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I agree with you that many Christians (myself included) are afraid of being embarrassed by low-quality propaganda masquerading as narrative, but I can't speak for the motives of those that differ with me on the solution. So often, I'm scarcely aware of my own motives, I hesitate to guess at others'. However, when I refer to direct "Christian" content, I am absolutely not talking about recruitment tools for the church. Nor am I talking about entertainment for the church—the last thing the body of Christ needs is more celebrity culture of any kind, let alone adding "Christian" movie stars to the mix. Least of all, I'm not talking about any film that intends to be labeled the label we shall not mention. This isn't about creating commercials for Christianity or servicing a niche market; it's about telling truthful stories and creating distinct works of art. When you say that you have no problem "highlighting our strong points in order to get people to give Christianity a second look," I say we don't really dupe anyone with such an approach.

Now, obviously, I'm not denying the inarguable influence of film—go to any high school in America this instant and you'll surely hear Napoleon Dynamite quoted more often than any textbook. But then, your friend may have loved Vanilla Sky, but did she become a Scientologist? I don't doubt your claim that interest in Scientology may have bubbled for a season. But what happened when the steak didn't live up to the sizzle? From my perspective, the biggest danger in Christians approaching film as a "recruiting" tool in the same way, interestingly enough, can be illuminated by the character of Jack Jordan in 21 Grams. Agreed, I've never known anyone with a huge truck decorated with Jesus-art that ran over a family and fled. However, I know a great many people who bought into a commercialized version of Christianity—believing life would subsequently always be better, then stumbled when it wasn't, then ran away and hid just like Jack Jordan did. When you "sell" anything in such a manner, you set people up for this. Christ is perfect, yes, but we are not—nor is the Church.

As filmmakers of faith, our highest calling is to be truthful to what we know and believe and share that with others—not to play spin doctor for the Almighty, as if God would even need such a thing. And, to me, "well-rounded Christian characters" means characters that are just as flawed as the rest of humanity—just like in the Bible. I, for one, am rather grateful that God gave us the whole story and not just an advertisement.

But again, I say create these film characters naturally, out of personal experience and insight—in the context of a good story and superior filmmaking craft, for its own sake. How God uses or doesn't use any film is a holy and mysterious thing and, at the end of the day, God's business. Plus, whatever perspective someone brings to a film has as much to do with what he or she takes away from the film as the film itself. This is why both Christians and Buddhists can watch Groundhog Day and claim it as their own.

Ultimately, I would say it's unwise and unfair to place any kind of "recruiting" burden on filmmakers, especially filmmakers of faith. Audiences are savvy and can sniff out an agenda pretty quickly. Trying to be cloak and dagger about it can often make the audience more antagonistic, not less. Besides, how many people have truly committed their lives to Christ primarily because of watching a movie, or hearing a song, or studying a piece of art? Films can plant seeds, possibly give a nudge toward God, but, it's by interacting with real people in the real world that most people are drawn to the Kingdom. The artist as missionary, yes; the film as missionary, not necessarily.

Continued: PART 4: Filmmaking As Manipulation?

Angela Harvey is a filmmaker, freelance writer and graphic designer in Atlanta. She's also founder of Crimson, which produces independent films, gospel tracts and greeting cards. Angela holds a degree in Organizational & Interpersonal Communications from Oral Roberts University and she worked in full-time ministry for seven years. Angela enjoys hiking, yoga and cooking.

Rik Swartzwelder is a writer-director-producer whose films have screened at more than 120 film festivals and garnered more than 40 major awards, including a Crystal Heart for his 35mm short, The Least of These. He earned his M.F.A. in Motion Picture Production from The Florida State University and is currently in Los Angeles developing several projects. For more info, please visit www.oldfashionedpictures.com.

© Angela Harvey and Rik Swartzwelder 2005, subject to licensing agreement with Christianity Today International. All rights reserved. Click for reprint information.

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