"Facing the Giants"

[montanaman]

Has anyone seen this? I caught a screening of Facing the Giants last week at work (I work at a non-profit that tangentially deals with this kind of stuff), and I went in expecting it to be a lot of evangelical propaganda wrapped up in a thin veneer of cinematic craft. Well, actually, that’s exactly what it was, but far from being abominable, it was really alright. I know most people will probably disagree with me, but I’ve got to say I was pleasantly surprised.

The two coaches in the film attended this screening. It was kind of funny because beforehand, I didn’t know them from Adam. But afterward, I felt like I’d just been through a whole football season with them. Seeing the “bad coach” was really amusing, because in the film he was a raving, fat caricature of a carnal man living without Christ. But after the screening, he came up to the podium for questions. He was quiet, almost shy. Still a big dude, though.

My one criticism, though, is that this is a case of preaching to the choir. Few people are actually going to convert because of it, because in all likelihood the only people remotely attracted to it are the “churched.” It should be ART FIRST, not a message and a movie added as an afterthought.

But anyway, decent stuff.

 

[deb1]

I think a lot of Christian films are made to give Christians a safe, family friendly alternative to the mainstream media and movies. There is nothing wrong with that.

But as evangelical tools, these films fall flat, mainly because the majority of people who view Christian films are Christians.

 

[montanaman]

I think a lot of Christian films are made to give Christians a safe, family friendly alternative to the mainstream media and movies. There is nothing wrong with that.

But as evangelical tools, these films fall flat, mainly because the majority of people who view Christian films are Christians.

This one was unique in that I wanted to find out what happened at the end. Would they be crushed? Would they win? For $100,000 it was a really good effort, although like I said, all the preachiness from the coach’s “rededication to Jesus” onward felt like evangelical propaganda.

They just don’t get it. In the discussion afterward, the Christian conservatives talked as though this was going to spark a new revival in the country. I’ve seen it before. At the screening of the first Left Behind movie (or maybe it was the Omega Code?), which I saw on t.v., some bubbly, ditzy evangelical could barely contain her excitement. “This premiere shows that we can make a good family film, AND make it marketable!” The film was a disaster. I felt embarassed for everyone in it. When Christian films flop like that, it reinforces my impression that they don’t actually believe this stuff–it’s just ideology.

Yeah, yeah, I know. I’m an anti-Protestant bigot. But as someone said (Chesterton?), “When you engage the culture, you might end up marrying it.”

 

[Della]

These kinds of films are definitely meant to be tools of evangelization. When shown in churches an “altar call” is always given at the end. Billy Graham put out this kind of film for a while–I remember them as being rather amateurish and laughable. And there was the “Jesus” film, too, that was supposed to bring in lots of lost souls. Ironic, isn’t it, that a Catholic film, “The Passion of the Christ” actually did what these groups can’t do for themselves–pack their churches with repentant sinners and/or revive the faith of thousands.

 

[Cat]

Please, I don’t like to see anyone make fun of someone else’s ministry.

If even one person turns to Christ or gets closer to Christ because of this movie, it will be a worthy effort in spite of the flaws.

There are a lot of venues that might show this movie and see the results in conversions. Summer camps, especially Bible camps, are always looking for a “safe” movie. Just because a kid goes to Bible camp doesn’t mean he/she is a Christian. Perhaps this movie will be used to bring a child/teenager closer to God.

Since becoming Catholic, I’ve heard a lot of Catholics share that they made a “decision” for God in Protestant venues, e.g., Billy Graham crusades. Many of these Catholics remained Catholics after their “conversion,” but they were stronger Catholics, more aware of the richness of their faith and their Church.

So just because something is “Protestant” doesn’t mean it’s bad for Catholics.

I have a daughter in the entertainment business, so I know just a little about the business. I agree that it would be better if Christians would get involved with the secular filmmaking business and be “salt” rather than try to make cheap “Christian” movies.

But I think we all ought to accept that God will lead everyone differently. If God chose to lead someone to make a cheap “Christian” film, that’s HIS business. He has a plan, and like I said, that plan might mean that ONE person in this world needs to see that cheap Christian movie in order to make a decision to commit their lives to Christ.

 

[NPS]

Ham handed, preachy films have almost no chance to sweep the country into a sort of revival, and if the makers believe that this film will, they are likely missing it’s true value—that aforementioned thing of preaching to the choir, because not all members of the choir are choirboys (or something like that )

Sure, a film like this will draw a handful of people into Christianity, but the important thing that this film * will probably do much more is to speak to that teenage boy who may be starting to hang with the wrong crowd while feeling that his dumb churchgoing family is an embarrassing threat to his burgeoning possibilities of coolness. It is important to connect to kids in the teenage years and get them to feel part of a group and a purpose. (especially before they go off to college)

You know who is pretty darn good at this sort of thing? The mormons. A while back, an LDS friend (MLB:bowdown2: ) linked me (us) to a trailer for a movie that looked pretty “hip” and good. Darn–can’t remember the name of it.

Ah…“burgeoning possibilities of coolness”. Not bad, not bad…*

 

[montanaman]

Ham handed, preachy films have almost no chance to sweep the country into a sort of revival, and if the makers believe that this film will, they are likely missing it’s true value—that aforementioned thing of preaching to the choir, because not all members of the choir are choirboys (or something like that )

Sure, a film like this will draw a handful of people into Christianity, but the important thing that this film * will probably do much more is to speak to that teenage boy who may be starting to hang with the wrong crowd while feeling that his dumb churchgoing family is an embarrassing threat to his burgeoning possibilities of coolness. It is important to connect to kids in the teenage years and get them to feel part of a group and a purpose. (especially before they go off to college)

You know who is pretty darn good at this sort of thing? The mormons. A while back, an LDS friend (MLB:bowdown2: ) linked me (us) to a trailer for a movie that looked pretty “hip” and good. Darn–can’t remember the name of it.

Ah…“burgeoning possibilities of coolness*”. Not bad, not bad…

I locked onto that phrase immediately. If you ever read a book of mine (and if I ever write one) and see that phrase, look on the ackowledgments page. I’ll give you props.

 

[deb1]

Please, I don’t like to see anyone make fun of someone else’s ministry.

If even one person turns to Christ or gets closer to Christ because of this movie, it will be a worthy effort in spite of the flaws.

There are a lot of venues that might show this movie and see the results in conversions. Summer camps, especially Bible camps, are always looking for a “safe” movie. Just because a kid goes to Bible camp doesn’t mean he/she is a Christian. Perhaps this movie will be used to bring a child/teenager closer to God.

Since becoming Catholic, I’ve heard a lot of Catholics share that they made a “decision” for God in Protestant venues, e.g., Billy Graham crusades. Many of these Catholics remained Catholics after their “conversion,” but they were stronger Catholics, more aware of the richness of their faith and their Church.

So just because something is “Protestant” doesn’t mean it’s bad for Catholics.

I have a daughter in the entertainment business, so I know just a little about the business. I agree that it would be better if Christians would get involved with the secular filmmaking business and be “salt” rather than try to make cheap “Christian” movies.

But I think we all ought to accept that God will lead everyone differently. If God chose to lead someone to make a cheap “Christian” film, that’s HIS business. He has a plan, and like I said, that plan might mean that ONE person in this world needs to see that cheap Christian movie in order to make a decision to commit their lives to Christ.

Honest criticism is different then making fun of something.

I also don’t really understand the arguement that if it turns one person to Christ then it is worth the cost. If I was putting money into such a project that only claimed to convert one person, then I would consider it a failed evangalical vehicle and put my money in something more worthwhile, such as shelters for the homeless. At least I’d be certain to make a difference.

I think that these movies do serve the purpose to entertain Christian audiences without offending them, which is fine. There is nothing wrong with Christians wanting movies that depict them more favorably but as a witnessing tool, I think these movies are a failure.

My spelling if off today because the spell check disappeared from my tool bar and I can’t spell.

 

[NPS]

I locked onto that phrase immediately. If you ever read a book of mine (and if I ever write one) and see that phrase, look on the ackowledgments page. I’ll give you props.

You may instead have to give credit to a Latour Pinot Noir.
Now lessee…what else did I post last night?..

(gotta be careful 'round here…this ain’t PW )

 

[montanaman]

You may instead have to give credit to a Latour Pinot Noir.
Now lessee…what else did I post last night?..

(gotta be careful 'round here…this ain’t PW )

Heh. How is it that you post so much–and so insightfully–when you’ve got a few glasses in you? Whenever my nights begin that way, I think, “Okay, tonight, I’m going to blog. I’m going to write 500 words in my ‘novel.’ I’m going to finally map out the Davidic Kingdom themes in the Gospel of Matthew.” But in reality, I just end up writing a couple of sharply-worded posts in a couple of different forums and then fire up “Call of Duty” and kill Nazis for two hours.

 

[montanaman]

Ouch. Professional screenwriting coach Barbara Nicolosi didn’t have nice things to say about “Facing the Giants.”

---

Brace yourselves. I am long overdue for a rant…

I am just about on my way out of town for a few months to sequester myself with nothing but polo and Jane Austen. This script is due in February and is the primary reason why I have not been blogging lately. How can I authoritatively whine to my producer that I can’t get the script done, if he can just log on and see me procrastinating for free on this blog? It’s a dilemma.

One of the things I look forward to escaping for a few months is the debate that has been simmering among Hollywood Christians because of the whole “FOX FAITH to Greenlight 12 Cheapie Christian Movies in 2007!” headlines, married to the controversy surrounding the weird little film made by a Church in Georgia, Facing the Giants.

A while back when I screened the film, I wrote a brief post that it should never have gotten a PG rating, and also that clearly, the folks who made the film, had every right to make it. I assumed the project was so bad as entertainment that it would just kind of disappear, and there was no reason to get involved smearing something that bad. It would be like jeering at a junior high talent show. What’s the point?

 

[NPS]

Heh. How is it that you post so much–and so insightfully–when you’ve got a few glasses in you? Whenever my nights begin that way, I think, “Okay, tonight, I’m going to blog. I’m going to write 500 words in my ‘novel.’ I’m going to finally map out the Davidic Kingdom themes in the Gospel of Matthew.” But in reality, I just end up writing a couple of sharply-worded posts in a couple of different forums and then fire up “Call of Duty” and kill Nazis for two hours.

You are hilarious and much too kind. I am almost never productive after a certain point. Rambling posts and pms followed by Call of Duty form a well-trodden path. I know I should go to bed when I find myself leaning in towards the screen or physically pulling myself sideways as I try for the umpteenth time to **a)**dodge the sniper **b)**pick up ammo **c)**shoot the nazi on my left. All with just a smidgeon of “life” left.

What are you working on these days? You’ve “settled down”, as I’m told all talented writers should do. You have a good idea of your abilities, strengths and interests. This should be the start of your productive writing life. What’s the plan? (Do I have to call Grace for the straight dope?)

 

[montanaman]

That was before the FOX Faith announcement and the small success of Facing the Giants at the box office, which has all of us Able Christians (as in Cain and Able) in Hollywood scared to death that Facing the Giants will be the prototype of the movies that all the new divisions geared to “creating product for Christians” will be seeking out and producing.

I have taken to calling “Able Christians”, those who are committed to giving God beautiful, first fruits kind of work. We talk about excellence alot and “the demands of beauty*”(JPII, Letter to Artists) and professionalism and the rigors of the craft. We talk about being missionaries to Planet Hollywood, and how God is much more interested in the people making movies than in the movies being made. We are always wrestling with making projects true AND commercial, beautiful and mainstream. Not because we want the money of studio success, but because we believe that the Gospel needs to be preached to those who haven’t heard it, to those who might never wander into a church.

In contrast to this movement of Christian artists, are the ones who are yearning to replicate the Christian Contemporary Music model in Hollywood with a Christian Contemporary Cinema. The goal of these folks seems to be to create fantasy movies for Christians, made by Christians, and paid for by Christians.

Facing the Giants from any serious perspective is a fantasy film. Its message is very dangerous for Christians, and scandalous for pagans. Adult Evangelical Christians watching Facing the Giants is like sex addicts watching the Spice Channel. (Nope. Not going to take it back.)

We are going to leave alone the fact that the film is badly acted, terribly written, completely lacking in imagery, and directed and shot without any style or evident skill. Let’s skip all that and just talkabout the content problem.

The film tells the story of a poverty-stricken, generally disdained, losing football coach who drives a broken down truck and goes home at night to a devastatedly infertile wife. Incited by no particular plot point, the coach reads the Bible one day and then kneels down in a field (Why the hell is it always a field? Is that like in Zecharaiah somewhere?) and gives his life to Jesus. In short order after he utters the Evangelical commitment formula aloud, he wins back the esteem of his fellow townspeople, he turns around his terrible team so that they win the championship, somebody gives him a brand new shiny red truck, AND his infertile wife becomes pregnant!

WOW! Give me some of THAT Jesus-stuff!

Absolute fantasy stuff. The kind of thing that makes Christians puff out their chests proud to be on the winning team! This film fumbles deep, deep in the prosperity Gospel end zone. It is icky to tell people that they should be Christian because of the career and health benefits. We have the problem on the team of that embarrassingly unsuccessful crucified coach of ours.

Anyway, everybody who has been laboring as a believer in Hollywood is talking about this film, because it is clearly what Hollywood thinks “the Audience of the Passion” wants.

At a dinner the other night, one of my fellow Able Christians looked at me sadly and said, “Is there a way we all can write a better Facing the Giants for the industry?” He was sad because he knows the answer. NO! We can’t write a better version of Facing the Giants because that movie was designed to be easy. It was designed to not challenge the audience, but rather make the audience (of Evangelical Christians) feel good about being on the winning team. We can’t make a better version of this film because easy is a lie. Human society is tinkering on the precipice of disaster today. “Easy” isn’t going to be the fix.

 

[montanaman]

Another friend told me a couple days ago that he knows the fellows who made the film, and that their philosophy (apologies to philosophers everywhere…) of filmmaking is that entertainment should be idealistic and not mirror the world as it is, but as it should be.

WRONG!

WRONG.

Entertainment should not be real. To be healing it needs to be better than real. But it needs to be AT LEAST as good as the real. The “better than realness” that makes entertainment healing is in its beauty - its, wholeness, harmony and radiance - elements which are not found stumbling along in the real world of property taxes and upset stomachs and mold on the ceiling.

The problem with too much contemporary cinema is that it seeks to imitate the real in a way that doesn’t require or deliver and insight.

The problem with Facing the Giants is that is seems to ignore the real and deliver a lie. It is not idealistic but silly.

Strong words. Probably some of the bravest I have ever written. (Don’t believe me? Just keep checking the comments boxes.) Yes, but I feel on firm ground here. As Flannery O’Connor said, “Sentimentality for Christians is INEXCUSABLE.” And Facing the Giants is pure, easy, emotional sentimentality.

So, am I saying that the FOX Faith thing will be bad for the whole God in Hollywood thing? I don’t know yet. I do know that greenlighting 12 movies for what one regular studio picture usually costs says that FOX believes that believers can be had on the cheap. And they are probably right. Pathetic and sad.

Making a movie that is beautiful is damn hard. Damn hard. Expecting to be able to produce a film with no experience or training is arrogant and as absurd as someone thinking they could just build a building with no traiing or experience in architecture.

Facing the Giants won’t save anyone. It needs to be saved itself. Let’s pray that it doesn’t become the template.

 

[montanaman]

You are hilarious and much too kind. I am almost never productive after a certain point. Rambling posts and pms followed by Call of Duty form a well-trodden path. I know I should go to bed when I find myself leaning in towards the screen or physically pulling myself sideways as I try for the umpteenth time to **a)**dodge the sniper **b)**pick up ammo **c)**shoot the nazi on my left. All with just a smidgeon of “life” left.

What are you working on these days? You’ve “settled down”, as I’m told all talented writers should do. You have a good idea of your abilities, strengths and interests. This should be the start of your productive writing life. What’s the plan? (Do I have to call Grace for the straight dope?)

You know, one of the selling points of marriage was “more time.” I was told that I’d commute less, and since we lived in the same house, we’d eventually have to find other ways to occupy our time than always doing something “together.”

Wrong.

I don’t know what I did as a single man, but lately my life seems to be a Grace Support System (GSS). Oh, it’s mostly a good thing, but I lied about two hours of Call of Duty. I’m lucky to finish a level of Call of Duty before I hear “Honey, come look at the remodeling plans I drew up for the kitchen.”

On top of that, I’ve got a needy cat to take care of, a whole new galaxy of chores, CCD classes to teach and prep for, two vehicles to maintain, online grocery shopping to do, groceries to put away, trash to haul and remodeling projects (see photo–that’s my new library. It was formerly a closet.)

Before:
(Please Note: This uploaded content is no longer available.)

After:
(Please Note: This uploaded content is no longer available.)

Ideally, what I’d love to be working on is writing a decent blog. Right now it sucks, but I have great things planned for it. If…only…I…had…the…time… Next month is “National Novel Writing Month,” and I’m going to try to “win” it by writing 50,000 words in 30 days. Yeah, I know. But I’ve got this somewhat decent screenplay sitting there collecting dust, and it makes for a mighty fine outline for a novel.

But, I can only get to that after my chores.

What I should do is disconnect my internet connection permanently, like with a sledgehammer; solve a similar problem with the t.v.–and in a similar manner, and; throw out the crate of Two-Buck Chuck we got after the wedding. Wait, scratch that last. The wine stays.

It’s no wonder I’m losing my hair.

And did I mention the fact that I write about five proposals and reports a day on such fascinating topics as tax reform and personal retirement accounts?

 

[NPS]

Every married guy reading that is saying “Yep” and nodding their head. (Except for the online groceries part ) Nice job on the remodel. Computer desk below that?
(online groceries?!?)

Keep pluggin away, man. You have the talent and just need to focus it. I still stick with my advice to write articles for Catholic newspapers while doing the blog. You’re perfect for that.

Anyway—You actually saw that movie, right? Do you agree with her opinions on how bad it was? It seems to me it still comes down to “If you don’t like it–DO SOMETHING about it.”

By which I don’t mean blow up one of the three or four movie theaters in the entire United States showing the film—I mean make a better one or at least help make a better one by writing something fantastic. She’s supposedly a writer, not just a “screenwriting coach” (which usually means hot air).

 

[Della]

Ham handed, preachy films have almost no chance to sweep the country into a sort of revival, and if the makers believe that this film will, they are likely missing it’s true value—that aforementioned thing of preaching to the choir, because not all members of the choir are choirboys (or something like that )

Sure, a film like this will draw a handful of people into Christianity, but the important thing that this film * will probably do much more is to speak to that teenage boy who may be starting to hang with the wrong crowd while feeling that his dumb churchgoing family is an embarrassing threat to his burgeoning possibilities of coolness. It is important to connect to kids in the teenage years and get them to feel part of a group and a purpose. (especially before they go off to college)

You know who is pretty darn good at this sort of thing? The mormons. A while back, an LDS friend (MLB:bowdown2: ) linked me (us) to a trailer for a movie that looked pretty “hip” and good. Darn–can’t remember the name of it.

Ah…“burgeoning possibilities of coolness*”. Not bad, not bad…

Then be consoled. I thought the movie St. Therese pretty bad, too. It was earnest and nicely filmed, but it really told us nothing about Therese that would help a non-Catholic understand why she was so special. I was terribly disappointed. It too was made to evangelize, but only ended up preaching to the choir.

 

[NPS]

I read that a bit closer and Nicolosi has my respect and attention. She has some interesting points about the movie and the way the industry might view it’s (possible) success. She’s worried “Christian” movies will be relegated to a tiny space of poorly made, preachy, illogical, falsely religious, and idealistic silliness:

*The film tells the story of a poverty-stricken, generally disdained, losing football coach who drives a broken down truck and goes home at night to a devastatedly infertile wife. Incited by no particular plot point, the coach reads the Bible one day and then kneels down in a field (Why the hell is it always a field? Is that like in Zecharaiah somewhere?) and gives his life to Jesus. In short order after he utters the Evangelical commitment formula aloud, he wins back the esteem of his fellow townspeople, he turns around his terrible team so that they win the championship, somebody gives him a brand new shiny red truck, AND his infertile wife becomes pregnant!

WOW! Give me some of THAT Jesus-stuff!*

Catch that, Catholics? “he utters the Evangelical commitment formula aloud…” and goes on to almost instant success.

…scared to death that Facing the Giants will be the prototype of the movies that all the new divisions geared to “creating product for Christians” will be seeking out and producing.

In other words, this may be the future as far as depth goes for christian films.
*
…yearning to replicate the Christian Contemporary Music model in Hollywood with a Christian Contemporary Cinema. The goal of these folks seems to be to create fantasy movies for Christians…*

Good points and worrisome thoughts. The analogy about christian contemporary music is a good one. It sounds an awful lot like the differences in the christian landscape today in our various churches. Some churches are seemingly simplistic and entertainment-based; some possess beauty, truth and depth.

Do christian moviegoers face a pigeon-holed future—with only the “evil, greedy Catholic church” and the “molesting priest” throughout films on one hand and the simple-minded, poorly made, goofily-idealistic evangelical model on the other?

 

[NPS]

I thought the movie St. Therese pretty bad, too. It was earnest and nicely filmed, but it really told us nothing about Therese that would help a non-Catholic understand why she was so special. I was terribly disappointed. It too was made to evangelize, but only ended up preaching to the choir.

I guess we (and filmmakers) can look at these movies as either a missed opportunity or a learning experience. Interesting, though, that the two examples here fit a sort of profile of complaint about the two churches:

Evangelical = Simplistic, shallow.
Catholic = Staid, boring, doesn’t communicate well.

Your earlier post (the part about The Passion and altar calls) also got me to thinking about the fine line between emotionalism and conversion, especially in the evangelical community and it’s huge reliance on emotion. Filmmakers and writers have to tread that line carefully and I guess we shouldn’t be surprised to learn that an evangelical-made movie depends largely on emotion for it’s attempted conversion of audiences.

 

[deb1]

Facing the Giants from any serious perspective is a fantasy film. Its message is very dangerous for Christians, and scandalous for pagans. Adult Evangelical Christians watching Facing the Giants is like sex addicts watching the Spice Channel. (Nope. Not going to take it back.)

We are going to leave alone the fact that the film is badly acted, terribly written, completely lacking in imagery, and directed and shot without any style or evident skill. Let’s skip all that and just talkabout the content problem.

The film tells the story of a poverty-stricken, generally disdained, losing football coach who drives a broken down truck and goes home at night to a devastatedly infertile wife. Incited by no particular plot point, the coach reads the Bible one day and then kneels down in a field (Why the hell is it always a field? Is that like in Zecharaiah somewhere?) and gives his life to Jesus. In short order after he utters the Evangelical commitment formula aloud, he wins back the esteem of his fellow townspeople, he turns around his terrible team so that they win the championship, somebody gives him a brand new shiny red truck, AND his infertile wife becomes pregnant!

WOW! Give me some of THAT Jesus-stuff!

Absolute fantasy stuff. The kind of thing that makes Christians puff out their chests proud to be on the winning team! This film fumbles deep, deep in the prosperity Gospel end zone. It is icky to tell people that they should be Christian because of the career and health benefits. We have the problem on the team of that embarrassingly unsuccessful crucified coach of ours.

.

Montana man, I read this and wanted to jump up and cheer! You describe why I am so annoyed with the both Christian films and music.

I wish you luck with your writing.