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Why are people drawn to these predictable stories? For a lot of reasons, not all of them good. But something in us hungers for reassurance that evil will be overcome. In a cynical age, we want to see somebody who can overcome weakness and say the things that we ourselves find hard to say. We want to know that somebody will step into our lives and make everything all right. Erin Brockovich will defeat the corporation. Young Jen will outgrow her rebelliousness and become the heroine of legend. The trapped narcotics cop will break free of the dangerous drug underworld. The nasty village mayor will learn to enjoy life … and chocolate.

If the contemporary church's artists would turn their attentions away from art as Christian propaganda, we might discover we have some good stories to tell. And those stories can say more than we ever intended them to. If we would focus on originality, excellence, and creatively telling the truth in love—like Traffic does so boldly, like Crouching Tiger does so artfully—we might show the world a light that it could not resist celebrating. Jesus knew that better than anyone. That's why he answered questions with storytelling and beautiful metaphors about the kingdom of God. Avoiding explanations or didactic moralizing, he said, "For those with ears to hear, let them hear."

Meanwhile, at the multiplexes and the art-house theatres, 2001 rumbled along with mediocre-to-awful new releases, and a couple of diamonds in the rough.

Movie Parables' Michael Elliott writes, "Director David Mirkin keeps the focus upon the sexuality rather than the intelligence of the protagonists. What Heartbreakers does is to elevate physical attraction to an almost solitary position of importance … and that truly is heartbreaking." The U.S. Catholic Conference complains that the movie "is sporadically amusing but is weighed down by the script's predictability." Ted Baehr at Movieguide says, "The climax of this story has a strong moral point to make about love and marriage, but it is surrounded by distasteful material." Preview's critic, on the other hand, declares that "lack of any morals … obscenities and crude sexual humor … earn this 'romantic comedy' a very objectionable rating."

Holly McClure at The Dove Foundation found some redeeming qualities in the film. "Beneath the funny outer con layer of the story is a dysfunctional, hurt mother, struggling to let go of a daughter who needs to be out on her own. I liked the fact that in the end, choices are made to turn lifestyles and behavior around for the good. And honesty becomes the best policy at the end of all the lies." Family-friendly critic Phil Boatwright at The Movie Reporter disqualifies this film for younger viewers, but he had a good time. "This is one very funny, sexy comedy caper. Everyone in the film, especially Ray Liotta, has perfect comic pitch, and there is a positive message about love filling the emptiness of our lives." J. Robert Parks at The Phantom Tollbooth writes that Gene Hackman's "physical timing is hilarious" in his supporting role as a coughing chain-smoker. Parks concludes, "Heartbreakers might be worth seeing just for Hackman's performance. It's star power in the service of something wonderful."

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March (Web-only) 2001, Vol. 45