 2009 film portrayed the true story of a family who lived out their evangelical values. They adopted a young man, and they nurtured his mind, his character and his athletic talent. There was no conversion scene or, for that matter, any heavy-handed preaching. But what it offered was a portrayal of a real family who was Christ-like to the people they encountered.
The article also talks about Robert Duvall’s movies, Get Low and Seven Days in Utopia. Duvall says that he doesn’t make Christian movies. He is interested in atonement and forgiveness. What both films have in common is they portray real people who are lost in pain, anger, loneliness, addiction, poverty and profound sadness. But their lives are rebuild by small acts of love and kindness that Psalms 51:1 calls tender mercies.
Blindside is not the only Christian-themed film on the horizon. In September, Like Dandelion Dust, a movie based on the novel by Karen Kingsbury, will be released nationwide. The film offers no conversions, doesn’t mention Jesus by name, nor does it portray anyone praying. Producers Kevin and Bobby Downes say, “What makes Dust Christian is its portrayal of sacrificial love. We’re Christians who make movies. Our goal in making films is to move people with universal themes that create conversations while the credits are still rolling.”
USA Today Weekend goes on to contrast these films, which are designed for mainstream theatrical release, with Sherwood Baptist’s approach with films such as Facing the Giants, Fireproof and their upcoming fatherhood drama, Courageous. The article stated that church-made films are laced with prayers to Jesus. It’s obviously a different approach than that of Kevin and Bobby Downes’ belief that capturing a big audience or the unchurched of America requires strong storytelling. But they believe it can be done without sacrificing their Christian worldview. “We are trying to do what Jesus did, meet people where they are.”
What does all of this mean to you and I? Both articles make one thing very clear. There is a debate about what type of movies Christian’s should be making and which ones are the most effective. Do we make blatantly Christian films such as Facing the Giants and Fireproof or do we make Christian-themed films such as The Blindside, The Book of Eli or the upcoming Get Low. They use completely different approaches. The question I ask you is which one will work the best. If the goal is to reach a large, mainstream audience, I think the numbers speak for themselves. The Blindside made $256 million vs. Fireproof’s $33 million. I’m convinced we can make movies with the right message that can speak to a broad audience. Remember, movies are good at starting discussions but not at giving all the answers. What we need to do is ask the right questions. We can challenge the audience to look at their lives and the decisions they are making. That’s what I believe films are good at doing. The choice is ours to make. I think Hollywood has found their next The Passion of the Christ. They just didn’t realize it. Could it have been The Blindside and The Book of Eli?
