Is this true? Do movies today reflect more of a Christian or Biblical worldview? Has Hollywood found religion? First of all, statistics can be used and shaped to present whatever narrative you wish to communicate. I’m not saying that’s what the Commission has done. But have they looked at the complete picture? These are complicated questions with no easy answers.
I’m not convinced Hollywood has found religion. Contrary to what many may believe, Hollywood and the entertainment industry has no political, religious or social agenda. They are not interested in corrupting the minds of our youth. I know you might find this hard to believe. In fact, at one time I believed it. But after talking to many industry insiders, Hollywood is interested in one thing and one thing only, and that’s making money. If they believe that family-friendly will make more money than explicit films with sex, language and violence, what do you think they will do?
There is no question that the overall content from the six major studios, Disney, Fox, Universal, Warner Brothers, Sony and Paramount, has substantially improved since the early 1990s. There are more movies being produced that reflect positive values and redemptive messages. I’m not sure a film like The Blind Side would have been made 15 years ago. It obviously had a positive message with a clear-cut Christian worldview. It was a financial success because the studio got behind the film. It made $255 million at the box office and was nominated for Best Picture.
What was also interesting from last year was the number of R-rated movies with redemptive stories. That included Up in the Air and Crazy Heart. But not everything is good news. The Hangover was the sixth biggest grossing movie at $277 million. It contained a heavy dose of sex and debauchery.
I believe there are four reasons that explain this turnaround in positive content as well as three issues that we should be concerned about. In other words, it’s not time to throw a party and celebrate yet.
Reason 1
God is at work in Hollywood and the entertainment industry. Even during the darkest hours of Hollywood, God has never left the scene. His Spirit has been moving and influencing filmmakers. Case in point: During the early 1980s, Chariots of Fire and Places in the Heart are two films that clearly presented a Christian worldview. This occurred when many Christians were boycotting and demonizing Hollywood. So, at some level, Hollywood has always been presenting some form of Christian content whether they realized it or not. Perhaps we have not been able to see or define it. And since the early 1990s, there is no question that God’s Spirit has been moving in this industry.
Today there is a beachhead established in Hollywood with over 5,000 Christians working in the entertainment industry. There is no question they have made an impact on this turnaround concerning positive content in the film industry. On a recent trip, I had an opportunity to interview Christian leaders who work inside Hollywood. Dr. Larry Poland, founder of MasterMedia, has quietly been ministering to entertainment leaders for over 25 years. No one will ever know just how much influence or the impact he has had on the entertainment industry.
I also talked to the executive director of Act One. For over ten years, Act One has been training Christians to write commercially from a Christian perspective for Hollywood. Today, some of their students have reached a point in their careers where they are now working on major television and film projects.
I also interviewed Karen Covell, Founder of Hollywood Prayer Network, who has been encouraging Christians for the past 15 years to pray for Hollywood and embrace the entertainment industry as a mission field. The fact is there are many Christians in Hollywood who are part of this incredible turnaround. It’s only a beginning. But something substantial is taking place.
Reason 2
A new economic model has emerged. Today the average movie released from major studios costs $103 million to produce and market to the public. That’s a lot of money. With costs dramatically increasing, Hollywood cannot afford any controversy or problems. They are looking to build a big tent. That means they are interested in everybody being potential movie-goers. That includes mainstream teenagers, young adults, families, and the Christian market. When you spend $100 million to make a film, you can’t afford to offend anyone. That’s the economic reality that Hollywood faces today.
Hollywood has abandoned medium-size and low-budget films. They are concentrating on what they call “tent pole” films. Today that is where the profits are. But it also means they must convince everyone to see their films. Otherwise they are looking at a financial disaster.
Reason 3
The new standard is PG-13. Hollywood has found an ally in the PG-13 rating and has turned it into a marketing tool. The PG-13 rating offers the best of two worlds. It’s appealing to teenagers and young adults because there’s just enough edgy material. But, at the same time, Hollywood has convinced you that it’s also family-friendly. It’s quite a balancing act. And with the right marketing approach, it can work. For this rating to be effective, Hollywood has traded in nudity and sensuality and replaced it with suggestive language and innuendos. Violence is still present, but it tends to be less graphic and more stylistic. The PG-13 rating also allows for a few choice words here and there.
Some have suggested that the PG-13 films of today resemble R-rated movies from the early 1990s. There’s no question that standards have changed over the past 15 or 20 years. Hollywood has decided to make less R-rated movies. Why make films that will restrict your audience. It’s bad business. The PG-13 rating allows Hollywood to appeal to a broader audience.
Reason 4
Family friendly is cool. Pixar has single-handedly recreated and redefined family-friendly movies since its conception of feature films in 1995 with the release of Toy Story. Since then, they have released one mega hit after another, including Finding Nemo, Cars, Walle, Monsters Inc., Up and most recently Toy Story 3.
What’s truly amazing about Pixar’s accomplishments is somehow they have made G-rated movies cool. Before they came on the scene, no self-respecting teenager would be caught dead watching a G-rated movie. But today Pixar appeals to everyone. How have they done it? They put the art of storytelling first and foremost. It’s always about the story. Through the use of CGI (computer generated images), they have created characters that are more fully human than humans appearing in live-action films. Because of Pixar, other studios have gotten on the family-friendly, G-rated band wagon. This helps to explain why there has been a 200% increase in family films since the early 1990s.
Issues of Concern or I’m about ready to rain on your parade.
Issue 1
Only one in six movies is produced and distributed by the six major studios. That leaves about 500-600 other movies receiving some form of distribution in North America. Where do these films come from? They originate from mid-level studios such as Lions Gate, First Look Studios, Magnolia and others, direct-to-video production companies and independent distributors. If you are looking for plenty of graphic violence, sex, nudity, bad language and other forms of debauchery, you have found it in this lot.
I wish I could tell you I have seen some improvement from films released from non-major studios, but that’s not the case. We need to see improvement in this area. That’s not to say there are not a few movies being produced and distributed from mid-level and independents that offer some redemptive value or Christian content, but it’s very slim.
The emphasis here is on action and especially horror films specializing in torture with plenty of blood and guts. It’s not a pretty picture. This is an area where we need to get more Christians involved in creating independent features that reflect God’s glory and truth.
Some may argue that most people will not see these films in this category. I disagree. Obviously, most receive little or no theatrical distribution, but they do find a substantial life in home video and especially pay cable networks such as HBO, Cinemax and Showtime. The bottom line is they make up the bulk of movies produced annually. And that means they have a big impact.
Issue 2
Feature films from the major studios are only part of the huge media picture. It’s true that Hollywood’s big studios are producing more morally-based content. But that’s only part of a big picture. We have a long ways to go. Video games offer an abundance of violent images which seem to be out of control. Internet-based content offers plenty of problems as well. And, frankly, television hasn’t improved that much over the past ten years. The fact is most people think about spending $10 before they go to the movies. They want something worth their money. So they are less likely to waste their hard earned cash on trash. But often we don’t feel the same way watching a television program because we are paying for it indirectly.
Issue 3
The overall narrative of the media culture hasn’t significantly changed in the past 20 years. We are going to need a lot more from Hollywood’s major studios in order to have any significant impact on the media culture. The message is basically the same. You are the center of your own universe, and you deserve to have everything now. It’s a very self-centered concept, but it is the very heart of today’s media culture. And, in some form, most electronic entertainment and images supports this concept. Frankly, we should celebrate any film that is in direct opposition to this core message. For example, I mentioned earlier two R-rated films from last year, Crazy Heart and Up in the Air. In each film, the main character or protagonist came to an Ah-hah moment in which they realized that there was more to life than their own pursuits, that other people mattered and life did not revolve around what they wanted.
When you embrace this idea, it offers the opportunity for God to enter your life. That’s an important concept to consider. But most media does not embrace this philosophy but rather encourages you to do whatever makes you happy and fulfills your desires.
The Bottom Line
I guess the question is are you a person who sees the glass half empty or half full. What I like to think is that I’m both. I believe in order to have a full glass, you need to understand why the glass is half full. It’s only then that you can move on and achieve the results I think we are all looking for. I want to change the media, specifically the media culture. In order to do that, we need a realistic and honest approach in how we view the media.
The Christian Film and Television Commission’s report to the entertainment industry offers hope for the future. There’s much to be optimistic about. But we have substantial work to do. I just think we should thank God for what he is doing. But, perhaps, this is not the time to celebrate or throw a party. Let’s continue to focus on the issue at hand and change the face of media as we know it.
