{"id":95490,"date":"2015-01-09T21:50:55","date_gmt":"2015-01-10T04:50:55","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/admin.patheos.com\/blogs\/lookingcloser\/?p=95490"},"modified":"2015-01-09T22:24:08","modified_gmt":"2015-01-10T05:24:08","slug":"the-most-christian-movie-of-the-year","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/lookingcloser\/2015\/01\/the-most-christian-movie-of-the-year\/","title":{"rendered":"The “Most Christian” Movie of the Year?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<\/head>

\"selma2\"<\/a>To all who claim\u00a0that film critics rejected Left Behind <\/em>and God\u2019s Not Dead<\/em> and Kirk Cameron\u2019s Saving Christmas<\/em>\u00a0because of their hatred for Christianity\u2026 I give you Selma<\/em>.<\/p>\n

To all who get excited at statements like \u201cThis was a great year for Christian movies!\u201d and \u201cThe Christian movie industry is on the rise!\u201d \u2026 I give you Selma<\/em>.<\/p>\n

Observe\u2026<\/p>\n

In Selma<\/em>\u00a0\u2014 and I\u2019m pretty sure about this \u2014 there is more gospel quoted, more gospel celebrated, more gospel embraced and openly lived out than in any so-called \u201cChristian movie\u201d released in 2014 (except the one that was, you know, yet another sexy white Jesus movie).<\/p>\n

There is far, far more gospel in this film than there is in Unbroken<\/em>.<\/p>\n

There\u2019s even more gospel in Selma<\/em>\u00a0than there is in Chariots of Fire<\/em>\u2026 the movie about a white, Olympic-medal-winning Christian that sent white, Protestant congregations rushing to theaters and is still revered as a pinnacle of moviemaking art by many Christians.<\/p>\n

And note: Due to the excellence of the artistry, the depiction<\/em>\u00a0of faith instead of the advertising<\/em>\u00a0of faith, the nuance with which the characters are portrayed, and the lack of any smug condescension toward anybody\u2026 the film is taken seriously and is highly praised.<\/p>\n

Selma<\/em> has a 98% \u201cfresh\u201d rating at Rotten Tomatoes<\/a>, for what it\u2019s worth. But then, those percentages aren\u2019t worth much. It\u2019s the reviews themselves that will tell you just how enthusiastic film reviewers across America are about this movie.<\/p>\n

We do not need to build a Christian movie industry.<\/p>\n

We do not need so-called \u201cChristian movies.\u201d<\/p>\n

We just need to make beautiful, truthful art\u2026 with humility and wisdom and excellence.<\/p>\n

Jesus didn\u2019t tell Christian parables. He told unforgettable stories.<\/p>\n

And the truth doesn\u2019t need to be defended. It is already victorious, by virtue\u00a0of it being, well\u2026 the truth.<\/p>\n

P.S.<\/p>\n

Paul Harrill\u2019s film\u00a0Something, Anything<\/em>, which just opened in New York, is an artful, nuanced, beautiful motion picture. It features a troubled young woman who turns to the Bible for consolation, and actually visits the Gethsemani monastery in her search for hope. It\u2019s getting rave reviews. Let\u2019s see if religious press voices pay attention to this film, or notice the difference in its reviews.<\/p>\n<\/body><\/html>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

In Selma<\/i> \u2014 and I’m pretty sure about this \u2014 there is more gospel quoted, more gospel celebrated, more gospel embraced and openly lived out than in any so-called “Christian movie” released in 2014. (Except the one that was, you know, a Jesus movie.) <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1051,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-95490","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-blog"],"yoast_head":"\nThe "Most Christian" Movie of the Year?<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"In Selma \u2014 and I'm pretty sure about this \u2014 there is more gospel quoted, more gospel celebrated, more gospel embraced and openly lived out than in any so-called "Christian movie" released in 2014. 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