Does Hollywood Love Christians Now?
by Dallas JenkinsAfter my first feature film Hometown Legend had been sold to Warner Brothers, I had some meetings with the WB marketing team in 2001. Near the end of their presentation, I said, “Now you know that this film has some faith elements in it, and my Dad (the executive producer) wrote the Left Behind books, so we could take advantage of his fan base and also promote the film to churches and youth groups.” After an awkward pause where I assume they were expecting me to explain myself, they had two questions: “What are the Left Behind books, and what are youth groups?” After another awkward pause where I expected them to say they were kidding, I replied, “The Left Behind books have sold over 30 million copies, and youth groups are where the young people in a church gather every weekend and/or Wednesday night for an hour or so.”
They adjusted their marketing plan.
This was before the Left Behind movies sold a few million DVD’s and The Passion of the Christ opened to over $100 million despite being set 2000 years ago in a dead language. Now every studio in Hollywood is looking for “faith-based” projects, especially because this year’s highest-grossing independent film was Fireproof, produced by a church for about $700,000 and which grossed over $30 million. Several studios even have faith-based divisions.
So has Hollywood found religion? Hardly. While it’s certainly a good thing that the studios are finally aware that Christians exist, they still don’t understand them, nor do they really want to try very hard. To be fair, Christians as a whole don’t exactly make things easy for Hollywood, as usually the only time that Hollywood hears from the Christian community is when they complain about or boycott their product. But that’s also been true of other people groups such as blacks, gays, and lobbyists for various nationalities or causes, and Hollywood has spent considerable effort to understand them while the media has done countless stories on the lack of accurately portrayed minorities.
But if there are faith-based divisions in Hollywood, what’s the problem? The problem is the divisions themselves; they are set up to acquire already financed or partially financed films from independent Christian producers and spend as little money as possible. They will occasionally bring in a Christian publicity firm to drum up some grass roots support, but the primary strategy is to release a film cheaply and hope the core Christian audience shows up. If they do, they make a killing; if they don’t, no harm done because so little was spent in the first place.
Once in a blue moon (full disclosure—I don’t know what that means), a studio will release a big budget film that’s story was generated from the Christian community, such as Chronicles of Narnia, or…um, I can’t really think of another one. Maybe The Nativity Story, but that was a half-hearted and boring attempt to capitalize on the Passion craze. But even in the case of Narnia, they chose a film that was safe and wouldn’t feel like a faith-based film to mainstream audiences, so as not to risk turning anyone off. When Sony Universal released Brokeback Mountain, they didn’t shy away from a few explicit gay sex scenes, as that would have been compromising; one wonders if they would extend the same treatment to explicit prayer or churchy scenes in a faith-based film that had a budget above $5 million.
So the faith-based film spectrum includes explicitly churchy cheap movies on one end, safe and moderate expensive movies (albeit very few) on the other. There is no in between. Movies like Chariots of Fire, The Mission, The Apostle, or A Walk to Remember, quality films of subtle power that address in an explicit and accurate way the issues of faith that most Americans experience, just aren’t made anymore. If these films were pitched to a studio today, they would either be shuffled to the faith division, dumbed down, and made for $2 million with no stars, or they would be beefed up and done expensively but have all the faith stuff thinned out. The Mission would be called The Journey, and it wouldn’t be about a missionary preaching to a third world tribe, it would be about an environmentalist preaching to a wrong-intentioned missionary.
The result? The majority of Americans miss out on films that reflect a large segment of the populace and an important part of our life experience. 90% of Americans believe in God, but how often do we see Him discussed in a mainstream film? Over half the country goes to church on a regular basis, but how often do we see church or clergy in a mainstream film? Or any Christians at all for that matter? Most Americans pray; have you seen prayer on screen in awhile?
There’s no question that Christians need to do a better job of making films and becoming world-class filmmakers who will deserve the ear of Hollywood executives. But even when we do, we often face the fate of famous screenwriter Joe Eszterhas, who recently became a Christian and is desperate to make a faith-based film. He pitched a script that executives thought was brilliant, but they didn’t want to make a “Christian film” unless it was cheap. The quality of the film matters less than which category they can fit it in to. In a vacuum, this isn’t abnormal or bad, as all entertainment is usually about marketing and finding categories. The problem in this case is that neither category is a good one.
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32 Comments
A blue moon is the second full moon in a month. It doesn’t happen often, hence the expression, “once in a blue moon.”
I really enjoyed this article. Your experience in the first paragraph is pretty amazing. To most of us in fly-over country, that is analogous to saying, “I thought Notre Dame was in France, and what is football?”
It’s been my experience that in films, the only evangelic people of faith are minorities, that whites can only be Catholic, Jewish, or ignorant. (Remember the lame 80s movies about a black convict pretending to be a nun, and teaching the church choir how to reach the masses? That was insulting to so many inner city churches – Catholic and Protestant – that already made and continue making a difference in the lives of the urban poor every day, and not just with music).
It’s too bad, because there are so many challenging situations, moral dilemmas, and dramatic issues within the faith community. David of Ancient Israel isn’t the only faith-based leader to conspire to get rid of his lover’s husband, partly in the interest of public relations, only to make a public confession of regret– and still live with the dire consequences that would tear apart all he had built. What’s more dramatic than a story like that?
I saw Island in the Sky with John Wayne. It was made in 1953. It’s about several men stranded in the mountains after a plane crash. About half way through the movie they kneel down a recite the Lords prayer. I was shocked. Look how far we have moved in the opposite direction since 1953.
Great article! I would add that Christians need to do a better job of not spending money on the junk that comes out of Hollywood. I have often wondered why Hollywood does as well as they do if there are so many American Christians.
One more thing – many youth groups now do a thing called finding God in the Movies. They watch a movie and they discuss the positive elements that point to Godly characteristics. You might want to mention this to some of the Hollywood marketing moguls.
The faith-based divisions in Hollywood go beyond banking a film, hence a great site like Big Hollywood. Isn’t the real issue ‘thinking problems’
There’s no question that Christians need to do a better job of creating films like Fireproof. The current Hollywood thinking isn’t going to change. One answer is Christ-like people having a Big Hollywood forum.
Creative people are already available. The forum is available here. The box office is available. We are worn thin by the OLD Hollywood thinkers.
Maybe it is a Christian’s turn in Hollywood.
In big-budget Hollywood films, Christians are usually portrayed as the villians (V for Vendetta, The Mist, The Reaping, etc etc).
But something else I’ve noticed is that whenever a Christian is portrayed positively in a movie, it’s usually as someone dealing with a crisis of faith (I Am Legend, Signs, From Dusk Till Dawn). Which is fine, except it is always handled in such a condescending way. Something bad happens to the hero, he loses his faith, then something else happens that causes him to get it back, and that’s it. This, I think, is almost as insulting as portraying us as the villians, because it is suggesting that our faith is based solely on whether or not things are going well for us.
Any Christian that has read the book of Job (or, for that matter, lived in the real world for about 5 minutes) knows that things aren’t going to go well all of the time, and that our faith can’t be dependent on that. Yet this demeaning portrayal of Christian faith continues in Hollywood, no doubt because cynical filmmakers think it will be a good way to bring in religious audiences without having to do any spiritual heavy lifting.
JimmC – You make a great point. For about 18 centuries, Christianity existed – thrived even- when life was hard, brutal, and short – with Christians living amidst rampant and deadly diseases, severe poverty, savage invasions, bad harvests, terrible work conditions, and rampant crime (all by today’s standards in the West). Heck, in most of the world, Christians still experience those conditions, all without experiencing a “crisis of faith.”
Somehow, in America, where prosperity is so easy to come by, Christians have equated prosperity with being Godly. But then, the States are the world’s 4th largest Christian mission field, receiving far more Christian missionaries (mostly from Asia and Africa) than sending out.
Great article. While we don’t have to wallow in the mud, we don’t want to abandon those who do. We should not abandon those who are involved in and influenced by an immoral industry.
I would love to see a movie based on experiences such as Brother Andrew or something like that. I have read his book and there is plenty of suspense in his “adventures.” There are plenty of stories out there like that.
And there are plenty of stories about “ordinary people doing extraordinary things.” Like the man who recently lost his family in that jet crash and asked for prayer for the pilot.
And while I enjoyed the Left Behind series, I hope that filmakers don’t limit themselves to end times movies because it’s the cool thing to do.
Thank you Mr. Jenkins. I look forward to reading more threads from you in the future.
Sorry, my previous post appears to have been swallowed. (I was told that I was ‘typing too fast’. Hookay.)
Anyway, Dallas, thank you for the work you are doing on behalf of faith in film. It is very much appreciated.
I think having true faith based films is very important. However even subtle references is something that if done right can bring a lot with them. In a TV show not too long ago, without any mention of the Catholic Church a father placed a rosary in his dying sons hands and gently put the cross out where it could be seen by the camera. That kind of “product” placement is subtle but hits home. Thats another way to address Christian issues and faith without hitting people in the head. The Passion served the purpose of bringing a certain reality to the story of Jesus Christ. The Left Behind also serve a certain purpose. Christian themes can run the gamut from the life of Saint Paul to the mere placement of a rosary in the hand of a dying marine. That is profound stuff.
Rather than pander to “Hollywood”…why can’t Hollywood have some competition? Why should Hollywood reap the rewards of Christian values…or for non-Christian conservatives (yes, there are many!).
There is much I don’t understand in the cost of producing a movie, salaries, sets, unions…and so on. But is America prohibited from having a competing entertainment industry that can rival “Hollywood”?
Mainstream Americans that watch mainstream entertainment/media/journalism…don’t even know they are being duped…it’s been such a subtle endeavor that is simply getting bolder and exposed.
The entertainment should not underestimate the power of the American people… educate us…ask for our support…tell us what we are getting now and what we can have!
==whenever a Christian is portrayed positively in a movie, it’s usually as someone dealing with a crisis of faith (I Am Legend, Signs, From Dusk Till Dawn). Which is fine, except it is always handled in such a condescending way. Something bad happens to the hero, he loses his faith, then something else happens that causes him to get it back, and that’s it. This, I think, is almost as insulting as portraying us as the villians, because it is suggesting that our faith is based solely on whether or not things are going well for us.==
In other words, the Christian character is a caricature. Either the world dreamed up this warped view of “Christian,” or Christians have portrayed themselves in such a way that the world has this perception. It may be a leeeetle of both, unfortunately. The world doesn’t know the Word of God to discern, and neither do far too many Christians.
On the other hand, insirational drama DOES involve change of character, and, so, it’s heartening to see a demonstration, even if fictional, of the work of God, through Christ, on an individual. Change of character is with what most, if not all, can indentify. Thus, this kinda film is more believable. Thus, I think, more successful.
However, while unknown actors and actresses let us better focus on the content, rather than on personalities, a well-made film with good, Christian conservative actors and actresses will be so good-content-filled that personalities won’t be obvious. They won’t take away from the content that we need to see, stuff that is inspirational, based on the Word of God.
“The Incredibles” is more Christian than everybody thinks. Just watch it over and over, comparing it to the Word of God. Isn’t what happens to The Incredibles — being banished to the ‘burbs for what the world thinks is the destruction-aspect of doing “good” — what is happening to Christians today?
According to the Word of God, those who are born again ARE superheroes!
==Maybe it is a Christian’s turn in Hollywood.==
It ain’t gonna be handed on a platter to us. We’ll have to drag Hollywood kickin and screamin’. So be it. Just do it! Just cuz it’s the right and CORRECT thing.
I think it takes more Passion type movies for this to really work. While I agree there is a place for movies such as Fireproof, I feel there needs to be films using good actors for non-Christians to take notice. Our churches jump on the bandwagon of Christian films. Fireproof and Facing the Giants were beloved by Christians, but lampooned by non-Christians, mainly for quality. In the instance of these two movies in particular, the church that made them will not use actors or crew that are not members of their church community. We need more present day stories with big budgets and good actors for the big studios to start really trying.
In the interest of The Industry snooping around this site…
The Esterhas script is about Paul. If you don’t know which Paul, then Google it, for Christ’s sake (literally). The fact that “Saint Paul” will appear first should be another indication to you of the guy’s popularity and enormous worldwide appeal. Behind Mel’s Passion, <<>> is the 2nd great epic story that waits. A fascinating hero role. It aches to be told. We ache to see it. Cash burns holes in our non-denominational Christian pockets to see it.
As far as Mr E’s interp? I’m trusting he was mere scribe for much of it.
Dig this site. Thanks, Mr. B. And thanks, Dallas, for the great synopsis of whaddup with The Industry’s apoplectic reaction to this subject matter. Fascinating.
A more subtle and insidious form of “product placement” occurred in the recent film “The Forbidden Kingdom”, where the chief thug beating up the lead character wore a cross dangling prominently on a necklace.
Doug O. writes: “It’s been my experience that in films, the only evangelic people of faith are minorities, that whites can only be Catholic, Jewish, or ignorant.”
This was really obvious when the classic “The Bishop’s Wife” was remade, but set in an African-American church.
Hollywood cliches about religion really should attract talent eager to break or reverse them.
There’s the “hip priest/nun/minister” who teaches the congregation and the fusty establishment how to Swing (Going My Way) or Rock (Elvis Presley’s “Change of Habit”). This actually reflects reality, because of all the “hip” people in church administration.
The real story now would be somebody who introduces the liturgical music of Mozart and Bach to people raised on tripe “Jesus is my Boyfriend!” songs. (A good satire based on church bands could be done pretty easily.)
As noted, there are so many mediocre stories about the seminarian, minister, or Catholic school student who discovers sex and rock and roll, then questions his or her faith.
It’s usually the faith that’s wrong or bad, and rarely the sex or the rock and roll. Lots of people actually flee to religion from such things.
The self-righteous pastor seems more common than the self-righteous sinner. The penitents are few, too.
Then there’s the leading character, in TV especially, who keeps saying “I’m not a believer, myself.” Characters can be more interesting (but probably harder to create) if they have significant religious commitments. New experiences and characters can attract inquisitive people to the theaters. I want to know what those weird Episcopalians or snooty Pentecostals hear on Sunday, especially at the foreign-language services I don’t understand. I want to have some idea of what it is like for a Hindu or an ancient pagan or a neo-pagan who lives in a universe full of gods. And what are Quakers, anyway?
The vague and feel-good spirituality of Hollywood is easy to write, because it’s all style and no substance. Research, please!
At the same time, there are a few “salutary” cliches. Often you’ll see a character in distress make the Sign of the Cross, perhaps a sign that Hollywood is more favorable towards religious gestures than religious words.
Since film is an audio-visual medium, text-centric and iconoclastic forms of Christianity might be at an inherent disadvantage.
Many Christians or conservatives seemingly discourage artistic pursuits in favor of practical careers which can support a family. That might have to change, too.
But foremost, Christians who go into filmmaking should do so because they love movies and because they have talent, not to “send a message.” If they’re deeply Christian, that will come through implicitly in their style and choice of subject matter.
Thank you, Mr. Jenkins. I don’t know which of the following two “take aways” is more dispiriting: the accuracy of your unstated indictment of human nature’s often depraved tastes and appetites (with its concomitant resistance to recognize, or risk deference to, its creator), OR the unnecessary, deleterious financial effects of a systemic Hollywood executive mindset which under serves shareholders’ economic interests by prioritizing financially irrational decision making. Either conclusion, at the least, points us to Martin Buber’s assertion, “Mundis vult decipi.” (The world wants to be deceived.)
Films don’t necessarily have to be explicitly Christian to have an impact on its viewers that take them, eventually, to kneel before the altar. For a good example of a film that doesn’t have to be explicitly Christian to have a good showing – and a film award to boot-, I’d recommend Bella. It is the most Life-affirming film that I have seen in my lifetime – and didn’t take the route of dishonoring God or His commandments in any sense in order to achieve its goal.
I only watched about twenty-five minutes of it – I showed up at a friend’s relative’s house where everyone was watching it. But I was in tears after ten minutes. (OK, I’m pregnant, and emotions can be exaggerated on my state; nonetheless…)
I have often wondered why Hollywood does as well as they do if there are so many American Christians.
Two reasons: 1. Many Christians will go into “turn the other cheek” mode and either ignore or even humbly agree with unjust and stereotypical attacks on their faith.
2. Overseas profits.
We can’t do anything about #2, but there needs to be some big time consciousness raising concerning media attacks on faith. It needs to be passively resisted on the basis of helping others to see the Truth.
Brokeback Mountain was released by Focus Features, a division of Universal, not Sony.
Maybe if you got your facts right, movie companies would take you more seriously.
Producing Faith based documentaries and Fiction Films is my goal…
I don’t feel so alone now, thanks for the article!
I wrote a script back in the late 90’s and submitted it to the 1998 Austin Heart of Film Festival Screenwriting Contest, where it finished as a semi-finalist. It landed me with a literary agency called Smith Entertainment. They walked me through a rewrite in preparation to send it out to several agents.
The story was about a former special forces soldier who became a Catholic Priest, who is asked by the Church to invstigate th death of another Priest and uncovers a plot to bring the anti-Christ to Earth before his time.
On the rewrite I was asked to change a scene in which the hero is talking with another Priest after a setback in the case. I was asked to remove all references to Christ in the conversation. IN DIALOGUE BETWEEN TWO CATHOLIC PRIESTS!!! (And I have the coverage notes to prove it.) I was also asked to make the story “less Catholic” (I’m a Pentacostal myself).
Needless to say I questioned this, and I was dropped. The company shortly went out of business.
The question I have, having all but given up on writing for Hollywood, is whether or not these Faith divisions of the studios justify dusting the script off and resubmitting. Mr. Dallas, I think you’ve answered my question.
Tyler Perry seems to be having some success with Hollywood. On the other hand, I can see the execs couching his overtly Christian messages as being just part of “black culture” and therefore mostly harmless.
Great insight on a monumental problem. I truly think ‘Jesus’ is the only name which would scare Hollywood from producing that which could potentially draw countless millions. It terrified them before the Passion came out, and apperently that profoundly successful experience has inoculated no one to that very fear.
==The story was about a former special forces soldier who became a Catholic Priest, who is asked by the Church to invstigate th death of another Priest and uncovers a plot to bring the anti-Christ to Earth before his time.==
I’m looking into it; but, according to 1 Thessalonians, according to what I hear so far, the anti-Christ doesn’t come before the Rapture. So, if a person is here after his neighbor “mysteriously” disappears, he can be sure he didn’t make the cut.
Therefore, to the knowledgeable Christian, a plot to bring the anti-Christ to Earth “before his time” doesn’t make sense, even biblical sense. As you know, even fiction has to have a goodly amount of reality and sense.
==I was asked to remove all references to Christ in the conversation. IN DIALOGUE BETWEEN TWO CATHOLIC PRIESTS!!! (And I have the coverage notes to prove it.) I was also asked to make the story “less Catholic” (I’m a Pentacostal myself).
Needless to say I questioned this, and I was dropped…==
Of course, through Christ, God wants you to ignore the intitial apparenlty negative consequence and be patient for Him to work to the positive in the life of the Believer. Your patience is a demonstration, even to yourself, of your faith. God already knows, but He wants YOU to know, just as He demonstrated to Abraham, vis a vis Isaac.
==The company shortly went out of business. ==
And, so, He worked in your case. See?
That may be a story, in itself! Or part of one. I wish I had what YOU know so that I could write the danged thing myself. Maybe I’ll try, I dunno.
==‘Jesus’ is the only name which would scare Hollywood from producing that which could potentially draw countless millions. It terrified them before the Passion came out, and apperently that profoundly successful experience has inoculated no one to that very fear.==
Nothing throws a scare into Hollywood faster than “Jesus” and “Christianity.” That’s cuz nothing else works against the Devil. Nothing else threatens the Devil more. That Christian, inspirational films would draw millions messes with the Devil’s flow.
Keven J. Jones wrote: But foremost, Christians who go into filmmaking should do so because they love movies and because they have talent, not to “send a message.” If they’re deeply Christian, that will come through implicitly in their style and choice of subject matter.
Many years ago, I attended the Billy Graham Writing School. The most important thing I brought home was a statement by Sherwood Werth: “A painting doesn’t have to have a cross in it to be a Christian painting; I you are a Christian, it will show in your work.”
He didn’t say: If you are religious… The Christian community does not agree on all religious issues. They don’t always live up to their name when it comes to religious beliefs and practices. They do agree on the morals taught by the Bible, and confidence in the Lord Jesus. They agree tht prayer works and we are to be about doing good (even the immitators believe this).
Bogart could play a tough worldly guy, yet when the big choices came, his character gave way to doing the right thing. A good example of Christian writing.
==Keven J. Jones wrote: But foremost, Christians who go into filmmaking should do so because they love movies and because they have talent, not to “send a message.” If they’re deeply Christian, that will come through implicitly in their style and choice of subject matter.==
Jesus said that He sends those who are born again just as the Father sent Him. The primary job of the one who is born again is to deliver the Message of God’s Truth and Reconciliation. Jesus used parable. WE may do the same, through any number of media.
==…a statement by Sherwood Werth: “A painting doesn’t have to have a cross in it to be a Christian painting; I you are a Christian, it will show in your work.”
He didn’t say: If you are religious… The Christian community does not agree on all religious issues. They don’t always live up to their name when it comes to religious beliefs and practices. They do agree on the morals taught by the Bible, and confidence in the Lord Jesus. They agree tht prayer works and we are to be about doing good (even the immitators believe this). ==
How will the scoffer know? By what standard does he tell?
[...] I mentioned in my last article, Hollywood is more interested in Christian, or “faith-based,” films than ever. The [...]
Frank Schaeffer wrote a great book called "Addicted to Mediocrity." It may be another reason we've done so poorly as a group in making art in general. His thinking often falls along some of the same lines as Dallas' does. There are some good Christian film schools out there. One that deserves some props is Bob Jones University. And, it's an institution that has worked hard to fix some of the issues that had given it a black eye in the past. A good school with good leadership and a great film school. Check out their website http://www.bju.edu/ The school has always had a tradition of excellence in academics, art and ministry. They've come out of the cocoon their former leadership created with some ridiculous rules, back in the 50's and 60's, and turned into a great school. Now, I believe, the true heart of the school is back on track.
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