Usually when a movie is really successful from a financial standpoint, Hollywood jumps on the bandwagon. But USA Today, in an article today, is questioning whether that will happen with "The Passion of the Christ."
While admitting that the movie appears to be touching people deeply, the story says "Hollywood is unlikely to get religion."
Actually, that's fine with me. When Hollywood makes a movie based on anything biblical, they usually get it wrong. "The Passion" seems to be the exception, but apparently there are still things in the movie that one could nitpick about. I would be happy if Hollywood would just get the message that there is an enormous section of the public that would love to have more clean, family-oriented films to choose from. I don't need a glut of Bible-based movies from Hollywood.
Meantime, I continue to read reports from Christians who have been deeply affected by the film. In his blog, Rick talks about listening to a John Piper sermon about the cross and finding it more meaningful after having viewed the film: "Maybe this speaks into me today because of THE PASSION last week. Maybe it's because Piper is calling us to boast in the cross, and that imagery is still so vivid for me - watching Christ not only die, but also interact with real people in their real moments. We are usually so caught up in our own stuff that we don't have real time to pay attention to the needs of folks around us. And here's Christ, in the fullness of time, accomplishing the most incredible thing in history and eternity - and He still reaches out to the people around Him."
On the subject of another movie: I was jazzed yesterday when I realized that one of my favorite books--C.S. Lewis' "The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe"-- is soon to be a major motion picture...but Jeri Massi has quite a different take on the news in her blog. I've got to admit, she tempered my enthusiasm a bit.
Another thing that concerns Narnia fans like myself and our engineer, Jon Burkholder, is that the movie might be animated rather than live-action (no one seems to know for sure). Jon and I agreed yesterday that the Narnia series deserves the same kind of live-action treatment that Peter Jackson gave "The Lord of the Rings" movies.
I don't necessarily agree that Disney "crapifies" everything it touches. I have serious problems with Disney, but movies like "Finding Nemo" and "Pirates of the Caribbean" have shown that the company can still produce things with charm and appeal.
I guess we'll just have to wait and see.
I'm in the middle of another really good book!
I was delighted yesterday to receive a copy of Liz Curtis Higgs' "Fair is the Rose," and of course, I wasted no time in delving right into it!
This is the sequel to Higgs' "Thorn in My Heart," which I review on the reading page of my website.
Liz Curtis Higgs has a lovely writing style...gentle, flowing, descriptive and evocative. Before I read "Thorn in My Heart," though, I was a bit leery about setting the Jacob/Leah/Rachel story in 18th-century Scotland. But the idea not only works...it shines. I'm still wondering how Higgs will handle the fact that in ancient Israel, Jacob was married to Leah and Rachel at the same time, because plural marriage was OK then. I guess I'll just have to wait and see how she gets around that.
I'm going to be interviewing Liz for my radio show soon, and I'll be sure to provide at least part of that interview on this blog. She is a delightful person, with a warm and gracious personality, and we have something in common--she used to be a radio announcer. I'm looking forward to talking with her again.
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