With Evan Almighty, Hollywood Strikes Out Again

[Phostenix]

I thought this was an interesting article:

Excerpt:

In its aftermath, once again the chatter from Hollywood is how, despite another earnest and sincere attempt to make a movie for "those people," the elusive faith-based audience that came out to see the Passion of The Christ has once again failed to turn out en masse for a movie thought to be tailor-made for them. The problem with such an analysis is that it's not unlike making a movie featuring blackface and wondering why the African-American audience isn't interested.

The notion that millions of conservative Christians (a large majority of whom are also politically conservative) were going to flock to a movie that depicted obviously conservative political leaders as corrupt politicians going against the will of both a modern day Noah and God himself by trying to ruin the environment by opening up government-owned land for development, is nothing short of madness. It's one of the worst cinematic miscalculations this side of Ishtar.

But there's more. Between one of the characters noting with confidence that God is "in everything" (an idea that many religions hold to, but not the Christian one) and the notion that the Judeo-Christian God is primarily concerned not with sin, salvation and redemption but with encouraging "acts of random kindness," it was clear that if reaching a faith-based audience was the goal, this one was off by a mile.

Then there was the show-stopper: when, as the credits rolled, "Noah" held up a replica of the Ten Commandments, then turned it around to reveal an 11th Commandment, "Thou Shalt Do The Dance." For at least some Americans that may have been the last straw that cemented the film's descent from screwball religious comedy to sacrilege.

Full Story:

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0%2C2933%2C287253%2C00.html

[Oh Hamburgers!]

Personally, I never thought that Evan Almighty was meant to appeal to the "christian right", I assumed it was just made as a followup to "Bruce Almighty".

On that same note, I don't think Evan Almighty failed because it repelled the "christian right", I think it failed because it was, well, a bad movie!

But you bring up an interesting perspective I never thought about.

[TM75]

Thank you for your audience I am a new person here. Just 23, but they believe I have the Holy Ghost. I think Hollywood is and always has been a lullaby to sleep by. (that's when I created my first website) Turn to God from idols and don't watch movies like I did, and don't justify tv by saying God speaks through tv preaching (I was ignorantly led by such) I know that ye suffer fools gladly, seeing that yourselves are wise.

How long has your bible been in your life? My King James has enough light in it to dispel darkness surrounding the time in whence Mark 13 takes place. For the father shall betray the son to death, but they that endure onto the end shall be made safe.

I preach and I will leave you either drolling or wanting me out of your church

Acts 24:14-16 But this I confess unto thee, that after that way (which they call heresy) so worship I the God of my fathers, believing all things which are written in the law and the prophets,

15 and have hope towards God, that the same resurrection from death (which they themselves look for also) shall be both of just and unjust.

16 And therefore study I to have a clear conscience toward God, and toward man also.

I use the misjudged Tyndale Original text with 1525 varaints (which is an improved text)

No longer my youth's webpage

Edited July 23, 2007 by TM75

[Guest LadyC]

personally, i'm waiting for it to come out on dvd. i loved bruce almighty, half expecting it to be a sacrilege, but intrigued by the number of clergymen who were giving it a thumbs up. i wanted to see for myself.

i'll eventually see evan almighty, but i suspect the sequel will fall flat in comparison to the first one.

[Eliyahuw]

Well i think it may fail because it is going against a host of other movies that were hits and blockbusters like monty python films, as well as mel brooks films.

[Axxman]

Evan Almighty was a good movie. I think most christians would be surprised by the heavy Christian content of the movie. Sure it was quirky, and not a theological seminar on the great flood...but it was good family entertainment.

My favorite part was when God spoke to Evan's wife after she freaked out and left him. He helped her realize that what was happening in her life was actually an answer to her prayers. I couldn't help but think how true that was in many Christians lives. Often when we pray we have a preconceived idea about how God should answer that prayer...and we end up missing the answer because of it.

Overall, I think it was just as good (for a Christian movie) as Passion of the Christ (which wasn't completely theologically sound either.) With some of the garbage coming out of Hollywood, you'd think Christians would be more inclined to go see a movie made by a Director who professes to be a born-again Christian.

[Phostenix]

With some of the garbage coming out of Hollywood, you'd think Christians would be more inclined to go see a movie made by a Director who professes to be a born-again Christian.

I'd heard that, too, but the article says this:

"Then there was director Tom Shadyac, who, though known in Hollywood circles as something of a Christian, did himself no favors with interviews he gave wherein he seemed to offer up questionable religious doctrine, telling one interviewer that his own beliefs were in line with a poem he had read that suggested that since truth came from many faiths, he could no longer call himself a believer in any particular one."

[Axxman]

With some of the garbage coming out of Hollywood, you'd think Christians would be more inclined to go see a movie made by a Director who professes to be a born-again Christian.

I'd heard that, too, but the article says this:

"Then there was director Tom Shadyac, who, though known in Hollywood circles as something of a Christian, did himself no favors with interviews he gave wherein he seemed to offer up questionable religious doctrine, telling one interviewer that his own beliefs were in line with a poem he had read that suggested that since truth came from many faiths, he could no longer call himself a believer in any particular one."

I'm not trying to debate the spiritual path that Shadyac is on. He says he is a Born-Again Christian and he has consistently made movies that families can enjoy together. (Although he does engage in some juvenile humor at times...lol.) I'm not saying that Tom Shadyac is a great Christian man...I'm saying he proclaims the name of Jesus Christ as his Saviour and that is a pretty good place to start. Peter Jackson is practically anti-christian and his stupid 'Lord of the Rings' movies are peddled on Christian websites.

All I'm saying is the guy says he's a Christian...and he makes pretty decent family films. I'd think Christians would be inclined to support a movie of his that has a good Christian message.

"I'm a Jesus freak. I respond to Jesus, the messages of the Sermon on the Mount, to this guy who talked about loving your neighbor and loving your enemy. I know what's moving me, and I know what I want to be true to in my work. And if people pigeonhole me for that, I don't really care." -- Tom Shadyac

[Eliyahuw]

Peter Jackson is practically anti-christian and his stupid 'Lord of the Rings' movies are peddled on Christian websites.

All I'm saying is the guy says he's a Christian...and he makes pretty decent family films. I'd think Christians would be inclined to support a movie of his that has a good Christian message.

hmmm Could it be, nahhh it couldn't possibly be that their on the christian websites because LOTR was written by a christian, and has a christian message.

[Marnie]

I first heard about this movie at a Gaither Homecoming concert. They aired an interview during the intermission Gloria had with the director. He sounded like a typical Hollywood Christian. Not a word about salvation or grace or mercy. Just a lot of talk about Jesus the good Man, good Teacher, message of love, you know the routine.

To be honest, I saw the movie and thought it was kind of bad. Not dangerous bad, just kind of blech. You know?