When you think of successful modern films, what are some names that come to mind?
Anything commended by the Academy may pop up, or any recent Marvel or DC blockbusters that have graced the silver screen (Marvel’s Captain Marvel grossed nearly $825.1 million in revenue as of March).
Maybe, some mind-bending independent films make the list, like the smash-hit psychological horror Hereditary from last year.
Now, have you ever heard of God’s Not Dead or its sequel? Unbroken: Path to Redemption? How about Indivisible?
The above names are of Christian films that have been released in the past five years.
If you have heard of the listed films or any like them, their reception, both critically and otherwise, can seem inconsistent.
The original God’s Not Dead from 2014 received a measly 13 percent on Rotten Tomatoes, but a 4.5/5 from the average Facebook’s review.
Last year’s Unbroken: Path to Redemption, received a 36 percent on Rotten Tomatoes, but 91 percent from the average votes of Google users.
Christian films have not been nominated for major film awards recently, and it has been a long time since any were publicly praised.
Films like 1959’s Ben Hur, 1966’s A Man for All Seasons, and 2004’s The Passion of The Christ can be considered some of the last blockbusters of their kind.
So, what is it about religiously-sponsored films that seem to be put in a different category than those that are critically-acknowledged masterpieces?
Why are many skeptical of Christian film as a genre?
Cristina D’Averso-Collins, Campus Minister for the Catholic Campus Ministry, lent ideas as to why.
“In today’s society, I believe there are two main reasons why [these] films do not receive much attention by the secular media, [and] one is that Christianity is, and always has been, profoundly countercultural (the values espoused by Christians are often diametrically opposed to those portrayed throughout popular media).”
D’Averso-Collins continued, “Two, there is a widespread view that Christianity, and faith, more generally, is unrealistic and out of touch with modernity…the very premise of hope in something beyond the material world is often seen as far-fetched and illogical.”
Another idea as to why the public may not relate to religiously-centered films is that some subject matters can be harsh or off-putting.
Ariana Murdocca, Public Relations Student Society of America President and graduate student of corporate and public communications, expressed a personal experience: “I had seen The Passion of The Christ, and it was definitely a lot to take in. Anyone who has seen that movie knows it is incredibly graphic, which is a reason I have a negative connotation around such films.”
She continued, “With their faith in mind,” Murdocca concluded, “I think those producing and directing these films try to make a powerful impact to really elicit all kinds of emotion from viewers, to the benefit of their reputation or otherwise.”
A final reason Christian films may not garner as much overall praise or recognition for work is from what can be perceived as biased claims made in them, alienating potential audiences that are predominantly not-religious.
The main antagonist in the first of the major Christian studio PureFlix’s well-known God’s Not Dead movies was a philosophy professor who made his students sign a declaration that “God is dead” in order for them to pass his class.
This portrayal can be reflective of a real trend in college professors to be less-religiously-motivated in their teachings, but the unwavering and unabashedly ready-to-offend nature of this character may make viewers question: do religiously-affiliated people think professors hate God?
Cary Solomon and Chuck Konzelman’s Unplanned opened on March 29 to a wide-release and a $6.1 million opening thus far, making it the company’s second-best opening ever (next to God’s Not Dead 2).
The anti-abortion film tells the real story of a young woman named Abby Johnson who was the youngest director of Planned Parenthood’s history, but a life-changing incident changes her into a pro-life activist.
The ratings for Unplanned are comparably okay, at a 6.4/10 on IMDb and a 53 percent on Rotten Tomatoes.
Public opinion is not the most favorable, and, according to The Hollywood Reporter, television networks are rejecting advertisements for the film entirely.
In terms of the future of Christian film, D’Averso-Collins emphasized sincerity to lessen unfavorable views:
“Since Christians profess belief in a God who literally comes to meet us in our human weakness and suffering, it is [the artists’] duty, above all, to convey this message throughout their artistic endeavors.”
“Ultimately, there is something universally attractive about authenticity, even if that attraction must grow over a period of time,” she concluded.
PHOTO TAKEN from Right to Life Southwest Indiana
