For some reason I got wound up tight today, and instead of massaging it away with beauty — like dropping some Copeland in the system and melting into the couch as the sounds of an Appalachian Spring filled the room — I numbed it with useless entertainment.
The question remains, and while the companies are quick to promote their status as a producer of Christian art, it does not answer the question of what makes a piece of art Christian. If a Christian recording company produced a hard-core rock album, complete with Satanic references, drug use, plenty of F-bombs, and an album cover featuring a scantily clad woman being forced to smell a glove, I am wiling to bet that album would not be considered “Christian” and that company would be run out of town. It’s a long way from Nashville, to well, anywhere.
There are two related conventions that any filmmaker can rely on in a pinch: the trial scene and the pre-battle speech. I say they are related because there is usually a speech involved in a trial scene. And both scenes provide an emotional crescendo into the climax of the film. Sometimes, they work. Often, they don’t.
With the emphasis being placed on story and not just script, it becomes even easier to validate a remake. Stories are retold all the time. How often has the story of Romeo and Juliet been told in books, on stage, in short stories, and even movies. In fact, the most successful movie of all time is a reinterpretation of Romeo and Juliet.
I’ve always considered my sense of humor to be self-deprecating, witty, sarcastic, and satirical, and I always felt that somehow that type of humor wasn’t acceptable for good Christians. Good Christians were positive and uplifting. While I have never been one to tear people down, I have often wondered why we always have to pull our punches. Sometimes the emperor isn’t wearing any clothes. I’m glad that Donald Miller, Jon Acuff, and many more new writers aren’t afraid to talk about naked emperors.
I say all this about Christian music because it appears that the same thing is happening in the burgeoning Christian film industry. They’re trying to keep up and rip-off instead of bring something new to the table. And worse still, here at the birth of the industry, they aren’t even pulling it off. It’s like a street hustler trying to tell us the watch is a Rolex when we can see the gold paint flaking off. At least there was some real talent at the inception of the Christian music industry. Keith Green and Second Chapter of Acts could get it done. The Christian film industry doesn’t have it.
| M | T | W | T | F | S | S |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| « Jul | ||||||
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | |||
| 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 |
| 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 |
| 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 |
| 26 | 27 | 28 | 29 | 30 | 31 | |
|
Matthew and Lizi The Meaning of It All "Soulful vocals and heartfelt songwriting"  |
|
Andy Melvin The Human Engine Waits "Catchy and exquisite, energetic and mellow" |
|
Peter Nevland Just My Mouth "Laugh, and then cry. Smile big" |
