A Hollywood Jesus Exclusive: Former Editor Greg Wright Bids a Fond Farewell to HJ

In Spring 2006, Hollywood Jesus embarked on a series of changes - most notably a revamped website and a new Senior Editor (Rick Bonn). As HJ journeys towards the future, former HJ Senior Editor Greg Wright pays a final visit to the site he helped to build. In this interview, Wright sets the record straight about his decision to leave the site, relives his proudest moments as a member of the HJ team, candidly discloses the details of his wife Jenn's medical struggles, and discusses his plans for the future.


Chris Utley: It's always a pleasure talking to you Greg.

Greg Wright: You too, Chris. I've really enjoyed the path we've shared over the last three years or so.

CU: Yes. As the saying goes, it’s been a long and strange trip.

GW: Indeed!

CU: How long had you been Senior Editor at Hollywood Jesus?

GW: Well, back in 1999, I first came on board as David's personal editor. There were no titles for anyone in those days, and initially I didn't even have one. In addition to David, I think Mike Furches and Darrel Manson were writing, and one or two others. When I started actually working on the pre-coverage for Lord of the Rings, I suggested the title "Contributing Editor," and David was fine with that. Later, when Lynn Mellone and Jenn also started contributing some editorial work, David suggested bumping up my title to "Senior Editor." So I worked in that capacity for about three years.

CU: Your LOTR coverage was one of the many things that contributed to HJ's success. Do you still get emails and such regarding LOTR?

GW: Oh yes. I'm a regular on the LOTR fan convention circuit. I also remember the first book signing I did at a book convention in Orlando, Florida. The first man who came through the line was a big fan of our Rings coverage at HJ, and wanted to be the first one to get a copy of Tolkien in Perspective! The LOTR coverage will always be the "golden age" of my association with HJ. It was a curious conjunction of having the right knowledge and a deep interest in the topic as well. Later work, as with The Da Vinci Code strained my interest level a bit!

CU: I recall one of the first pieces I did for HJ was an LOTR piece. : I wrote that piece for the men's group I was in at church.

GW: I remember the piece. "We Are All Gollum," I think was the theme, right?

CU: No. "Everybody Has A Ring".

GW: Yes, that was it. Temptation around!

CU: I never thought that piece would ever get published. Your support...and constructive criticism has truly helped to make me...as well as the rest of the HJ crew...better writers.

GW: It was quite good. I really enjoyed editing the guest columns during that last year of coverage, because the perspectives were so varied. And so good-natured, by and large. Helping other writers has been one of my big goals.

CU: Your presence will truly be missed around here.

GW: Well, thank you. At least I can feel good about passing along some of what David did for me! Learning how to think the HJ way did not come easy at all

CU: So...on to the question everyone's been waiting for.

GW: What's that?

CU: Why did you (and your wife Jenn) step down from your posts at Hollywood Jesus?

GW: The decision point came during the run-up to the release of The Da Vinci Code. As many HJ readers will know, particularly those who followed the After Eden journal, Jenn's health has been very seriously compromised over the last three years due to an ongoing series of complications related to the complete failure of her stomach.

CU: Yes. How is she doing at this point?

GW: Relatively stable. Over the course of the last couple of years, that meant a complete cessation of work in drama, our first calling in ministry. When Jenn's health first went in the tank, the only thing we felt we were equipped to reliably support in the way of ministry was work related to my newly discovered "career" as a writer. So with David's blessing, we launched Hollywood Jesus Books with the release of Peter Jackson in Perspective, and simultaneously published the first print collection of Reviews -- to which you contributed. That was late in 2004. As we came up on the end of 2005, we realized we were reaching a point of needing to make a change in commitments. The books publishing end of things, while still losing money badly, was competing with the time we could give to editing tasks with HJ. When David broke the news at the Annual Gathering in Seattle that some changes were in the works, we thought, huh. Maybe this is what God has in store for us. And when David's new partners, Ted Gartner and Jonathan Bock, decided that task number two, after redesign of the site, was to hire an editor, we threw our hat in the ring.

CU: Let's talk a bit more about that.

GW: Well, Jenn and I interviewed with Jon for the job. Jenn and I had misgivings about even doing that in the first place, because we really had no idea if God wanted us to go in that direction. The one thing that we were sure of was that God seemed to be grooming Jenn for more of an editorial ministry. She was also interviewing for a job with Thomas Nelson publishers at the time.

CU: Seems to me (and many other HJ staffers) that you and Jenn would have made the most obvious choice for editor. What was Jon's initial response?

GW: Naturally, everyone was very enthusiastic about the possibility, if it seemed the right thing to do. And that was the key thing -- not what was the obvious choice, or the easiest choice, but what was the right choice -- from God's point of view.

CU: So your decision was more God led and less about your misgivings about the changes in HJ Administration.

GW: Oh yes, absolutely. Remember, the big factor for us is continuation of healthcare coverage. Jenn's ongoing medical costs exceed $100,000 annually. So stepping our role with HJ, for us, would mean it becoming a full time job. It's the only way Jenn could both work and maintain medical benefits. That is, "stepping up our role"

CU: I understand.

GW: So from Jon's end, that seemed like overkill for a "first step." And it probably was, though naturally HJ has more than enough full-time work to be done. It's just that, for now, the funding doesn't allow that to be done on a full-time paid status. David and Rick still don't get market value for what they do -- not by a long shot.

CU: Yeah.

GW: And as you know from the conversations at Arts & Faith (www.artsandfaith.com - an online web community that offers faith based perspectives on art and culture), David still lives in a trailer. This isn't whining, by the way. This is the way ministers live.

CU: Not many people know that. That'll definitely open some eyes!: Many have the impression that David's raking in the dough from HJ. Definitely not the case.

GW: Hah! Nobody rakes in the dough from HJ. Most people don't know that precious few websites earn money.

CU: Let's address a key issue that many in the Christian film criticism community seemingly can't stop talking about.

GW: Okay.

CU: David Bruce, as you mentioned before, recently took on Ted Gartner and Jonathan Bock as partners in Hollywood Jesus. Gartner and Bock, are also the principals in Grace Hill Media – one of the top Christian based entertainment marketing firms.

GW: Yup. And Grace Hill is one of the top publicist firms.

CU: Some feel that their newfound co-ownership of HJ is a conflict of interest.

GW: Yes. And that's natural, to a certain extent

CU: I've been involved in several very heated debates at Arts & Faith stating that I don't see the big deal. After all, Time Warner owns Warner Bros. who makes movies as well as Time Magazine and Entertainment Weekly - magazines that feature movie reviews. What do you feel are their concerns?

GW: Remember, one of the primary facets of American culture is to assume the worst about people, whether it's the guy in the car ahead of you, the cops, the politicians, our President or our ministers. The issue in all these cases is the same. Given the opportunity for abuses of influence, people of all stripes have shown an amazing capacity for screwing up.

CU: Yes

GW: Now, the reason this is of special concern with some in the Christian film criticism community is that our leaders are admonished in Scripture to above all avoid all appearances of impropriety. So it's appearances that are the concern, not realities.

CU: And, for what it's worth, what are your concerns?

GW: Well, from my standpoint, I don't particularly have any! Remember, I wanted to work with Jon and Ted! But I do understand where others are coming from.

CU: One of those "others"(within the Christian film criticism community) hinted to me that you did have concerns over this new partnership; and that these concerns played a big role in your future plans. Please set the record straight: Is that true?

GW: Oh, I've said online that what I see when I visit HJ concerns me -- not because of my own doubts, but because of how I know others will take what they see, too. The new HJ is so different from the old HJ -- and it's so visually centered around big blockbuster films that Grace Hill has helped promote. That could be easily misunderstood. And that capacity for misunderstanding concerns me. Now, how does that concern play into why I'm no longer editing for HJ?

CU: To set things straight once and for all, does that concern play into why you're no longer editing for HJ?

GW: Only peripherally. There are three factors that are the primary ones influencing how one views that. Let's go through them one at a time.

CU: I'm all ears.

GW: The first is what we feel God wants, as I mentioned before. Now, Jenn and I had decided prior to the release of The Da Vinci Code that we would be relinquishing editorial tasks. And that was before the site's relaunch. And it had everything to do with recognizing that God was NOT calling us to a stepped-up role with HJ. As I mentioned, Jon felt bringing us on board would be overkill, and they went with Rick Bonn instead. So the site redesign, from that perspective, was merely a secondary confirmation of what we already felt God was telling us. As a matter of fact, the site was relaunched after Code came out. Till then, we had only seen rough cuts of the site.

CU: Yes

GW: Now, the second issue was the people involved. David, Ted and Jon are now partners in HJ. And I've gotten to know each of their characters over the last several years. (And yes, each of them is a character, if you know what I mean!) And while it would be easy, from the outside, to cast aspersions on their character, from the inside that's just not possible. So I had every confidence that, whether I was involved or not, these guys would not let petty business factors lead them into ethical quagmires. So that was a wash, as far as I was concerned. Any questions about either of those points?

CU: None at all.

GW: Okay, so the third factor. I've actually started teaching film now, in addition to being a "critic" and columnist. And that has changed about how I see being involved in film criticism in the future.

CU: Wow. Greg Wright: Film Instructor.

GW: Yes, and I've enjoyed it immensely! But here's the deal -- the way in which I talk about film at a Christian college is not exactly compatible with the "spiritual lessons," wholly redemptive style of criticism that we employ at HJ. It really just seems that what I have to say to the Christian community about the arts is leading me away from the "everyone's welcome" environment we have at HJ. It's a different audience. You know how it gets on the forums, right?

CU: Yeah. However the Forums have always been conservative. From my POV, we do a review, we get slammed in the forums for reviewing secular trash. If you recall, that's how we got close because you had to bail me out a bunch of times due to my "spirited responses"!

GW: Well, there's been the conservative elements, yes -- but there's also been the virulent atheists, too -- and with Da Vinci Code, we brought in a big Goddess worship crowd, too. And that was prep for what I'm doing now in Christian education. But remember -- that's not HJ's target audience. It's incidental to the mission.

CU: Yes.

GW: So my real focus now is on what the Church is actually going to do with this newfound influence they are so smugly pleased with.: And an artform they really don't understand. They think it's just a $200 million monkey wrench. Ooooh.... What can we use this for? Beat a few atheists over the head, maybe?

CU: That's a toughie. Trying to get church folks to stop counting cuss words and start marking the parallels between the characters on screen and their real life counterparts.

GW: Exactly. Yes, it is a toughie. And with Jenn's health being what it is, we've only got so much energy to devote. Our primary focus will just not be with HJ any more, though our hearts always will be. Now, this leads to a really positive observation.

CU: Yes.

GW: Well, you know how many of us have always felt about HJ as if it was our "church," and David was our pastor, right? What church do you know that never "sends" anyone out, to go beyond the walls of the church?

CU: AFAIK, HJ (still) is the only film-based ministry that's geared and pointed beyond the walls of the church.

GW: There you go. Virtual walls. No real ones.

CU: With all due respect to the other Christian based film critics out there, HJ reviews are just about the only ones that appeal to the common man. No fancy and flowery words. Just real talk about real issues in film.

GW: So what the church that is HJ has done is prepare Jenn and I to become evangelists to the church at large -- to get them to understand why HJ does what it does, and why it's important -- really important, as art, not just as a club for the Gospel. God will have his way, and we are his ambassadors.

CU: So, as God's ambassadors, what does the future hold for Greg and Jenn Wright?

GW: Well, first, I'm continuing in my capacity with Puget Sound Christian College. In fact, they appointed me as "Writer in Residence" about nine months ago.

CU: Great news.

GW: This is a huge confirmation of a new direction in my calling. Second, we're in the process of formulating a new vision for what film criticism for a Christian audience can look like.

CU: Any plans to collaborate with other Christian film critics to shape this view?

GW: We're learning from them, definitely. Obviously, one of those thinkers is Peter Chattaway, whom you met at the HJ Annual Gathering. Another is Jeffrey Overstreet, who also lives here in Seattle. Jenn and I have contributed a handful of pieces to Looking Closer. If you've read them, you can probably see that they wouldn't at all be appropriate for HJ (Links can be easily found from the News page at hjbooks.com). We really attack the art form, and what's going on from the filmmaker's point of view -- and if that doesn't introduce anyone to Jesus, so be it.

CU: I'll have to check them out.

GW: We expect to be able to make a formal announcement about plans for a new website within a month or so.

CU: And, in the immediate future, you guys are planning an excursion to the Grand Canyon.

GW: Oh yes! David talked about being a pioneer over at Arts and Faith today... With Jenn's medical condition, we're really being pioneers now! G-tube, J-tube and PICC line all in the bottom of the Grand Canyon for six days on a raft. Very very rare.

CU: Wow. Please explain those tubes and lines for the clueless ones out there (like me!)

GW: A visit to the News page at dramatic-insights.org will give a person all the gory details, including photos and diagrams, but the short of it is this: Jenn's stomach has stopped working. So when it gets full, it often has to be emptied -- via an implanted tube. When Jenn's intestines actually work (which they're not right now), they need to be fed -- and because the stomach doesn't work, that also has to be pumped in through a tube. A different one.

CU: Whoa!

GW: The PICC line is a central catheter that pumps nutrition directly into the chambers of the heart. This is third line that Jenn has right now. Naturally, this involves all kinds of syringes, alcohol swabs, tape, gloves, and bags of liquid nutrition.

CU: Wow!

GW: Oh, and did I mention Jenn's also got advanced osteoporosis at 34?

CU: Needless to say, the HJ crew continue to send our prayers and love.

GW: Of course. God's got an interesting plan for us!

CU: Our God is a Healer. It's part of His job definition. We expect Him to heal in whatever way He sees fit

GW: Yup!

GW: And that can bring us, I think, to the final words about the future of HJ.

CU: Any words of wisdom for us whom you and Jenn have left behind?

GW: Well, here's the deal. If anyone -- either on the outside of HJ, or on the inside -- is either frustrated or skeptical about where HJ is headed, three things to remember. First, no one is every more frustrated or skeptical than David himself! So get a grip.

CU: I needed to hear that!

GW: Heh heh. Second, God is more than fully capable of completing the good works that he begins. Third, we can have absolutely no idea (in advance) what that will look like, because we're not God!

CU: To sum it all up. No matter how fearful or concerned we get, remember that it's the Lord who brought us this far. He is in control.

GW: And praise him for that!

CU: Well, thanks for giving me the opportunity to chat with you.

GW: My pleasure, too, as always Chris. Thanks a bunch.

CU: Thank you, Greg. The gang at HJ sends their love, prayers and best wishes.

GW: Thank you, Chris.