by Matt Harper
We’ve all got that aunt who sends us the trailer to the new Kirk Cameron film and tells us that “it’s going to be amazing” with about thirty more exclamation marks than necessary. However, both you and I know that the new Kirk Cameron movie is not, in fact, going to be amazing. It won’t be any good whatsoever, actually, unless it’s fun to watch in one of those holycow-this-is-so-terrible-I-can’t-takemy-eyes-off-of-it kind of ways. We all understand why people run out to pick up copies of things like Fireproof, of course, but don’t we as human beings, and more specifically Christians, deserve better than that? Yes, it’s great to see familyfriendly films with good morals at their center being released. They give more conservative Christian households something to sit down and watch together, but they also, for the most part, insult the very nature of film. Movies are meant to be art. They are images and audio
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put together in a way that hopefully inspires us to think, to feel, and to discuss the important issues of our world. When something like Facing the Giants starts gaining popularity in Christian circles it’s hard not to just shake your head and wonder why we, as Christians, don’t expect better of the people making such films.
there are independent gems by the dozen, such as this year’s Moonrise Kingdom from Wes Anderson. Christians never seem to get the gems, though. We get actors who are clearly reading their script while on camera and happy-go-lucky endings with bad contemporary Christian radio hits playing over the credits.
Obviously poorly shot, poorly written, poorly edited, acted, and directed films aren’t exclusive to Christianity. After all, the Twilight franchise keeps raking in millions and Michael Bay keeps getting deal after deal long after his creative spark (All-Spark?) has left him. But unlike Hollywood blockbusters, there never seems to be so much as a single great Christian film released in a year. Each summer we get disasters like Battleship in our theaters, but there are always a few good blockbusters, sometimes even great ones (Marvel’s The Avengers, anyone?). And then
The problem, quite frankly, is that the makers of these films are so concerned with not offending anyone and making sure that no one says a “bad word” or commits any violent acts, that they ignore making any sort of important statements at all. You know when you start the movie that the good guy is going to win and, in most cases, the bad guy is going to be brought to the light. We’re never concerned for the characters because there’s never any reason to be. Isn’t it quite possible that it would be better for us to strengthen our faith by watching a truly great film in which