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It's been one year since 20th Century Fox became the first major Hollywood studio to launch a line of movies aimed specifically at a Christian audience. Since its debut last fall, Fox Faith has had hit-and-miss results, with poor box office numbers offset by strong video sales and rentals.

Some industry observers have wondered if the label might be in trouble, but studio execs say that's not the case.

"We're alive and well," said Steve Feldstein, senior vice president of Fox Home Entertainment, which oversees Fox Faith. "We are very much in the business."

Perhaps, but the first year has been a something of a roller coaster—not just in box office and sales figures, but with image and perception from both professionals and laypeople.

The notion of a "Christian film label" stirs all sorts of reactions, pro and con. Many Christians embrace the notion of having their "own" brand of movies. Others have long been concerned that such a venture is merely separating from the world by remaining in a "safe-for-the-whole-family" bubble, with the end result being poorly made films that "pander" to the Christian consumer and aren't taken seriously in the general market.

Meanwhile, one movie producer recently expressed frustration with Fox Faith's marketing strategy, and another said he will take his films elsewhere for distribution.

Rick Eldridge, producer of The Ultimate Gift, which earned a respectable $3.4 million at the box office, said the film might have done much better in its theatrical run last spring had it not been released under the Fox Faith label.

"I really felt this story had strong values that would hit home with the general market," Eldridge told Scripps-Howard recently, when his film released to DVD. "Then we got pigeon-holed into this little 'Christian' niche …. [I think] that caused some people to distance themselves from this movie. There was no need for that to happen."

Still, The Ultimate Gift broke even at the box office, and has fared quite well in its initial video rentals and sales, finishing in the Top 20 in both categories in its first two weeks on the market.

David Bixler,Fox's senior vice president of acquisitions, understood Eldridge's concerns, but added, "Look, Rick wants his movie to be seen by as many people as possible. He's concerned that if you label it, you might limit the audience. I'm not saying he's wrong. But I think the movie performed well enough to justify our decision."

Another producer, Ralph Winter, who helmed Fox Faith flicks like Thr3e, The Visitation, and Hangman's Curse, said he will take some of his future projects to Lionsgate for distribution—starting with House, which will release sometime in 2008.

Winter clarified that he has nothing against Fox Faith; indeed, he was one of its original founders, and he praises the brand to this day. But he says the smaller films he produces—typically spiritual thrillers—aren't a good fit for Fox Faith.

"Our movies are more edgy and are not necessarily served by that label," Winter said, citing films derived from books by Frank Peretti and Ted Dekker. "We are working with stories that have a wider appeal than just Christians. Producing a spiritual thriller that is limited to Christians limits our general market appeal. It gets 'labeled.' Audiences that see a Fox Faith label have trouble seeing our spiritual thrillers as being legitimate—they feel it might be watered down and reject the movie without giving it a chance."

Winter said that's what happened with Thr3e, which earned $1 million at the box office in January. "In hindsight, we believe Thr3e would have done better without that label. To get to the audience that enjoys these kinds of thrillers, the Fox Faith label was an oxymoron. It made our movie seem 'soft.' How could this be a thriller if it is Fox Faith?"

Bixler said Winter and the team behind Thr3e "have been very vocal with us that Fox Faith was not a label that would best sell their movies theatrically. And after we released Thr3e, we began to think, Maybe these guys are right. Just because it has a faith element doesn't mean everything should be labeled 'faith,' because there's a broader audience."

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