A Friday afternoon thought…
This afternoon, I was watching a video review of one of the recently released Christian-made movies, and the reviewer said the following:
“Christians, we need to support Christian content, because if we want to get better content we need our films to make more money, because it’s going to take money to make the next one.”
I’ve heard this argument many times, but is it true?
If Hollywood rewards success by making more of what was successful, doesn’t our support of problematic movies just mean that we’ll be getting more problematic movies in the future? The success of Transformers 1 did not mean that we got better Transformers movies, we just got bigger and louder Transformer movies.
Are we just due for bigger and louder Christian-made movies that still have the same issues?
What do you think? Will the success of a movie like War Room mean overall better Christian films in the future, or just more movies like War Room with better production values?
Thimblerig's Ark 
While I enjoyed War Room (I didn’t love it, but I liked it), I think it may just mean more War Rooms with better production values…
One revelation I had when watching the film was that the Christian film industry seems to enjoy a particular element or genre of film: Slice-of-life. Basically, no fantasy elements. Just real life. Or at least what is perceived to be real life or what real life should be. The 40+ Christian crowd want movies that are reflective of the life they have or want: Simple, clean, focused on their families and on connecting better as a family. So, basically Hallmark movies.
In-and-of themselves, Hallmark movies aren’t bad. They are like your favorite cake. Really rich and sweet. However, what happens when you eat too much cake?
All that to say, I think I understand why Christians want these movies and why Christian filmmakers want to make them. But I believe we need to keep broadening our vision. Not so that we can join the world, but so that we can reach them.
You hit the nail on the head with “what is PERCEIVED to be real life”, particularly if there is an implied “but never is”. Even the folks who write the films don’t act/talk like what they commit to ink.
And watch it with the “40+ crowd” reference. 😉 I’m almost 50 and have yet to see a Kendrick brothers movie. 😉
“Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy—meditate on these things.” (Phil 4:8)
I don’t see “Christian” anywhere in that list, so that doesn’t seem to be an automatic criterion for what I dwell on.
“Whatever things are true…” I don’t know why, but contemporary Evangelicals prefer sentimentality to what is true. They proof-text Phl. 4:8 and read “whatever is sentimental and lines up with my upper middle class values, dwell on that.”
You truly nailed it here. This quotation is always in my mind in the selection of my blog’s content and I am not very happy with how I am doing. You are absolutely right. “Christian” is nowhere in the list, it is not an automatic criterion. It is just the easy way out. Any suggestions about areas I should include in my blog? That is not specifically Christian and ones I have neglected. I would really be grateful if you could broaden my horizons with a couple of suggestions. And thanks for the following. It truly means a lot, especially coming from you. What a fascinating, adventurous, creative, original and unpredictable pilgrimage your life has been so far!
If these Christian movies are any indication, the “best” Christian film makers have no vision into good, evil, and redemption. Or, they are pandering, giving average church-goers what they want. Either way, they are indulging in bad taste and still expecting to be compensated for it.