Mainstream media
 just doesn’t get it

It is more than a little irritating to be patronised by people less well–read, well–travelled and, arguably, less intelligent than oneself. But I confess the mainstream media manages to do so on a daily basis—particularly in the realm of religion, for which read ‘Christianity’.

When, for example, Christianity is discussed in print, television, and movies, it is usually treated as ‘vain superstition’. Yet it is plain that few of the faith’s media critics have spent much time pondering the transcendental—far less time than they devote to studying the wine lists at their favourite watering holes.

This is evident from the way they talk about Christians—e.g. The Washington Post’s contemptuous dismissal of evangelical Christians as ‘poor, uneducated, and easy to command’.

A swift glance at the vehicles in the average mega-church parking lot gives the lie to claims that the worshippers are poor, and also serves to undermine the claim they are ill–educated and easily led.

It is instructive that the Media invariably treats Moslems with kid gloves. Could the disparity be explained by the fact that Christians are not prone to launch murderous attacks against journalists, et al. who behave in ways that offend them? But I digress …

In any event, parishioner George Michaels, who is as irritated by the mainstream media’s supercilious attitude to almost anything that might be construed as traditional American values, recently mailed me to following article by actor Kevin Sorbo. I would like to share it with you.

When more than 1,000 New Yorkers rose to their feet to sing ‘Amazing Grace’ in Broadway’s historic Nederlander Theater, it was difficult to stave off the tears. The play by the same name as the beloved hymn tells the story of songwriter John Newton’s conversion and fight to end the slave trade. It has everything that critics want—a rapturous love story, soaring score, jaw-dropping special effects, and a Tony-quality cast.

But unsurprisingly, the mainstream media was not impressed.

Charles Isherwood of The New York Times called the play ‘an over–stuffed history lesson trimmed in melodrama.’ And Variety deemed it ‘tough sledding.’ But as I think back to the tears flowing down so many cheeks in the room (I cried through the whole performance), I wonder why faith-based entertainment continues to baffle, ruffle, and enrage the mainstream media.

All of this feels oddly familiar. Last year, I starred in an independent film titled God’s Not Dead. It scored a measly 16 percent on Rotten Tomatoes, a website which aggregates and averages the reviews of major film critics. The critics slaughtered it with impunity. But moviegoers, and especially religious consumers, found it to be a breath of fresh air. It earned a staggering $70 million in domestic box office sales and millions more in DVD sales, digital downloads, and merchandising, making God’s Not Dead the highest grossing independent film of 2014.

Our experience is not uncommon.

In 2008, the faith-based film Fireproof from the relatively unknown filmmaking brothers Alex and Stephen Kendrick earned a ‘rotten rating’ of 40 percent, but earned more than $33 million. In 2011, the same duo released the film Courageous, which was given a measly 30 percent on Rotten Tomatoes, but generated more than $34 million. And in 2014, Sony’s Heaven is For Real also got a ‘rotten rating’ of 46 percent while earning a staggering $91.4 million in domestic box office sales.

You can expect this trend to continue, as most major movie studios are actively developing similarly faithful projects. This summer, for example, Sony will release War Room, a film by the Kendricks that explores the power of prayer. With over 4 million trailer views so far, expect this film to ‘shock’ Hollywood critics once again.

Critics might tell you that the people supporting and seeing these films just don’t know what good art is. They see themselves as the gatekeepers of how to tell a good story in film, television, and theater. But I think these films are lost on elitist critics because they don’t understand the deep spiritual impulses these shows are exploring. And they have lost touch with the millions of consumers who continue to purchase tickets despite critics’ warnings.

The mainstream media just doesn’t get faith–based entertainment because they don’t have faith. And they don’t understand people of faith.

Unfortunately for them, the box office belongs to audiences, not elitist critics writing from their ivory Manhattan towers. It belongs to working mothers who want to raise their children with a strong sense of values and devoted fathers who are coaching softball games after a long day on the job. It belongs to regular people in small towns and flyover states and middle–class suburban neighborhoods who are struggling with how to live meaningful lives in an ever–changing society.

If critics want to meet these Americans, they can walk into a church on any given Sunday and listen to their stories. Their tales of faith and redemption sound something like this: ‘Amazing grace, how sweet the sound that saved a wretch like me. I once was lost but now I’m found, was blind but now I see.’

Until critics understand these types of stories, they’ll continue to misunderstand faith–based entertainment.

Award-winning actor Kevin Sorbo starred in Hercules: The Legendary Journeys, among the most-watched TV shows in history. He earned the Grace Award-Most Inspiring Movie Acting for his role in What If… , and was featured in the hit film Soul Surfer. Most recently, he played the title role in Abel’s Field which launched in–store and online DVD sales Jan. 22. For more information, visit AbelsField.com.