1999 a good year for moral messages in movies

(Newsroom 26 March 2000) -- Despite the controversial treatment of dysfunctional American families, abortion, and spiritism represented in this year’s Academy Award nominees for Best Picture, more movies in 1999 portrayed strong moral messages than in many years, Christian film critics and scholars agree.

Most of those movies were not nominated for Oscars, the academy’s annual recognition of achievement in acting and filmmaking, however. Even so, some Christian critics insist, movies like "American Beauty" and "The Cider House Rules" -- two of the most controversial films in the Best Picture category -- can be instructive.

"I think the films that are out there represent two things. Number one, a good deal of very sober, moral realism. Hard thinking about real human problems," said Roy Anker, professor of English at Calvin College in Grand Rapids, Michigan, who teaches a course called "Finding God in the Movies." Many films last year also "reveal a good deal of religious longing. It's not to say that the solutions the films come up with are ideal. But certainly there is something there that is fueling these filmmakers to ponder life's mysteries and think about religious responses to those longings and I find that very encouraging."

Too many churches avoid challenging members with moral questions such as divorce, suicide, homosexuality, incest, and abortion, believes the Rev. David Bruce, pastor of Patterson Covenant Church in California and creator of the "Hollywood Jesus" Web site.

"The church has given up talking about hard questions and has left it to Hollywood," he contended. "When was the last time I was in a church that challenged me about an issue?"

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Copyright © 2000 David Bruce. All rights reserved. "Hollywood Jesus" is a trademark owned by David Bruce. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed in any form. See copyright information.