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In the end, there is frankly no simple answer to the question of what constitutes a good, Christian movie. Understanding how we use our terms is an important beginning. Appreciating the nature and intentions of art is also important. We recognize that we're dealing with a greater cultural confusion about art, about religion, and about the interface of the two, and a little essay such as this will only begin to ask helpful questions. But if the measurement of a good, Christian movie is that it be exclusively family-friendly, then surely Christians will have been robbed of their mandate to explore Christ's renewal of all dimensions of human experience—the lovely and the ugly, the romantic and the drab, the goofy and the grotesque.

Part 2: The Honest-to-God Truth About Movies

David Taylor is the Arts Minister at Hope Chapel in Austin, Texas, and director of The Ragamuffin Film Festival, held August 6-8 in Austin.

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The Honest-to-God Truth About Movies (Part 2)	Printer view
The best films don't shy away from truthfully depicting the human condition—even when it's ugly and sinful.

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In Defense of Mere Entertainment (Part 3)	Printer view
Would Mother Teresa have thrown her head back and laughed aloud at The Pink Panther? Likely so, says the author in this apologetic for films that are simply "fun for the sake of fun."

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Violence, Profanity and Nudity: A Dialogue (Part 4)	Printer view
What is a Christian's responsibility when it comes to portraying The Big Three vices in film? There are no easy answers to the question.