Facing the Giants, a movie I blogged about here back in July, released in theatres last week. Josh Hurst, reviwing the movie for Christianity Today, broke what is evidently the cardinal rule of christian film criticism: “Never ever ever, under any circumstances, say anything bad at all about a film if it is made by christians.” He ended his review by saying this:
One must also acknowledge that the film—made on a $100,000 budget by a Baptist church in Albany, Georgia—has its heart in the right place; there are good lessons here about honoring God in everything that we do, the importance of respect and leadership, and the power of prayer. Those are all things viewers could benefit from hearing. Whether they ever will hear them, though, is another matter—when a film is as unintentionally corny as this one, it’s anyone’s guess as to how many viewers can stomach all the schmaltz for the positive message at the end.
The comments have been pouring in to Christianty Today in response to Josh’s review. Here are a couple:
posted 10/03/06
Your review of Facing the Giants is disgusting. This was one of the greatest movies I have ever seen.posted 10/03/06
“Shame, shame, shame on you for giving Facing the Giants a bad review! I’ve heard that Christianity Today is anti-Christian. Now, I believe it!”posted 10/03/06
“In a world where Christians curse the darkness, it’s a welcome change to see a movie daring enough to light a candle. Yeah it’s a littleover-the-top at times, but I would expect Christianity Today to embrace a movie that challenges Hollywood in every way. I believe audiences will prove your last comment wrong and turn out to support this movie. You guys should be ashamed of yourselves for giving this film a negative review. I believe God is proud of this movie, and that is enough to deserve my support. I guess that’s not enough for your publication.”
Jeffery Overstreet summarized some of the arguments here, and quotes a couple other film critics, including these two:
Jeff Strickler (Minneapolis Star-Tribune) says, “The religious proselytizing in this football movie is about as subtle as a blindside hit by a 300-pound defensive end.”
Chris Hewitt (St. Paul Pioneer Press) asks, “If the Christian football team in Facing the Giants begins to win because God wants them to, does it follow that the acting isn’t good because God didn’t want it to be?”
Jeffrey sums up his comments with this paragraph:
Are audiences loving it? Yes. Does it have a positive Christian message? Obviously. Is it crafted with more professionalism and quality than most “Christian films”? Yes. But are there some valid criticisms? Many accomplished critics think so, in the religious press and in the mainstream press. And since we serve a God who cares about excellence as well as “messages” and crowdpleasing, we should be glad that there are watchful critics challenging us to strive for better and better things.
Well said, Jeffrey.
I saw this tonight. All I can say is “wow”. I watched over 200 movies last year alone, a large percentage of which were low budget indy films. Other than Open Water, nothing springs to mind as being this starkly awful. On the way out of the theater I told the guy I was with, “At least I feel a million times better about the short film I made this past spring.” Sure the audio sucked, my actors didn’t have a clue as to what they were doing, all I had for lighting was the sun, and the editing was a bit rushed, but at least it wasn’t corny. I wasn’t expecting much when I went in to see this, and somehow I was still let down.
Normally I’d put little astrisks around “spoiler warning” all in caps above this paragraph, but the movie was more predictable than an episode of “Walker, Texas Ranger” so I just don’t feel the need. As the lead actress gently cups her husband’s face in her hands, she gently says those words he’s been longing to hear for 4 years… “you’re going to be a dad.” He begins to cry than kisses her and they hold each other in a warm embrace… err, or not. This loving married couple NEVER kiss throughout the entire film. Even Lucy and Ricky Ricardo who half a century ago slept in seperate beds could be seen on screen kissing from time to time! I don’t necessarily have to see a makeout session for it to be believable, but c’mon. I felt like I was watching some sort of alternate version of the movie “Saved,” only without the jokes.
The most disturbing thing I find in all of this is that 69.8% of people on IMDB have rated it a 10. A 10! That’s like putting it up there with Casablanca, Titanic, and Star Wars. The blindness of Christians to what constitutes good or even mediocre art is troubling. I don’t know if it’s a true inability to discern the good from the bad, or just a willfull departure from judgement for the sake of “cheering for the home team.” Whatever the case, it just makes me more resolute to distance myself from such insanity in hopes of reaching the world.
I have plenty to say, but I feel that I should see the movie before I begin any discussion about it. Ugh. I just hate the thought of paying money for it.
Cach, I’ll probably see it eventually, but I don’t have any plans to at the moment. I saw enough of the ‘prosperity gospel’ junk the two years I worked for TBN; why would I pay money to see more of it?
Yeah… I used to work at a movie theatre here in town about 8 years ago. I’ve moved away and back since then and now the people who I worked with in the box office are the managers. So I still get in free sometimes. That may be the only way I see it anytime soon.
As long as you don’t laughing at “inapropriate” times, you should be able to get you’re money’s worth out of it. Either that or just walk around the room and make bets on the outcome of different plot lines with other viewers. (Hint: Stories like Job and Stephen–the biblical one–don’t happen anymore. Only good things happen to those who follow God now.) You should be more than able to recoup your ticket costs. At the very least you’ll have the ability to legitimately laugh in anyone’s face who says how great of a movie it was.
Oh, great flaming balls of flying crap. I just went to see another movie that I’m sure people will want to say that “God is proud of”: One Night With the King. It was bar none the worst movie I’ve seen since Alexander. And that was a piece. I’ll have a full review up soon. I wish … *shudder*… I’d seen Facing the Giants.
First of all, I never thought I’d hear “I wish I’d seen Facing the Giants”.
Second, I wasn’t planning on seeing One Night with the King until this week. I was working at TBN when they were starting work on this, and wasn’t interested at all. But I just found out the music was written by J.A.C. Redford, a composer that I really like. He has done a lot of orchestrating (for James Horner on Perfect Storm, and many others), but I think it’s been 11 years since he wrote the music for a theatrical release. Back in the 90’s, he wrote several orchestrations for producer Phil Naish on projects for Steven Curtis Chapman, Michael Card, and Steve Green. I’ve also read his autobiography, “Welcome All Wonders: A Composer’s Journey” that is very good. So, all that to say, I am planning on seeing it just to hear J.A.C.’s music in the theatre.
Hey Stephen! Listen, shoot me an email and we can all compare schedules for a possible meet-up. Me email is seth@fivecentstand.com.
I’m not sure I remember the music well enough to comment on it. I think I remember remarking to Beeki that it was pretty good in at least one place, but I was so transfixed by the horror before me that I couldn’t focus on it. And now that I think about it… the movie must have been even worse than I thought because I always take note of the score. Oy.
I think the biggest problem is that Christians think WE are supposed to be facing the giants. If that is the case, then obviously moralism will soon follow. God faces our giants for us.
I hate the fact that Christians make such bad art sometimes.
[...] I’ve blogged a couple times before (here and here) about Facing the Giants, a film produced by a church in Atlanta that is currently in theatres. Barbara Nicolosi from Church of the Masses just posted her take on the film. Barbara is a critic whom I probably disagree with as often as I agree with her, most notably about Da Vinci Code and The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe, but I think she’s hit the nail on the head with this one. Here’s part of her review, along with her summary of the film: Facing the Giants from any serious perspective is a fantasy film. Its message is very dangerous for Christians, and scandalous for pagans. Adult Evangelical Christians watching Facing the Giants is like sex addicts watching the Spice Channel. (Nope. Not going to take it back.) [...]