Posted on 12/06/2006 7:45:53 PM PST by AngieGal
Hollywood will not make anymore religious films unless Christians go and see The Nativity Story in large numbers
That’s the view of its producer, Marty Bowen
By Dan Wooding Founder of ASSIST Ministries Poster for The Nativity Story
HOLLYWOOD, CA (ANS) -- Marty Bowen, producer of The Nativity Story which came in fourth in the weekend box office in the United States, is concerned that Hollywood will not make anymore religious films unless Christians now go and see the movie in large numbers.
Despite many good reviews, New Line’s The Nativity Story, the story of Christ’s birth, only took in $8 million in the United States from 3,183 locations to come in fourth, while, for the third week in a row, the No. 1 and No. 2 films remain Warners' Happy Feet and Sony's Casino Royale, respectively. Buena Vista's Déjà Vu also remained unchanged from its third place finish last week, netting an additional $11 million.
In an interview with ANS, Marty Bowen said he was disappointed with the fact that the movie only came in fourth.
“I thought it was incredibly disheartening for a variety of different reasons, not the least of which is you hear this common lament from moviegoers that America feels like Hollywood has lost touch with what they want to see. People feel like there is too much violence in movies and too much disrespect towards the family.
“Now finally a Hollywood studio has stepped up and put their money where their mouth is and has committed to making and releasing a movie, not on a couple of screens but rather on a very big very large fashion – more than three-thousand screens around the country -- and giving the audience what they say they want and yet that sense of urgency in that audience isn’t there to go and see it.
“What is disappointing is you hear people talk about how we can make movies better but if you don’t go see them when they are presented to you, Hollywood’s never going to do it again. And that’s what is frustrating to me because I changed careers to make movies that would inspire people and if there’s not a business for it, and I can’t find a studio to make the movies that I want to make, then that’s disappointing.”
Bowen, who was formerly an agent, went on to say, “Hollywood hasn’t made a Biblical film like this for decades. The Passion Of The Christ was one man’s journey and he [Mel Gibson] did a phenomenal job.
“I think what happens in a movie like this is that people say, ‘I’ll get to see the movie when I get around to it.’ What they don’t understand is that this is a business. These theater owners have a lot of demand for their screens and if a movie does not perform well on December 1st, despite the fact that it is the reason for this holiday season -- it’s the Christmas story -- it might not make it to December 25th, and that angers me.
“It just really saddens me that a movie that’s about the birth of Jesus may not be in theaters when that celebration of that birth takes place. And that’s really disappointing.
“People don’t seem to realize that when a studio commits tens of millions of dollars to make a movie they expect an audience to go see it; and if they don’t see it soon they’ll never be around to see it later.
When asked if he had a message to American Christians, he replied, “There needs to be a sense that, if what you want is to see films that are about faith and family and you want to light a fire under your neighbors to be inspired to live the life that you feel like is fulfilling to you, then you need to support films that have a similar message. If you don’t then you need to be ok with the idea that next year at the box office there’s going to be a movie about some guy cutting people’s throats around a Christmas tree.
“That’s the nature of the beast. It’s a sad commentary to me that when we considered the possibility of naming this movie Silent Night we couldn’t do that because that sounded like a horror film. That’s awful. So that’s why I put it [The Nativity Story] out there. You can’t wait to see this movie because you’re giving the wrong message to Hollywood.”
Bowen concluded by saying, “It’s not an effective argument, in my opinion, to wait around until Hollywood makes the decision for themselves and then, what they make is something you find morally reprehensible, and then you protest. To me that’s negative reinforcement. Positive reinforcement has always been more effective. If a movie speaks to what you want movies to be about than you need to support it or you need to shut up.”
So, what are you waiting for? Go and see The Nativity Story before it is too late!
Note: I’d like to thank Robin Frost for transcribing this interview.
Why should we go see it. It belittles the Blessed Virgin Mary.
Good riddance to bad rubbish!
You sound totally stupid. I hope you are not as you sound.
It would be nice if Hollywood made more Biblical epics in the vein of Ben-Hur or The 10 Commandments. There are lots and lots of stories in the Bible to make movies of.
That said, I haven't been to a movie in several years. Not since Gods and Generals came to the theatres. And I only went then because the tickets were a birthday gift!!
This is all so stupid. Picture the hotdog guy in front of home depot, he starts shouting, "I am not going to make anymore of these hotdogs unless you come and buy them." Well duh, how would anyone respond? "Who cares", I would say. It's simple, apparently there is just not enough people who want one of your hotdogs. Big deal, if they don't want them today, they probably will not want them tomorrow.
I think people who would want to see this, just don't go to movies much. They are out of the habit, because there is never anything worth seeing.
Thanks for the interesting link, but I really don't get why Catholics insist that it's important that Mary's hymen was preserved during the act of giving birth. The hymen is merely a tissue that is sometimes torn during vigorous exercise before a woman experiences sexual intercourse, and that sometimes is so tough that it's advisable for a doctor to break it before intercourse is attempted. It has absolutely nothing to do with moral choices. Clearly there would be nothing immoral about its being broken during the birth of the immaculately conceived Savior.
What is with the obsession with technical virginity? Isn't virginity the result of choices about sex, having nothing to do with a divine birth?
HA! THAT's not old-fashioned. Puritanical, maybe, but not old-fashioned.
Give a little thought and consideration to just how much of history's great art features Biblical themes; how much of it graces centuries-old cathedrals and churches.
A separation of church and entertainment? That there ever was some wedge driven between the two is the major reason behind the dominance of secular themes in modern art and entertainment. Where are the "Michelangelo's" of our day? Name the "Ode to Joy" of our time. Who is the "Handel" of the 21st Century, and what is the title of his "Messiah"?
The de facto attitude among many Christians seems to be that art and entertainment are destined to be ruled by secularists; that "Christian Music", or "Christian Books" are doomed to always be some sort of minority splinter off of the whole; that no Christian might ever again produce a work to rival the Pieta; that no Christian might ever produce another work to rival "Messiah"; that no Christian might ever compose music so powerful as that of J. S. Bach, or create a painting as majestic as the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel.
To mentally capitulate artistic superiority to secular society over some Puritanical notion that Christians ought not engage in such frivolities as art... NO!
No. The Greatest Story is OUR SAVIOR'S story. The Greatest Books tell of him. The Greatest Songs, are HIS songs; all about Him. The Greatest Music is that directed toward Him. The Greatest Paintings are all about Him; His life, His work, His heritage, His Truth, and His Coming again. The Greatest Sculpture likewise. And so ought it be for the Greatest Films, the Greatest Plays, the Greatest of all artistic works.
What excuse should we give that those Christians blessed with inordinate artistic talent should bury it in the ground and not see it multiplied? Let it never be, but let their talents be fully and enthusiastically invested for the glory of God and for sake of His Kingdom, that they may bring a return that the Father may ultimately note and for which He may give His commendation, "Well done, thou good and faithful servant."
In spite of the fact that this article says the movie got favorable reviews, I've heard that it's slow and boring.
I was looking forward to it until I started hearing the negative. People like me CAN'T sit through a movie that's slow and dull which is why I rarely go to movies. I'm too fidgety.
I'll wait and see what more people say. I won't pay to see it if it isn't worth my time, even if it's a religious movie.
Yep, and she sure ain't carrying the Messiah. This certainly had an effect on the pathetic box office receipts last weekend.
I like your reply, and toltally agree.
The man has a point and I'm certainly sympathetic, but there are some other points, too.
Many people in the target audience don't trust Hollywood to make ANY film that is truly respectful of religion, even though this one seems to be. The behavior of movie theater audiences today in many communities, especially on weekends when families are most likely to see a movie, isn't very good, to say the least. Also, there are all the terribly loud, and often violent or sexual previews, you have to sit through before the movie starts. Also, the sound is often too loud. For all these reasons, I go to only a few movies a year, and rarely find it a completely enjoyable experience. That would be even more the case if I had young kids along.
In fairness, the (relatively limited) sexual immorality of the leading lady shouldn't affect audience reaction or box office receipts for the rare decent, let alone religious, movie. But you're possibly right that it does. I don't know how well-known this girl's pregnancy or age or (non) marital status is among the public.
I think the article explains why the movie isn't doing as well as 'Hollywood' wants - ie not making enough money.
Christians don't exist to support Hollywood's efforts to make movies about their faith. We've been burned too many times by Hollywood movies that make fun and denigrate and trash our faith, and now because they make one supposedly 'good' Christian movie since Cecil B. deMile's 'The Ten Commandments" we're supposed to go and support them?
I have a long memory. how many evil priest, cheating minister, and phony faith-healer movies/movie characters do I have to forget before I believe that Hollywood has changed? The simple fact that the article points out that if the Nativity Story wouldn't be in theaters at Christmas, it would be of a guy slashing peoples' throats at Christmas, just confirms for me Hollywood's attempt to get me in the theaters to see this is much less to do about making a good Christian film, but about getting some of my money.
Hollywood cares nothing about the values of real Christians. The river of filth that spews out of them passing for entertainment confirms it.
Sounds like blackmail to me. Are you saying nobody can complain about hollywood unless they pay to see this one specific movie? Bull.
What, is HE Hollywood now? What arrogance!
They will only make satanist movies.
Obviously they're in it only -- only -- for the money. The director also directed the vulgar "Thirteen," and the girl playing Mary is an unchaste pregant-by-her-boyfriend actress.
Call me cynical.
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