Christian Movies Must Evoke Serious Discussion and Change-Not Feel Good Emotions

Now that the brouhaha over the accuracy of Noah has died down, I want to reflect on this movie which I did not see. I have no regrets either way. I don't feel a responsibility to see every so-called Christian movie and tv show that appears. I don't feel a need to call out every director for not ensuring that every word of dialogue comes verbatim from the Bible.

The controversy over Noah disturbed me because of the virulent attack on the movie by Christian "leaders". Leaders who believe the only way to make "real" Christian movies is to dress white people in long dirty robes and set it in a desert. Or make a movie with an obvious and rather unchallenging moral ending (e.g. Fireproof, "reconcile with your wife").  I enjoyed Fireproof, by the way.

A formulaic approach cheapens the movie-going experience, insults the dignity and intelligence of the movie-going audience, and spoon-feeds a "version" of God without challenging people to really discover how who God (the God of the Bible for the purposes of this discussion) is. For that matter, who is the Son of God?

When a movie too carefully defines or filters the "message", then there is no message. I've seen examples of atheistic or Buddhist written/directed movies strongly pushing their "message" as if the audience has no right or choice but to accept their way of thinking. Ultimately, such strongly themed movies turn audiences off and tune out the need of individual movie goers to find themselves within the character and story.

When I'm paying for a movie ticket, I expect to form my own thought, not have it "thought out" for me. I was never into the Harry Potter series, but a friend (and church sister) felt strongly that the movies showed that magic was the way to solve your problems ; in other words, a way of being self-reliant rather than God reliant.  I countered with Narnia. Didn't those movies show magic too? She disagreed and felt that the Narnia movies were pointing to a God-centered life. I still haven't seen any Potter movies to amend my opinion and probably won't. However, the fact that there was enough of a contrast to start a discussion is exactly how a movie, especially when it's purported as a Christian movie, and not just in church groups.

Lord of the Rings is another series that, to me, clearly shows good triumphing over evil. Jesus triumphing over Satan. The fact that a Hobbit is the "savior" of the series is even more compelling since they are the lowliest creatures in Middle Earth. I'm not suggesting that there is one theme to take away from Lord of the Rings or The Hobbit, but when millions of people around the world see a movie and resonate with it, they are clearly being touched in a deep and meaningful way.

The latest slew of Christian movies hasn't affected me much since I already know that they will follow the formula of portraying Christ as essentially a white, philosophical type man in long robes, disrespecting the racial and cultural demographic of today and ignoring the historical evidence of the time as well as glaring Biblical proof that describes Christ as a complex human being with a socially complex and conflicted life;  mixed emotions, anger, questionable friends and acquaintances, a sacrificial nature, and a forgiving spirit.

Every movie with a "church scene" is not a Christian movie. In fact, most of them probably aren't. It numbs and degrades Jesus lovers when a director uses a "sudden conversion" church scene as the inception of the Christian life or the usual route to Christianity. Where are the stories of the drunk who gets saved in a seedy hotel room? Or the addict who has to o.d. in order to come to Christ? Those stories are real and lack the lulling effect of seeing Abraham and Lot for the umpteenth time. The Old Testament accounts are very compelling, however the lack of fresh perspective and apparent research of how desert nomads (Bedouins) actually live and thrive in the desert is not.

As Hollywood seems to make a little room for different religious perspectives, they must accept that at times the perspectives will be harsh and offend all kinds of people. They are often not politically correct and non-inclusive.  Isn't that what good movies do? Quite a few non-Christian directors are adulated and practically deified for their brash, violent "tell it like it is" style, yet they are heralded as movie making mavericks and pioneers of post-modern storytelling.

For Christian movie makers, the new and more difficult challenge is to transform the safe Bible stories into the palpable and gritty realities that are chronicled therein, not make it more palatable for families only or into a Scripture filled Sunday sermon that can't be understood by non church goers.