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The fledgling Christian film industry, which so far only boasts 1999's The Omega Code as a breakout hit, suffered a setback this weekend as the heavily promoted Left Behind movie placed 17th at the box office with $2.2 million. The $17.4 million adaptation of the best-selling novel has sold remarkably well as a video in the past three months—ranking #16 at Amazon.com for 2000—but few were willing to pay to see a movie they already owned. As reported in an earlier Film Forum, viewer comments at Crosswalk.com, Christian Spotlight, and Hollywood Jesus were quite mixed, while Christian critics embraced it more readily.

What's Hot
Taking the box-office crown for the second week in a row was the screwball comedy The Wedding Planner. Christian critics agreed that it has a yesteryear aura—although it meant different things to different people. Holly McClure of Crosswalk.com said "I laughed, was emotionally moved, and appreciated the higher-moral approach the story took to ultimately bring two people together. … This is a throwback to the classic romance-comedies that have witty dialogue, a couple of romantic dance numbers, old-fashioned romantic touches and modern relationship situations." But for Movie Reporter Phil Boatwright, the old-time feel came off as a "throwback to all those empty-headed Doris Day/Rock Hudson comedies of the mid-'60s. … Let's get real; those three films they made were pretty silly stuff. The Wedding Planner goes beyond silly, bordering on the insulting." In the film, Jennifer Lopez as a twice-shy wedding coordinator who becomes attracted to the fiance of a client, and must decide whether to pursue her career or the possibility of love. Hollywood Jesus thought the familiar feel of the story raised spiritual questions: "It is a simple plot. We know the end from the beginning. We have seen stories like this many times before. But it still holds us. We want to believe in destiny. We want to believe that there is a grand design behind our lives." PlanetWisdom said the familiar feel was simply the easiest way to a romantic's heart. " Yes, the movie is predictable. But I don't think lovers of romantic films will mind. If so, why would they watch the same movies over and over? This film is perfect for them." But for Nappaland's MovieSpot, it just translates into lack of originality: "Unfortunately, instead of creating a clever story and matching it with dynamic acting, all this movie does is rehash used ideas (how about an eccentric father here? and an oddball suitor there?) and hope for the best." Other detractors included the U.S. Catholic Conference, which called it a "tiresome film filled with artificial emotions, contrived situations and flat jokes," and Michael Elliott of Crosswalk.com, who was wary of the movie's worship of puppy love: "Of the four weddings which are depicted in the film, each one was elaborate, ostentatious, and emphasized the fairy tale ideal of romance."

What's New
A trio of recent films, Sugar and Spice, The Pledge and The Gift upset Christian critics who found unflattering or inaccurate depictions of Christians in them. Sugar and Spice drew the most vehement protests: The satire about a group of cheerleaders who rob a bank (to help pay for the care of their leader's out-of-wedlock baby) features a dim-witted Christian cheerleader whose beliefs are mocked. "I'm sure there have been more malicious Christian caricatures to come out of Hollywood than Sugar and Spice's Hannah," says Bob Smithouser of Focus on the Family, "but they elude me. The girl is a sanctimonious prude who pummels her peers with self-righteous advice. Even when her moral stands are appropriate, the way she goes about them displays piety and amazing insensitivity. For example, when the girls learn that Diane is pregnant and the word 'abortion' pops up, Hannah pleads, 'Please, Di, don't be a whore and a murderer.'" Movie Reporter Phil Boatwright was upset that Hannah "goes along with the robbery, believing that it's more important to stand by your friends than your religious convictions." Crosswalk.com's Michael Elliott, on the other hand, enjoyed the humor in her character: "[Actress] Rachel Blanchard also has some nice moments as the token good girl Christian who, when asked to study crime films to get ideas for their heist, comes back with a report of The Apple Dumpling Gang because her parents only let her watch G-rated films." Still, Elliott found other moments offensive. "There is one scene in particular which is uncomfortably disrespectful of the crucifixion of Jesus Christ," he says. Other critics found the teen violence to be rather disturbing in wake of recent school shootings. "Suggesting teenagers watch certain movies (Heat, Point Break, Reservoir Dogs) to learn how to rob a bank might have been funny ten years ago," says Holly McClure of Crosswalk.com. "Since we have seen firsthand, murder, crime and copy-cat behavior manifest from children and teenagers who've watched too much television or movies, it's hardly funny or 'entertaining' to watch it in a movie." Likewise, the U.S.Catholic Conference says, "The combination of teens and guns as well as the flippant attitude toward teen-age pregnancy in director Francine McDougall's film is disturbing."

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February (Web-only) 2001, Vol. 45