Does Hollywood portray religion in a negative light?  If so, why?  And has it always been that way?  We take up these questions and many more with film critic, radio talk show host, author, and cultural crusader Michael Medved.  Michael is the author of numerous books on Hollywood and other topics (see below) and has served as a film critic for over 25 years.  We discuss how he managed to find himself in that position as well as what life is like for a movie critic.  He details his personal story within that profession as well as providing insights into how critics review movies.  Michael discusses his role in the critics’ controversy surrounding Mel Gibson’s The Passion of the Christ, wherein pundits became highly critical of this film even before seeing any footage!  We then turn our attention to why Hollywood has shifted from making movies such as The Bells of St. Mary and Going My Way, wherein religious figures and institutions are presented favorably, to films such as Agnes of God and The Pope Must Die, theatrical releases that didn’t necessarily hold the same view of spiritual faith.  Tony notes that this change seemed to have occurred in the late 1960s. Michael reveals how a change in the Motion Picture Production Code of 1930 (i.e., The Hays Code) occured in the mid-1960s giving way to the current rating system that we see today.  This change paved the way for studios to make more “edgy” R-rated films.  We discuss how the 1970s saw a dearth of G-rated theatrical releases.  Michael points out that even though such family-friendly films make drastically more money than R-rated movies, producers still favor the latter.  The incentive structure for filmmakers and producers is not always (or often) to make a profit, but rather to earn the accolades of those within the industry.  This is why the demans of “Middle America” are often unmet at the local cineplex.  Not to worry, though, there has been a trend over the past two decades to offer more films pitched to a church-going audience.  We talk about how the ability to make movies has become more accessible and groups like Affirm Films can make highly popular films such as Fireproof, Facing the Giants, and Soul Surfer.  Hollywood has noticed the success of these films as well as The Passion and we are seeing more options portraying religious folks as heroes rather than villians.  Our conversation also includes a discussion not only of what we see on the silver screen, but what occurs with movie stars off screen.  We look into the somewhat deviant culture of Hollywood and Michael provides his insights into why so many actors and actresses seem to engage in destructive behavior.  Along the way, we find out what the worst movie of all time was, and Tony reveals three of his favorite films of all time dealing with the eternal themes of skyscrapers, fish, and football.  Recorded: November 28, 2012.

RELATED LINKS

The Michael Medved Show.

Hollywood versus America, by Michael Medved.

The Fifty Worst Movies of All Time, updated version by Harry Medved (Michael’s brother and earlier co-author).

The Golden Turkey Awards: The Worst Achievements in Hollywood History, by Michael Medved and Harry Medved.

The American Miracle: Divine Providence in the Rise of the Republic, by Michael Medved.

The 10 Big Lies About America: Combating Destructive Distortions about Our Nation, by Michael Medved.

The 5 Big Lies About American Business: Combating Smears Against the Free-Market Economy, by Michael Medved.

Right Turns: From Liberal Activist to Conservative Champion in 35 Unconventional Lessons, by Michael Medved.

Saving Childhood: Protecting Our Children from the National Assault on Innocence, by Michael Medved and Diane Medved.

What Really Happened to the Class of ’65?, by Michael Medved and David Wallechinsky.

RELATED PODCASTS

Robert Joustra on Zombies, Cylons, Charles Taylor, and the Apocalypse.

Jon Sweeney on “Its A Wonderful Life.”

John Mark Reynolds on “A Christmas Carol.”

John Errington on “A Long Way Off” and Religious Movie Making.

Corey Olsen on J.R.R. Tolkien, Religion, and The Hobbit.

Jim Houser on the Christian Music Industry.

Linda Weiser Friedman on Jewish Humor.

Author Jon M. Sweeney who recently penned the e-book, The Spiritual Life of George Bailey, joins us to answer these questions.  We explore the films origins in a short story written by Philip Von Doren Stern that was sent out as a Christmas card in 1943 and quickly put upon the silver screen by Capra in 1945.  And then it is off to stroll through the streets of Bedford Falls, looking at a variety of critical scenes in the film that highlight both the important characters in the film and hint at what is to come.  We meet critical players such as George’s father, Mr. Potter, Mary, and Sam Wainwright.  Regular viewers of the movie will be familiar with the story, though Jon spices up various points of the plot with his own insights about human nature.  We are then treated to Jon’s fascinating interpretation of the second-half of the film as he shows us how the themes of temptation, resurrection, and salvation play out through the story.  Jon then reveals a suprising detail about the ending of the film that will shed some new light on how you watch the last ten minutes.  We don’t want to reveal any spoilers, so you will have to listen to the end of the interview.

Jon finishes with a brief discussion about what the Capra classic might tell us about our own lives in contemporary times, reflecting upon our need for community and connectedness.  He may have even convinced Tony, who is a devoted Die Hard fan, to watch the movie for the first time in at least ten years.  Recorded: December 10, 2012.

RELATED LINKS

Jon M. Sweeney’s biography.

The Spiritual Life of George Bailey: Turnkey Moments in Frank Capra’s Christmas Masterpiece, e-book by Jon M. Sweeney

The Pope Who Quit: A True Medeival Tale of Mystery,  Death, and Salvation, by Jon M. Sweeney.

Verily, Verily: The KJV – 400 Years of Influence and Beauty, by Jon M. Sweeney.

The St. Francis Prayer Book, by Jon M. Sweeney.

Born Again and Again: Surprising Gifts of a Fundamentalist Childhood, by Jon M. Sweeney.

Beauty Awakening Belief: How the Medeival Worldview Inspires Faith Today, by Jon M. Sweeney.

Almost Catholic, a blog by Jon M. Sweeney.

George Bailey’s prayer (on YouTube).

It’s A Wonderful Life ending with the ringing bell (on YouTube).

RELATED PODCASTS

Tara Moore on Christmas Traditions.

Michael Medved on Religion & Hollywood.

Corey Olsen on Religion, J.R.R. Tolkien, and The Hobbit.

Jon Sweeney on the Pope Who Quit.

We start off with a quick synopsis of the movie A Long Way Off, which follows the story of the prodigal son in the New Testament.  After this short “trailer,” we then take an overview of John’s life, finding how a kid born in Detroit, raised in North Carolina, and educated at Harvard ends up directing motion pictures and winning an Emmy (albeit not for directing).  John provides some insight into his personal faith and other tidbits about his life including how he goes from making a movie in college for fun to directing a motion picture with stars such as Robert Davi and Edie McClurg.  John reflects upon his love of storytelling and how it relates to film making.

Following this autobiography, we dive into the world of making a movie.  Tony learns why there are so many different companies (e.g., Word Films, Uptone Pictures) with their “hands in the pot” and what constitutes an “independent film.”  John explains that every film is really a business enterprise unto itself that brings together a number of different companies.  It is revealed that Word Films is actually a distribution subsidiary of Warner Brothers, yet A Long Way Off still qualifies as “independent” based upon how the funding for the making of the picture was assembled.  We also talk about why the film was shot in North Carolina and the impressive cast that was assembled for this film, including important roles for the likes of Robert Davi (the Bond villain in License to Kill and Edie McClurg from Ferris Bueller’s Day Off and Frozen).  Tony probes whether working on an independent Christian film might brand or limit an actor/actress/director in terms of future career options.

Our conversation also covers the plot of the film, what type of liberties John and the writers took with the prodigal son story, and how the movie is being marketed.  The latter includes discussion on how to give the story some “edge” so that it doesn’t come off as a sappy Hallmark made-for-TV movie, yet keep it clean enough to make it enjoyable family fare.  As for marketing, we talk about the role that churches can play in helping to “get the word out.”  John, while not principally responsible for distribution, does talk about the use of social media and religious networks to help the film get some traction.

We finish with John’s general thoughts about the role of religion in Hollywood and popular culture and how the lower costs of film making has changed the landscape.  Recorded: April 18, 2014.

RELATED LINKS

John Errington’s bio on Internet Movie Database (IMDB).

A Long Way Off movie website (with links on how churches can request a screening).

Uptone Pictures.

Word Films.

George & Monty videos on Funny or Die.

RELATED PODCASTS

Tim Kelleher on the Nicene Creed and Hollywood.

Michael Medved on Religion and Hollywood.

John Sweeney on It’s a Wonderful Life.

]]> http://www.researchonreligion.org/practioneers/john-errington-on-a-long-way-off-and-religious-movie-making/feed 0 http://www.researchonreligion.org/practioneers/tim-kelleher-on-the-nicene-creed-and-hollywood http://www.researchonreligion.org/practioneers/tim-kelleher-on-the-nicene-creed-and-hollywood#comments Sun, 09 Mar 2014 08:00:05 +0000 http://www.researchonreligion.org/?p=3161 Like us at our Facebook Fan Page for regular updates on future guests.

The Nicene Creed is a foundational statement of many Christians around the world.  Tim Kelleher, an actor who has appeared in a number of movies and television shows, joins us to discuss the documentary video that he wrote and produced on this important declaration of one’s faith.  The video is entitled The Creed: What Christians Profess and Why It Ought to Matter and is designed to be a conversation with a number of priests, theologians, and scholars about the importance of The Nicene Creed both in their personal lives and for the life of the Church.

Our conversation begins with Tim discussing how he became involved in this project given that it is rather unusual for a Hollywood actor to strike out on his own and make a documentary about a religious topic.  Tim provides some of his own spiritual background, including a period in his life where he was studying for the Jesuit priesthood, and then how a number of factors came together with his role at First Things to make this documentary.  We discuss how many of the guests in the video were chosen and Tim shares some of the background stories about the filming and editing of the documentary.

The next portion of our interview entails what Tim learned through his filming of the movie.  We cover topics such as the historical purpose of the First Council of Niceae, the linguistic aspects and changes in The Nicene Creed, and its importance to the community of Christian worshippers.  Tony notes how the documentary is not a traditional step-by-step discussion of the topic (much you might see in a college classroom), but rather uses the impressions of the various guests to tell the story and aspects of The Creed.  This proves to be a remarkably effective device, particularly with the mix of people interviewed including a quantum physicist (Stephen Barr), the CEO of the Special Olympics (Timothy Shriver), and a priest/theologian from the Orthodox tradition (John Behr).  Other individuals such as Frederica Matthews-Green, Robert Wilken, and Luke Johnson make critical appearances as well to share their thoughts in the film.

We close out with Tim’s reflections on being a person of faith in the entertainment industry.  Tony wonders whether it is hard to play some of the characters he is asked to portray on screen given his deep religious convictions.  Tim notes that he specializes in playing “bad guys” and discusses how he deals with this tension.  We also talk about why Hollywood seems to have a blind spot for religious movies considering that the few that are made (e.g., Passion of the Christ, The Blind Side, Fireproof) tend to do remarkably well at the box office (relative to the cost of making the films).  Recorded: March 3, 2014.

RELATED LINKS

Tim Kelleher on Internet Movie Database.  (Note that there are two Tim Kellehers in Hollywood!  We link to the correct one.)

The Creed: What Christians Profess, and Why It Ought to Matter.  (Tim Kelleher’s documentary).

Being as Communion, by John D. Zizioulas (mentioned in podcast).

The One and the Many, by John D. Zizioulas (mentioned in podcast).

Tim Kelleher discusses “The Creed” on The World Over (television show).

RELATED PODCASTS

Stephen Barr on Quantum Physics, Religion, and The God Particle.

Jim Papandrea on the Church Fathers and Patristic Exegisis.

Michael Medved on Religion and Hollywood.

Jon M. Sweeney on “It’s a Wonderful Life.”

RELATED LINKS

Jon M. Sweeney’s biography.

The Spiritual Life of George Bailey: Turnkey Moments in Frank Capra’s Christmas Masterpiece, e-book by Jon M. Sweeney (available for $2.99)

The Pope Who Quit: A True Medieval Tale of Mystery,  Death, and Salvation, by Jon M. Sweeney.

Verily, Verily: The KJV – 400 Years of Influence and Beauty, by Jon M. Sweeney.

The St. Francis Prayer Book, by Jon M. Sweeney.

Born Again and Again: Surprising Gifts of a Fundamentalist Childhood, by Jon M. Sweeney.

Beauty Awakening Belief: How the Medieval Worldview Inspires Faith Today, by Jon M. Sweeney.

Almost Catholic, a blog by Jon M. Sweeney.

George Bailey’s prayer (on YouTube).

It’s A Wonderful Life ending with the ringing bell (on YouTube).

RELATED PODCASTS

Michael Medved on Religion & Hollywood.

Corey Olsen on Religion, J.R.R. Tolkien, and The Hobbit.

Jon Sweeney on the Pope Who Quit.

Does Hollywood portray religion in a negative light?  If so, why?  And has it always been that way?  We take up these questions and many more with film critic, radio talk show host, author, and cultural crusader Michael Medved.  Michael is the author of numerous books on Hollywood and other topics (see below) and has served as a film critic for over 25 years.  We discuss how he managed to find himself in that position as well as what life is like for a movie critic.  He details his personal story within that profession as well as providing insights into how critics review movies.  Michael discusses his role in the critics’ controversy surrounding Mel Gibson’s The Passion of the Christ, wherein pundits became highly critical of this film even before seeing any footage!  We then turn our attention to why Hollywood has shifted from making movies such as The Bells of St. Mary and Going My Way, wherein religious figures and institutions are presented favorably, to films such as Agnes of God and The Pope Must Die, theatrical releases that didn’t necessarily hold the same view of spiritual faith.  Tony notes that this change seemed to have occured in the late 1960s. Michael reveals how a change in the Motion Picture Production Code of 1930 (i.e., The Hays Code) occured in the mid-1960s giving way to the current rating system that we see today.  This change paved the way for studios to make more “edgy” R-rated films.  We discuss how the 1970s saw a dearth of G-rated theatrical releases.  Michael points out that even though such family-friendly films make drastically more money than R-rated movies, producers still favor the latter.  The incentive structure for filmmakers and producers is not always (or often) to make a profit, but rather to earn the accolades of those within the industry.  This is why the demans of “Middle America” are often unmet at the local cineplex.  Not to worry, though, there has been a trend over the past two decades to offer more films pitched to a church-going audience.  We talk about how the ability to make movies has become more accessible and groups like Affirm Films can make highly popular films such as Fireproof, Facing the Giants, and Soul Surfer.  Hollywood has noticed the success of these films as well as The Passion and we are seeing more options portraying religious folks as heroes rather than villians.  Our conversation also includes a discussion not only of what we see on the silver screen, but what occurs with movie stars off screen.  We look into the somewhat deviant culture of Hollywood and Michael provides his insights into why so many actors and actresses seem to engage in destructive behavior.  Along the way, we find out what the worst movie of all time was, and Tony reveals three of his favorite films of all time dealing with the eternal themes of skyscrapers, fish, and football.  Recorded: November 28, 2012.

RELATED LINKS

The Michael Medved Show.

Hollywood versus America, by Michael Medved.

The Fifty Worst Films of All Time, updated version by Harry Medved (Michael’s brother and earlier co-author).

The Golden Turkey Awards: The Worst Achievements in Hollywood History, by Michael Medeved.

The 10 Big Lies About America: Combating Destructive Distortions about Our Nation, by Michael Medved.

The 5 Big Lies About American Business: Combating Smears Against the Free-Market Economy, by Michael Medved.

Right Turns: From Liberal Activist to Conservative Champion in 35 Unconventional Lessons, by Michael Medved.

Saving Childhood: Protecting Our Children from the National Assault on Innocence, by Michael Medved and Diane Medved.

RELATED PODCASTS

 Corey Olsen on J.R.R. Tolkien, Religion, and The Hobbit.

Jim Houser on the Christian Music Industry.

Buckle your seatbelts for a wild ride!  Bill Donohue, president and CEO of The Catholic League, joins our podcast to discuss secular attacks on the Catholic Church and Christianity in general.  We begin by talking about how moral virtue is essential in a free society as a means of controlling our unbridled appetites.  Dr. Donohue’s view on this is rooted in a notion of human nature based upon original sin and the non-perfectability of humans.  We contrast this with the vision of the Left, including Marxists and nihilists.  Bill focuses on the latter in his book Secular Sabotage, wherein he documents how this group has attacked Judeo-Christian religion (and the Catholic Church in specific) merely for the sake of challenging America’s status quo.  He provides several examples ranging from Lady Gaga to Andres Serrano to movies such as Priest and Dogma.  Bill’s role in defending Mel Gibson’s The Passion of the Christ is discussed and leads to some speculation as to why Hollywood often makes movies that insult the sensibilities of the vast majority of citizens even though the flop at the box office.  But it is not only nihilists external to Christianity that are responsible for the culture war.  Bill talks about how various groups within the Catholic Church and mainline Protestantism seek to undermine traditional religious values.  We conclude with some observations on whether Christians are responding well to these challenges.  Recorded: April 21, 2011.

RELATED LINKS

The Catholic League’s website.

Secular Sabotage: How Liberals are Destroying Religion and Culture in America, by Bill Donohue.

The Twilight of Liberty: The Legacy of the ACLU, by Bill Donohue.

The New Freedom: Individualism and Collectivism in the Social Lives of Americans, by Bill Donohue.

RELATED PODCASTS

Louis Bolce on the Media and Anti-Fundamentalism.

Jon Shields on the Democratic Virtues and the Christian Right.