TruthBook Religious News Blog

Originally published December 18, 2009
By Robert W. Butler

McClatchy Newspapers

(MCT)

Call it religion. Or if that makes you uncomfortable, go with the more general "spirituality."

Whatever you call it, it's everywhere at the multiplex these days.

In movies as varied as the dead serious "The Road," the uplifting family picture "The Blind Side," the biting comedy "The Invention of Lying" and even James Cameron's sci-fi opus "Avatar," issues of faith and morality and mankind's place in the universe are all the rage .

Not all of these movies embrace religion. Some question human gullibility. Some ask for evidence of a higher purpose in what often seems a random universe. But whether they encourage prayer or doubt, they're all part of the zeitgeist.

But why now?

"There are two schools of thought about that," said Greg Wright, an editor at www.HollywoodJesus.com, a Web site that examines popular culture from a religious perspective.

"The more paranoid elements of our culture tend to think Hollywood has a proactive agenda, that producers have a grand scheme to use movies to shape the thinking of audiences. I don't subscribe to that school.

"I believe that Hollywood gives audiences what audiences want to see. If people don't want to see movies with certain messages, they won't buy tickets.

"So if there's a trend out there, it's one reflecting what people are already thinking and feeling."

And what are we thinking?

Sister Rose Pacatte, who reviews movies for the Pauline Center for Media Studies in Los Angeles, says it isn't mere coincidence that a new animated version of Dickens' "A Christmas Carol" came along in 2009. She notes that the film was released in the wake of an economic crisis fueled by greedy self-interest on an unprecedented scale.

"Being a good man of business will not save your soul. That's an essential message of 'A Christmas Carol' and one emphasized by this version," she said.

Dickens' tale may have little to say about God and Jesus, but it stresses charity and the dangers of poverty and ignorance, she noted.

Please click on "external source" to find out more about spiritually-themed movies.

Labels: Hollywood, movies, Robert W. Butler, spirituality

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Friday, November 20, 2009

Oh My God: Peter Rodger Talks Religion

Oh My God: Peter Rodger Talks Religion

by Tom Allen | Published November 13, 2009

There is one universal question that never fails to stir up passion, curiosity, self-reflection and often wild controversy: “What is God?” Peter Rodger’s film, Oh My God, opening in a dozen cities nationwide this month, asks the question in 23 countries around the world and in the process weaves a tapestry that is both breathtaking and hopeful.

By every measure a skeptical Hollywood artist, Rodger sets out to confirm his suspicion that the world’s intractable conflicts are caused by religion and religious people. He poses the question “What is God?” with a bluntness that steels some viewers for a Religulous-type neo-atheist assault. But as the film unspools we are disarmed by Rodger’s intellectual honesty. He confounds expectations by allowing the warmth of his interviews with people of faith to emerge without the derision that we’ve come to expect in an age of mocking skepticism (with one or two entertaining exceptions). The result is a non-fiction feature that affirms faith despite the moviemaker’s lingering ambivalence, and offers the best Hollywood-driven opportunity for fruitful dialogue about transcendent issues in recent memory.

With wars indeed raging over religious differences, and evil and extremism garnering all the media’s attention, it is fair game to wonder whether the religious are causing much of the world’s strife. But to push beyond that toward reconciliation after discovering that people of faith are just like everybody else, well, that requires courage, especially in Hollywood. This is the landscape Oh My God navigates.

Rodger’s quest serves as both travelogue and mini-course in world religions, spanning the United States, Africa, the Middle East and Far East and covering a stunning array of human faith expressions. Through his revealing lens we meet everyday people, spiritual leaders and celebrities, believers, fanatics and atheists. In this personal, visceral and brutally honest non-fiction feature, Rodger—and the rest of us—are moved by the light and the truths his subjects reveal. We are invited closer and come away changed, enriched, and better for the experience.

Tom Allen (MM): What was your inspiration for making your epic documentary film, Oh My God?

Peter Rodger (PR): I was frustrated with the childish schoolyard mentality that permeates this world—I call it the “My God Is Greater Than Your God” syndrome—where you have grown men flying airplanes into buildings shouting “God is Great"—where you have the leader of the free world telling the BBC in 2003 that he invaded Iraq because God told him to—where you have the constitution of a country (Iran) that dictates that its supreme leader is God’s representative on earth—where you have young men and women blowing themselves up (and innocent others) to buy a place into heaven. None of these concepts made any sense to me. Does it matter what I believe? Does it matter what you believe? And what is this entity that goes by the name of God, which seems to bring about so much friction, hurt and pain? I decided to go around the world and ask people what they think.

MM: Why did you ask, ‘What is God?’ versus ‘Who is God?,’ since most of us personalize God in some form or another?

PR: I wanted to look at God as a concept and be as objective as possible. Referring to God as “who” is already putting the concept into the image of Man and therefore the objectivity becomes lost. I wanted to get as far away from preconceived ideas as possible to see what I would find. I felt that phrasing the question as “what is...” instead of “who is...” would make the interviewee immediately look at God from the outside-in rather than the inside-out, and thereby help quench preconceptions. I wanted the film to have a wide application and ultimately get to the question, “Did God create man, or did man create God?”

PR: MM: Did you set out with a goal in mind? Did you find a common theme in the answers you received?

PR: My goal was to find out what “God” means to people, and to determine whether religion and religious people were causing all the world’s problems. There was such commonality in all the responses that at one point I didn’t even think I had a film. It was frustrating because all the answers seemed to be the same from all over the world. “God is everything...” “God is the creator...” “God is in the birds and the bees in the trees...” “God is the energy that binds us all together....” etc., etc. And then it occurred to me that if there are all these placid descriptions, why is there so much turmoil, upheaval and war in the name of God? I realized that the problem in the world may be what Man does with “God”—how he uses it to control other men, how he twists the preaching of its prophets to create politicized clubs that serve his narrow ends. When I realized that it was Man creating God in his own image, I knew I had a film.

PR: MM: What criterion were set in place for which countries you visited and interviewees you sought? Did you try to interview leaders such as the Dalai Lama or the Pope?

PR: I had to have representation from as many diverse places as possible in order to capture as wide a spectrum of faith expressions as possible. You can’t, of course, make a film about who or what people think God is without going to the Holy Land. Indigenous cultures are also important, so Australia, the United States and Tribal Africa were a must. I wanted celebrities in the film to help navigate us through, so their geographical locations and schedules became a factor. Then Buddhists, Hindus, Christians, Muslims had to be represented somewhere, so that dictated India, Bali, Rome, Mexico, Morocco, Turkey, the Palestinian Territories, UK. I wanted the Mayans in there too, so Guatemala… Put all of that in a melting pot and I passed the buck over to American Express Platinum Travel and that’s how we made the schedule!

Most religious leaders turned us down—and I am very thankful that they did, because they are all “professional God people,” so all I would have gotten was politicized rhetoric and theology. The film is not about religion and its leaders. The film is about who or what people think God is. If I had the Dalai Lama in the film, I would’ve had to have the Pope and the Archbishop of Canterbury, and then Ali Khamenei and other religious people and my film would be really, really boring.?

MM: Is that why you decided to include so many everyday people and ‘man on the street’ insights?

PR: Yes, that is precisely the intent of the film—to find out what God means to the common man—not just professional God people, politicians and celebrities, but “normal” people.

MM: How were you able to capture such personal insights about God and religion from so many notable celebrities?

PR: I asked them one simple question: “What is God?” They did the rest. Then, based upon their answers, I would take it to the next level until we were yapping away. All of them were colorful and gracious and I am very grateful for the time and effort they contributed to the film.

MM: Is it true you that encountered some difficulties when you first set out to make this film and almost gave it up?

PR: My first trip in 2006 was to Morocco and I chose the same day to fly that the British terrorist plot to blow up planes with liquid explosives was foiled by Scotland Yard. I was flying out of LAX to Tangiers via Heathrow with all my camera equipment. Normally you take the important stuff as hand luggage—phone, camera, notes, lenses, computer, stock, etc., but this was the first day in aviation history that hand luggage was completely banned. We had to check everything into the hold and needless to say, I never saw my equipment, notes, or toothbrush again. Because of the delay, however, I hit on a succession of events in which I was in the right place at the right time, something that would never have happened if I had started shooting two months earlier. In over 227 shooting days, I didn’t have a single weather problem. So I’ve come to believe that out of every negative there is a positive of exactly the same magnitude—maybe not exactly at the same time, but there always is one.

MM: What moved or surprised you the most on your moviemaking journey?

PR: How very small the world is. How similar all of us are and how blind most of us are to that fact. The similarities in belief-systems transcend time and geographical boundaries and this was the case long before the birth of the telephone, the airplane and the internet. I was also moved by the enormous desire for peace on the part of both the Palestinians and the Israelis. It is very clear to me that it is the politicians who are messing that situation up. It doesn’t seem to be a conflict of religion at all. It is a conflict of land, politics and emotion.?

This is the first of a two-page article. Please click on "external source" for the complete article.

Labels: God, movies, Peter Rodger, religion, Tom Allen

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Thursday, September 10, 2009

'Creation' tells of Charles Darwin's war between science and love

The evolutionist's wife, Emma, embraced her faith to the point that she believed her husband shouldn't publish his theories.

By Nev Pierce
September 6, 2009

Reporting from Hertfordshire, England - Almost 50 years after the Scopes "Monkey" trial received the Hollywood treatment in the original "Inherit the Wind," the eternal friction between science and religion is back on the big-screen with "Creation," which opens the Toronto International Film Festival on Thursday. The British period drama tells the story of how 19th century naturalist Charles Darwin wrote his revolutionary book "The Origin Of Species" while facing opposition from his devout Christian wife and struggling with grief over the death of his eldest daughter.

It was a difficult time in young Darwin's life, both personally and professionally. When he first advanced his groundbreaking theory that animals, including humans, evolved from common ancestors, he was challenging centuries of consensus between religious and scientific thinkers. Until that point, it was broadly accepted that life in all its complexities and forms was simply too intricate to have arisen naturally. But Darwin had painstakingly detailed the process of natural selection, showing how it was indeed possible, even probable, that nature was her own maker, concepts that have remained central to modern scientific thinking. Nevertheless, the creation-evolution dispute marches on, and the discussion now includes the theory of intelligent design, which blends science with biblical accounts to argue that God's hand may be the guiding force behind the natural processes of evolution.

This is basically a movie review, but its subject matter is enough for me to make a mental note to see when it gets a wider distribution. Please click on "external source" for the complete article.

Labels: Charles Darwin, evolution, movies, relationship

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Saturday, February 23, 2008

People's Award and Judges' Award for Best Spiritual Film of 2007

'Amazing Grace' Winner!

Two views: The Case For

For this year's Best Spiritual Film contest, the Beliefnet community chose "Amazing Grace". It wasn't the best known of the nominees or the highest grossing at the box office, but our panelists and community members agreed: "Amazing Grace" is the best spiritual film of the year. And it wasn't even close, winning both votes by a comfortable margin.

"Amazing Grace" is one of those films about the past that resonates so much with the present that, take away the costumes, it could be set today. It's about what happens to a man when his faith and his spirituality go from being expedient lip-service to being uncomfortable daggers that drive him to make a wildly unpopular stand.

The man was British parliamentarian William Wilberforce, and the issue was the human slave trade--which was seen by most politicians as an economic issue, not a moral or spiritual one. (Heard that one lately?)

There are two extraordinarily wonderful things about this film. First that it was made as a mainstream film by talented filmmakers who may or may not have shared Wilberforce's Christian faith. This allowed it to be a universal exploration of what happens to a person when his or her faith refuses to be compartmentalized and instead becomes the motivating force in his life. The direction, the script, and the acting are outstanding . And while Wilberforce's faith is fully explored, the film doesn't proselytize a specific faith as much as it rouses viewers to do what they know to be right, no matter what their faith, no matter what the consequences.

The second thing I loved about this film is that it isn't a "quick fix" story. Wilberforce's battle to outlaw slavery in Britain cost him years, money, friends, and his health, and required the spiritual values of humility, tenacity, and selflessness, as well as a commitment to justice. He was driven by the idea that not one more human being should die an agonizing death in the hold of a slave ship or be "owned" by another.

We've all become so inured to politicians using their faith as a campaign tool that it seems impossible to believe that a politician might actually put his or her conscience above political expediency. "Amazing Grace" reminds each of us that the same goad that shoved Wilberforce out of his comfort zone is the one that is likely prodding us even now.
--Sharon Linnéa

The Case Against

"Amazing Grace" should be called a good spiritual film of 2007, rather than the best. The William Wilberforce biopic is a circular blend of the 19th century abolitionist's force in ending the British slave trade and his religious conversion to evangelicalism. The film embodied spirituality through Ioan Gruffudd's portrayal of Wilberforce--as well as those of supporting cast members like Albert Finney as John Newton, the writer of the eponymous hymn.

The film doesn't lack spirituality, but it does lack a hold on a wide audience. For one, it came out in February to coincide with the 200th anniversary of the end of the British slave trade, which was a good move in providing a message of relevancy at that time. However, as the film audience looks back at the year of films, it is difficult to recall "Amazing Grace" in the relative consciousness.

That is partly because other films with strong spiritual messages, such as "Juno" and "The Kite Runner" had much more recent releases and wider appeal. The Wilberforce message doesn't have boundaries, really, as it was to make the world a better place, through action and example rather than lecturing.

But "Amazing Grace" separates itself from some American filmgoers with its historical biopic realm set in Britain over 200 years ago, making it difficult to connect. Wilberforce might be a household name in the U.K., yet it wasn't in the U.S. at the time of the film's release and still isn't. That lack of a bond is reason enough not to be considered best spiritual film of 2007.
-- Sara Shereen Bakhshian

Labels: Amazing Grace, movies, Sara Shereen Bakhshian, slavery, spirituality, William Wilberforce

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Thursday, November 29, 2007

UW Professors' Book Examines Religion in Popular Films

News Release

UW Professors' Book Examines Religion in Popular Films

Nov. 28, 2007 -- Many of America's most popular movies use religious imagery and symbolism to convey cultural viewpoints and to debate social questions of their times, according to the authors of a new college textbook, "Film and Religion: An Introduction."

"We examine how American culture uses religious material for many purposes, quite often to promote political and ideological statements," says Paul Flesher, University of Wyoming associate professor of religious studies who co-wrote the book with Robert Torry, associate professor in UW's Department of English. They wrote the book in response to a nationwide demand for a text to accompany an increasing number of college courses that teach religion and film. The pair began team teaching the course at UW in the early 1990s.

"Our students watch the films in context of cultural issues that affect the society in which the films were made. So we look at the 1950s films in terms of the Cold War issues -- nuclear bombs, foreign policy and military policy," says Torry. "These issues are expressed even in science fiction films such as "The Day the Earth Stood Still" and "When Worlds Collide."

The religious films of the ‘60s and ‘70s were produced after the strict motion picture code was relaxed, says Flesher, who also directs UW's Religious Studies Program. For example, more traditional films on the life of Jesus, such as "The King of Kings" and "The Greatest Story Ever Told" were replaced by films reflecting the era's social rebellion, such as "Godspell, "Jesus Christ Superstar" and "Jesus in Montreal."

The authors say the textbook (Abingdon Press, 2007) incorporates three areas of knowledge essential for understanding film's use of religion: the movies themselves, the religious features that appear in them, and the cultural concerns they address.

Each chapter is organized around an issue addressed by a group of films. For example, one chapter on "God As Alien: Humanity's Helper" examines 1968's "2001: A Space Odyssey" and 1977's "Close Encounters of the Third Kind." "The Exorcist" (1973) and "The Omen" (1976) are highlighted in a chapter about the devil.

The book also includes popular films that take a less explicit look at the relationships between religion and culture. Religious themes and imagery of the films "The Natural" and "Field of Dreams" are examined in a chapter on "The Religion of Baseball."

"We want our students to have fun with these films, but the overall point we make is that religion interacts with culture," Flesher adds.

Posted on Wednesday, November 28, 2007

Labels: filmmakers, movies, Paul Flesher, religion, Robert Torry

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Monday, March 12, 2007

Hollywood choosing more themes of redemption

Sunday, March 11, 2007
By Tory Anderson Los Angeles Daily News

LOS ANGELES— Long considered the modern-day equivalent of Sodom and Gomorrah, Hollywood is increasingly showing its family-friendly side, churning out an unprecedented number of films and television shows with uplifting, redemptive themes.

In the three years since Mel Gibson released “The Passion of the Christ,” hundreds of films with Judeo-Christian, spiritual and family-friendly themes have hit the screen — from “The Nativity Story” to “Amazing Grace.”

Last year alone, nearly 50 films featured positive Judeo-Christian content that producers hoped would appeal to the estimated 110 million Americans who attend church every week, according to Camarillo-based Movieguide.

The films raked in an average $39 million, according to Movieguide. All five of the major Hollywood studios have created marketing departments to target the growing demand for faith-based and family fare.

“People are gravitating to anything that gives them hope, inspiration, motivation or a sense of something light,” said Mark Clayman, executive producer of “The Pursuit of Happyness.”

“People want good stories. They want to be entertained, but they also want something they can bring their kids to and enjoy as a family. Look at our world. There is so much war and junk and disease. I think people are just hungry for the other side.”

To meet the demand, 20th Century Fox recently launched Fox Faith Movies, which plans to release a dozen faith-based films a year. Last fall, the Walt Disney Co. also announced it would focus more on family-oriented and faith-based movies.

Movieguide publisher Ted Baehr, who is also chairman of the Christian Film & Television Commission, said Hollywood executives realize that the public wants more uplifting and spiritual fare.

“There is competition for the Christian audience now that there hasn’t been before,” Baehr said. “I thought at some point it would level off, but so far it’s getting bigger and bigger.

Stephen Kendrick, executive producer of “Facing the Giants” and an associate pastor at Sherwood Baptist Church in Albany, Ga., said the film has received broad praise since its release last year.

The drama chronicles a Christian high school football coach who uses faith to battle overwhelming fear and failure.

Kendrick said he and his brother, Alex — also a pastor at the church and executive producer of the movie — got more than 5,000 e-mails from people who said the movie has changed their lives.

“We think more movies like this are going to be rising up,” Kendrick said. “I know there is a huge wave of people — thanks to the digitalization of media and the lowering of costs to be able to produce films — who are now beginning to study and learn how to make films. A feature film is one of the most influential things in our culture.”

The brothers decided to make movies after reading about a 2002 poll by The Barna Group that found church was not considered among the top 10 influences in American culture.

“Movies and music are in the top three,” Kendrick said. “So instead of cursing the darkness, we thought, ‘We have the best message in the world that is still transforming people’s lives and giving them hope, forgiveness and peace.’ And so we want to take that message to them, using the most influential means possible. And that’s why we chose to go into feature films.”

Last month, 57 teams of Christian filmmakers from around the world participated in the Burbank-based 168-Hour Film Project.

Part of a “speed filmmaking” phenomenon, teams were given a week to write a short script based on a randomly assigned Scripture verse, and another week to film and edit a five- to 10-minute movie.

The films will be screened March 23 at the Stars Art Theater and March 24 at the Alex Theatre, both in Glendale. Trinity Broadcast Network will air films chosen as the best.

“It’s our biggest year ever,” said John David Ware, founder and executive director of the project.

“We’ve had many people who are first-time filmmakers go on to produce many other films. The teams are expanding their short films into feature-length films and trying to sell them. Many of the films have won awards at other film festivals.”

Dean Batali, former executive producer of “That ’70s Show,” who now writes TV scripts with faith-based themes, said the move marks a significant shift.

“This is a diverse nation, and for the past decades, Christians have shunned Hollywood. All we are saying is: ‘Why shun Hollywood? Let’s go to Hollywood and take a seat at the table.’ ”

But Batali said it’s not always easy.

“I live in both worlds.” Batali said. “The people I go to church with tend not to understand the people I work with in Hollywood, and the people in Hollywood tend to be really fearful of the people I go to church with.”

Labels: Christian, entertainment, Hollywood, movies, Tory Anderson