Hollywood Adjustment? | Steven D. Greydanus | Catholic World Report
Are religious themes and influences becoming more prominent in recent films?
In the recently released movie The Adjustment Bureau, Matt Damon plays a man who “gets a glimpse behind a curtain” that he “wasn’t supposed to know existed.” What he discovers is that the lives of men are governed by a master plan—a plan that is facilitated by superhuman figures who walk among us, intervening where necessary to keep our feet on the appointed path.
The Adjustment Bureau is Damon’s second peek behind the curtain in the last several months. In Hereafter, directed by Clint Eastwood, Damon plays a gifted psychic who is apparently able to communicate with the departed loved ones of anyone he touches. Near-death experiences of a realm of light inhabited by the souls of the departed are another theme: Hereafter opens with one such experience, and a supporting character claims to have gathered evidence from countless such cases supporting the existence of an afterlife.
The Adjustment Bureau and Hereafter are among a remarkable number of recent and upcoming Hollywood films in some way invoking themes of spirituality, religion, or belief. I am not including foreign films like Of Gods and Men, Xavier Beauvois’ extraordinary French film about the 1996 massacre of French Trappist monks living in Algeria, now playing in limited release. Nor do I mean Christian-produced indies like The Grace Card or Courageous, from the creators of Fireproof. (There Be Dragons, Roland Joffé’s upcoming drama depicting events in the life of St. Josemaría Escriva, is a blend of these two categories—part indie, part foreign film.) I am referring primarily to mainstream entertainment with big-name stars distributed by the major Hollywood studios. 2010 was particularly rife with such Hollywood religiosity, quantitatively if not necessarily qualitatively.
The year opened with a pair of dim-witted quasi-religious apocalyptic thrillers. In The Book of Eli, Denzel Washington wanders a postapocalyptic wasteland on a mission from God to save the last copy of the King James Bible while keeping it from those who would use it to create a false religion. Legion imagines God losing faith in mankind and sending angelic hosts to wipe out humanity, prompting Michael to rebel, defending humanity against Gabriel and his forces.
Hymnody, gospel music, and scriptural quotations showed up in more than one film. The Coen brothers’ critically and popularly acclaimed remake True Grit opens with a citation from Proverbs, and the characters’ dialogue is peppered with allusions to scriptural and biblical themes. The score makes use of several hymns, notably “Leaning on the Everlasting Arms,” sung over the end credits by Iris DeMent, but also “What a Friend We Have in Jesus” and others. (The celebrated indie Winter’s Bone, a film with more than a few thematic links to True Grit, also features a hymn over its end credits, “We’ll Understand it Better By and By” by Rev. Charles A. Tindley.)
Stating that Hollywood is tilting towards a more spiritual, intangible, maybe even religious mode is like asking a liar to tell the truth.
The most notable attempt to release a movie depicted as religious was The Passion of the Christ; Hollywood did not like it; moreover Hollywood did not want it shown. It is imperative to spell out the aspects and circumstances of such bizarre conduct.
Posted by: Manuel G. Daugherty Razetto | Saturday, April 30, 2011 at 05:18 PM
As the movie was completed, no distributor would touch it therefore it had a very limited distribution. It also suffered by being treated as an unconventional pre-release promotion model. It also drew the "R" rating; no wonder USA Today (3-2-04) reported only 7% of children attendance.
It was, as well, released independently; in the middle of the week; off season, on Ash Wednesday holiday.
Posted by: Manuel G. Daugherty Razetto | Saturday, April 30, 2011 at 05:25 PM
The Passion did not have pre-release advertising. No advertising by big names and not TV ads. Mr Gibson became the target of many attacks from varios groups opposed to : the film; its message; the producer; and the subject: Jesus Christ. The Media labeled the film as violent and anti-semitic.
Posted by: Manuel G. Daugherty Razetto | Saturday, April 30, 2011 at 05:30 PM
Focussing on a different factor it is regrettable to mention that important members of our Church 'joined the accusers' ; for example: The French Catholic Association of Bishops ; bishop Patrick Mc Grath (San Jose CA); other bishops in the US refused to see it; even the now cardinal Levada made questionable remarks.
Posted by: Manuel G. Daugherty Razetto | Saturday, April 30, 2011 at 05:35 PM
Despite of all hindrances and difficulties the movie turned out as:
Highest grossing film for an "R" rated of all time, the same for a Foreign Film; equally for a Religious Film. Box Office take, in the US, $ 370 million; world wide $ 600 million; Mel Gibson, assumptively took home $ 500 million and the BBC rated it Best year (2004) for the Movie Industry. The Passion did not win a single major award in Hollywood.
Posted by: Manuel G. Daugherty Razetto | Saturday, April 30, 2011 at 05:58 PM