Posted on 02/20/2006 5:52:46 PM PST by FloridianBushFan
Been to the movies lately? If you're going to plunk down $8.50 and buy watered-down Coke and overpriced popcorn, is it asking too much for quality entertainment that occasionally affirms life and stirs the soul? For years, my friends in the church and in the pro-family movement and I have decried the products being delivered to our theaters. We have particularly pointed to an anti-religious bias in so many movies.
Red-state America's response to movies that are bad in this fashion has been to whine, complain and maybe even call for an ill-fated boycott.
Film critic, radio talk show host and cultural warrior Michael Medved talks about this phenomenon in his best-selling book, "Right Turns."
"The best way to make a difference," Medved writes, "involved less complaining and more creating. The presence of more people of faith within the entertainment establishment would not only facilitate more projects sympathetic to Christianity and Judaism, but would also undermine some of the lingering anti-religious stereotypes."
Can I hear an "amen"?
Enter Every Tribe Entertainment, an independent production company committed to creating quality entertainment for a broad audience that inspires hope through truth. Frustrated with what our culture was ingesting, and understanding the power of the media, they took Medved's words to heart and set out to tell one of the most compelling true stories of our time.
"End of the Spear" is the motion picture account of the very beloved story of Nate Saint, Jim Elliot, Ed McCully, Pete Fleming and Roger Youderian -- five missionary martyrs who gave their lives reaching a very remote and violent tribe in the jungles of Ecuador in 1956. The story is not in the deaths of the five men, but in the redemption that follows. I'm not going to tell the whole story. Go see the movie if it's still in your city. You'll thank me.
The "church" was poised to embrace this film. For the first time on the big screen, missionaries were portrayed not as "bottom feeders," but as heroes. More than 50 leaders of ministries around the nation endorsed the film, and mainstream conservative critics hailed the production.
But sadly, the Every Tribe team encountered for the first time what many of us in public life have experienced for many years. They met the blogosphere.
For unwittingly casting a gay actor in a lead role, Every Tribe met the wrath of a preacher in suburban Denver with nothing better to do than to read excerpts from a gay-rights magazine and attack a brother without bothering to check with him first.
It seems Jason Janz, who runs a Web site I won't dignify with a mention here, took at face value the claims of a special-interest magazine that claimed a fine young actor named Chad Allen was cast in the role of Nate Saint because he is gay. The blogs lit up like Las Vegas.
A leader in the Southern Baptist church took at face value what was said on the Web and blogged his own commentary -- accusing Every Tribe of "reckless" casting and asked: "What were they thinking?" I wonder if this leader bothered to ask them what they were thinking before committing his thoughts to paper. If he had, he would have known that the producers were caught unaware of Allen's lifestyle choice until they had tendered a contract.
At that point, these businessmen, men of honor who not only talk about redemption but live it, agonized over their dilemma until the son of Nate Saint himself concluded that the truly redemptive act would be to keep Allen in the role, and expose him to the real love of Christ as lived out by the real Nate Saint. What a concept.
For this, Every Tribe has been relentlessly attacked and even threatened in cyberspace. Attacked by their own -- not the Hollywood elite.
Janz now knows better, as leaders in the film company have personally approached him and a mediator with the truth. As of this writing, I see that Janz has "clarified" his accusations, but not yet apologized. As a Christian brother, Janz -- and anyone who has forwarded his online charges -- owes Every Tribe restitution. But like toothpaste that has been squeezed out of its tube, his words may be impossible to put back.
Every Tribe's attackers may be surprised to know that there were likely gays, tax cheats, philanderers and even gluttons on the sets of "Chariots of Fire," "The Passion of The Christ," "The Chronicles of Narnia," and probably even "The Ten Commandments." But these accusers apparently have the luxury of picking their sins, regardless of the teaching of he who they claim to serve.
I've seen this scenario for too many years in the political arena. Uncorroborated charges reported as gospel truth, resulting in the defamation of good and honorable men.
It's wrong, but not surprising, in politics. I weep to see this played out on this stage, in the name of God.
For more information about "End of the Spear" and the Chad Allen matter, visit www.christianitytodaymovies.com.
J.C. Watts (JCWatts01@jcwatts.com) , is former chairman of the Republican Conference of the U.S. House, where he served as an Oklahoma representative from 1995 to 2002. His column appears twice monthly in the Review-Journal.
Well, with the way homosexuality has dominated Hollywood in recent years and attempted to infiltrate the minds of the youth I can see some people's point in not wanting to see a movie where the lead is a gay.
I wouldn't pick up a book written by a radical Muslim either but I don't think of that as discrimination.
Haven't seen it yet but I will
Moral of the story; DON'T BELIEVE EVERYTHING YOU READ ON THE INTERNET
Well, I don't know if they hate the guy since they don't know him. They're just basically making a statement against the way that gays are dominating Hollywood these days.
Most Americans are, brace yourself, idiots. They pay to watch CNN. Why should it be surprising that they'd pay to sit in a filthy theater and watch similar garbage? Barnum would have been proud of the concession angle.
"Actor-producer Chad Allen opens up about his good works, why
boosting gay causes is especially important at the holidays, and the, blessings he's received since coming out two years ago"
The movie has definitely served as his best platform to date, for a committed gay activist the movies starring role opens up a new venue, for interviews reaching audiences that before would never have heard his eloquent efforts to persuade people to embrace the gay life. Even good people make bone headed mistakes, hiring a quiet homosexual for the part may have revealed a naivety, considering that in this time of battle with the gay power movement it may have been seen as an endorsement, but to put an activist in the role, knowing in promoting the film he would be proselytizing his agenda seems like a huge blunder.
We are all sinners. If this film makes a powerful statement about the Gospel and how Jesus Christ can change lives, it ought to be seen.
You're thinking of a different movie about the same story; Tip of the Spear was just released.....
Yes, it doesn't matter if an actor is gay (provided he and the film are not there to promote an agenda). The point is to evaluate a film on its artistic merits and the sexual orientation of any actor is irrelevant. Example: In the old days people made a great star out of a gay. The fact that he was gay wasn't widely known until much later. But were it known many would have avoided his films - and missed some good acting as well as good films. It was Rock Hudson. We can rest assured there were many others. I would no more avoid a good film because one of the actors happened to be gay than I would refuse to read a great novel because the author was.
I wouldn't pick up a book written by a radical Muslim either but I don't think of that as discrimination.
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But you should. Equating homosexuality with terrorism is out of bounds.
They're just basically making a statement against the way that gays are dominating Hollywood these days.
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And cutting off their noses to spite their faces. Equating Brokeback Mountain with End of The Spear does violence to Christian ethics.
It is not necessary to rationalize bad behavior. Any Christians who refuses to see the Spear out of contempt for homosexuality has a serious moral conflict.
The story is about wives who forgave their husband's murderers and brought them to Christ. I am disgusted by self-proclaimed Christians who sow hatred in the name of Christ.
I associated "Tip of the Spear" as a trite phrase used by organizations to say they were there first or on top of things.
The movies I were referring to were End of the Spear
and the DVD documentary film "Beyond the Gates of Splendor" which is the true account of the story, as I stated in post #4.
I would no more avoid a good film because one of the actors happened to be gay than I would refuse to read a great novel because the author was.
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Right on. This does not, of course, mean that homosexuality and marriage are compatible. It simply means that life style should be no bar to art.
Nonsense. You're the one who introduced Islam above, remember?
I expanded on your thought.
You seem to be great at self-righteous judgment, etc., deciding you're the one who should be the judge of what's "out of bounds" as you state above.
Some christians don't want anything to do with Hollywood. Their perogative. Stop deciding what every christian should or shouldn't do.
You seem to be great at self-righteous judgment, etc., deciding you're the one who should be the judge of what's "out of bounds" as you state above.
OOOOOHH! I am quaking.
To be so hypersensitive to a statement of fact you must be hurting somewhere.
I am the one who is responsible for my opinions. If I say something is out of bounds you should learn something about me, not be intimidated and react as though I assume I am speaking for God.
G-d is at work always, even when I can't recognize it. I only wish I were as good as the producers of "The End of The Spear" at getting out of His way and letting Him do as He will. Too often I'm busy seeing things my way.
Shalom.
Well, I hate judging Christians, but those people missed a great trilogy in "The Lord of The Rings."
Shalom.
Hey, Amos. I'm not sure what statement you made that you think I'm hypersensitive to.
And I'm not quite sure what you think what "statement" of so-called fact you made but I got news for you...you certainly ain't no prophet.
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