Catholics and Movie God's Not Dead

I went to the movie God’s Not Dead a few days ago. It was moving – something like a contemporary  twist on themes common to old Billy Graham films. Instead of ending at a Billy Graham crusade, it ended at a Christian rock concert. Other than that, it fit the model.

As the credits rolled, I noticed a familiar name. Cary Solomon. Writer. Later that day, I sent Cary a LinkedIn note. It wasn’t presumptuous of me because Cary had sent me the LinkedIn invitation months ago and followed it up with a personal message.

Back then, he wondered if I had any good Catholic material that I wanted to see produced. If I did have something in mind, I don’t have the funds to see it through to the big screen. But I remembered the name.

I wrote Cary the other day. I congratulated him on his latest movie and asked him when he was going to do a Catholic film – a Eucharist-centered film.

He wrote back to say he wants to do a Catholic film, but the funds just don’t support it.

I guess he’s right. Catholics tend to send their money to missions and local parishes and diocesan-wide initiatives. They fund CRS and Catholic Charities and local food pantries. And those things should get top billing. And we do evangelize.

We just don’t do it with modern cinematography featuring Eucharistic themes.

We retell the old, old story. Passion of the Christ.

We support movies about saints. The canonized. Not modern Joes who stumble along and find the Eucharist.

But Cary said he would like to do something thoroughly Catholic. I promised to pray for him and his heart’s desire.

Who knows. With God, anything is possible.