'Passion' will inspire other religious films (Michael Medved)

USA Today ^ | March 14, 2004 | Michael Medved

[beaversmom]

Mel Gibson's unprecedented hit, The Passion of the Christ, already has changed Hollywood forever. Those industry insiders who deny the significance of the transformation are fooling only themselves.

A recent article in USA TODAY, headlined " 'The Passion' could be a hard act to follow," displayed a subhead baldly declaring, "Hollywood is unlikely to get religion."

[ahayes]

Yeah, lots of hot girls in training to be concubines too. I actually was thinking a while ago that Hollywood would probably prefer to make a movie about Esther for these two reasons. Except they'd probably balk at the hangings and glorification of self-defense in the end. But that can be changed! (Haman is won over by Ester's impassioned defense--the king is just a bystander, of course--and repents of his evilness?)

[jojodamofo]

It's been done. But the liberal entertainment media doesn't want you to know that. At least from my perspective, as a bible-believing Christian distrustful of papist theology, the "Left Behind" films make "The Passion" look like "Plan 9 from Outer Space." Probably because they were just that good, they got buried by the liberal media.

Actually, when CBS cancelled its Reagan trash, I asked them to run the "Left Behind" movies instead to make amends for the hurt they caused conservative Christians by producing that trash. As to be expected, I never heard back.

[NeoCaveman]

You mean a bunch of coked up atheists will now try their hands at religious movies, what fresh hell is this?

Great tagline btw.

[tjwmason]

I'm very sorry to hear that Walt Disney is planning to do the Narnia films. I can't think of a worse company to do it.

The B.B.C. did some of them a few years ago, they were very well done, with much of the Christian imagery being carried through (which I doubt will happen with Disney). For example, Amazon.co.uk has the D.V.D. of 'The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe'. http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/B00009PBEP/qid=1079466548/sr=1-1/ref=sr_1_10_1/026-9908767-9137225

[longtermmemmory]

Sadly you are correct. The hollywierd types will dismiss Gibson's film as a fluke and take "elements" and then not understand why their religious PC bloodfest was not a hit.

Next they will dismiss the rare-vieweres and push them asided. Imagine how hollyweird would react to a Gibson-like treatment of President Bush's day on 9/11?

The suits at hollywood HAVE to dismiss conservative audiences. It means their worldview of a "liberal" view as the default position is dead wrong. (look at the original startrek and their foundering efforts to get back to a more conservative bent with enterprise after voyager drove traditional audienes away.What can I say, I like trek.)

The other fear that hollywood has, what happens if there are more Gibsons out there? What happens if there is another film that wipes out the competition which is NOT kowtowing to the hollyweird worldview? Does this mean they will not be so willing, or have the money, to finance the next MichaelMoore movie? Tim Robins?Clooney?

What will the shareholders say? (Disney shareholders are busy teaching Eisner that lesson.)


I don't think hollywood has the mental capacity to do this right. It is not in their brain or life experience.

[MineralMan]

I think Medved's right. We'll no doubt see some films based on Biblical themes in the next few months. If they're done with the skill of Gibson's "Passion," then they'll do quite well in the box office.

If, however, they're done in the way many religious films (and there are lots of them), they'll lack the professional feel and production values that attract viewing audiences.

When Hollywood has turned its talent to producing great films with a relgious theme, they've done very well. "The Greatest Story Ever Told," "The Bible," The Robe," "Exodus," and others come to mind. There have been many films with religious themes, and the best of them are in the top 100 films of all time.

However, audiences will not flock to the theaters to see mediocre films on any subject. That's the catch. Sounds to me like investment in the existing production companies that produce religious films might be a good idea...but only if they put the kind of resources into their films that are required to produce top-quality movies.

[tiamat]

"The Robe" was on one of the cable channels this morning.

[LadyDoc]

Field of dreams isn't really about heaven. It is about a son who needs to be reconciled with his father, and baseball is merely a metaphor for the customs/rituals that were frowned on in the 1960's but that actually hold together one generation to another...

The writer was a non practicing catholic, but used the catholic idea of the sacramental: that ordinary objects can be used to convey the grace of God into our lives.
In field of dreams, the "sacrament" was the love of baseball, and the love of watching a good game with your family and friends as a ritual of solidarity and community.

Another example would be Thanksgiving dinner with all your family around is a sacrament of family love and connection, and even if you don't mention God, you know very well he is there and smiling at the celebration, just like he did at cana

Alas, hollywood is so deeply into blasphemy that they will make anti religious spiritual movies...even movies such as Seven years in Tibet has little or no religious meaning (religion as in explaining the deep meaning of life and it's connection to the eternal and to God), even though the Dalai Lama is Buddhist and quite spiritual in a non Christian way...

[Barnacle]

You mean a bunch of coked up atheists will now try their hands at religious movies, what fresh hell is this?

You can bet they'll be replete with blasphemy.

[Jaded]

I personally wouldn't trust Disney with any film about moral values.

[kidd]

I'm very sorry to hear that Walt Disney is planning to do the Narnia films.

I'm gonna go out on a limb here. I think Disney is going to do this up right. Several reasons:

1. The rights to CS Lewis' writings belong to a Christian entrepeneur.
2. Disney is in transition. Eisner, if he is allowed to stick around, knows he needs to change his approach. The making of a religious movie would silence a lot of his religious critics. This is the perfect material to do this with.
3. The timing of this announcement was prompted by the success of a religious project. The religious imagery HAS to be retained.
4. The LWW CAN be made such that the religious overtones can be retained for religious people to see, while non-religious-types can see something else (the LOTR series was able to do this quite well).
5. The core Disney customer is STILL the family looking for wholesome entertainment - despite Eisner's bungling that has driven many of them away. There is a huge set of unsatisfied Disney customers out there - the "Passion" must have shown him that they are absolutely starved for something substantial, not the teen-centered pap that we've been force-fed.

[zbigreddogz]

He's probably right, unfortunately.

I can almost assure you, they will suck.

Think about it, how many of the old hollywood religious movies were actually good? Ben Hur, sure. Beyond that? Nada.

[Cicero]

I know what you're saying. I know about the Roy Disney campaign and I know that Eisner almost lost the vote at the recent annual meeting. His back is against the wall.

Nevertheless, this would require not only management changes at the top, but huge changes in the personnel who do the actual movie. I'm not just talking about putting in a Christian message. I'm almost more worried about the style of the cartoons. As Marshall McLuhan pointed out, the medium is the message. All you need is a bunch of cutesy fawns doing a dance to a Caribbean tune or a bunch of kids who look like they live in Marin County rather than England to wreck the whole tone of the movies. Not to speak of a lion with one of those Disney grins.

If you don't want that kind of effect, then you're probably going to have to fire 3/4 of the cartoonists and start all over again.

[PeoplesRep_of_LA]

but following Gibson's example involves only a single powerful star or producer willing to commit personal resources to a project of uncompromising spiritual vision.

I just thought of something; no story has been written that the reason this movie is a success is that Gibson REFUSED to compromise his Christianity to placate some secularists and Jewish activists.

No one wants to point out that his stubbornness has given him cred, bringing in many who never go to a theatre because this story doesn't have the stamp of approval from mainstream culture.

Take that Frank Rich.

[kidd]

Well, you make some good points.

However, Disney has already fired a large fraction of its animators. They've lost their partnership with Pixar. Basically, Disney is in the process of changing it approach to animation. I believe to do the LWW right, that it has to be done as a live film with good CGI - which is new for Disney, but maybe they'll use the same studio the the LOTR used.

I share your concern though - they did just purchase the rights to the Muppets. I fear that they will feel a need to use their new purchase.

[kidd]

Well, you make some good points.

However, Disney has already fired a large fraction of its animators. They've lost their partnership with Pixar. Basically, Disney is in the process of changing it approach to animation. I believe to do the LWW right, that it has to be done as a live film with good CGI - which is new for Disney, but maybe they'll use the same studio the the LOTR used.

I share your concern though - they did just purchase the rights to the Muppets. I fear that they will feel a need to use their new purchase.

[Taliesan]

The most superficial reaction possible to Passion is this knee-jerk "more religious movies".

People won't flock to see religious movies just becasue they tell bible stories. Anybody who has been in sunday school for 5 minutes knows that bible stories are just as boring and lifeless, even for believers, if the teller is a bad storyteller.

People will flock to see a religious movie by an ARTIST WITH A SPECIFIC AND ORTHODOX VISION.

It is the Gospels which are beautiful; Gibson brought the vision of a true believer to the table, plus his natural talent in the medium.

[KriegerGeist]

"I'm very sorry to hear that Walt Disney is planning to do the Narnia films."

I am too! You know that Peter Jackson stated after his Lord of the Rings trilogy that he was "keen" on doing the Hobbit and The Chronicles of Narnia as well...that he had always wanted to do it as he did the L.O.T.R.

I think Jackson making The Chronicles of Narnia would have been of the quality of L.O.T.R. observing his perfectionism of L.O.T.R.. Probably why Disney wanted to get there first. Although, you know Disney will not come close to what Peter Jackson would have done with it.

[KriegerGeist]

"I would love to see Gibson follow up the success of "The Passion" by filming the "Left Behind" series."

The "Left Behind" series already has at least the first three filmed, staring Kurt Cameron and wife Chelsie Nobel.

Mel Gibson is a strict Catholic and I'm not sure that I know a Catholic that believes in "the rapture", so that may not be of interest to Gibson.

[Salvation]

Faith will inspire more movies like this!