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VeggieTales Film's 'Impressive' Debut (October 7, 2002)
The first theatrical serving of VeggieTales didn't swallow up the competition, but it performed well at the box office over the weekend. Inspired by the popular Bible-based, children's videos, "Jonah: A VeggieTales Movie" was the No. 6 film with $6.5 million in receipts, the Associated Press reported. The weekend's only other new wide release, "Red Dragon," the prequel to "The Silence of the Lambs," debuted at No. 1 with $37.5 million.

However, "Jonah" was released in just 940 theaters, with further expansions set for the next two weekends. By contrast, "Red Dragon" played in more than 3,000 theaters, Reuters reported. Additionally, the G-rated Bible tale, based on Jonah and the whale, generated a per-theater average of nearly $7,000 -- the second highest of the weekend's top 12 pictures after "Red Dragon."

According to "The Hollywood Reporter," the strong performance of "Jonah" was "all the more impressive"considering that many of the tickets were purchased at a lower price by children and during matinees.

"There hasn't been a family film in the market since August, so 'Jonah' attracted people who wanted to see good family entertainment," said Steve Rothenberg, president of Artisan Entertainment, which released the movie. "We were very gratified. The fans really came out and supported the film."

The movie was generally well received by film critics, some of whom called "Jonah" "playful, high-spirited and unmistakably amusing" and "the best animated film so far this year." "Jonah" was directed and written by Phil Vischer and Mike Nawrocki, co-creators of the VeggieTales videos, which have sold about 30 million copies since 1993.

R-Rated Movie Part of New Approach to Christain Filmmaking (Sept. 16, 2002)
World War II drama director tapped for Steven Spielberg project

A newly released World War II movie that earned an R-rating for its violence and strong language is part of a new wave of work from Christian filmmakers who are challenging Hollywood in a different way.

While Christian-produced movies have for the most part typically used film as an evangelistic medium, "To End All Wars" director David Cunningham -- the son of Youth With A Mission founders Loren and Darlene Cunningham -- told "Charisma" that his feature was "not a Christian movie, and we don't want it portrayed as one."

The true story of the abuse suffered by Allied prisoners of war in Japanese camps contains "strong gospel truths," but "they are not meant to be evangelistic tools," he said. "They are meant to sow seeds and challenge. This story is a very unreligious portrayal of the gospel."

Starring well-known actors Kiefer Sutherland and Robert Carlyle, "To End All Wars" is based on Ernest Gordon's book "Miracle on the River Kwai." As well as earning good reviews, the film has caught the attention of Steven Spielberg, who has asked Cunningham to direct a project.

Cunningham defended the gritty realism of his $14 million-budget production. "We are dealing with a controversial issue; it involves suffering, and if we didn't show the suffering [the prisoners of war] endured, it would cheapen the forgiveness at the end of the film. It's not unlike a biblical reference when Christ was crucified. The Bible went into great detail of His physical suffering in order for us to understand the price that was paid."
Craig Detweiler's "Extreme Days," a PG-rated road trip adventure released last year, was widely considered to have broken new ground for Christian filmmaking. "The people who made [it] are people of faith, and hopefully it reflects our values, perceptions and our Savior," he said.

"But I don't know what a Christian film is. Usually, to me, that means something that is amateur, poorly acted, under budget, hokey and preachy. My goal was definitely not to make that." "Extreme Days" was intended to be "a conversation starter," he said. "It's a movie that asks questions rather than gives answers -- that's what good art does; it deals with life in a truthful way.

"A film is an opportunity to explore something not answer something. I can't capture all of God in two hours. All I can do is give the viewer a preview of what a life with God might look like."

The new trend in Christian films has been welcomed by Robert K. Johnston, a professor of theology and culture at Fuller Seminary in Pasadena, Calif. "The obligation of the Christian artist is to be an artist who creates from out of his or her personal center of faith," he commented.

"The artist is not first of all an evangelist or teacher. Though those are noble, those are not the filmmaker's profession. An artist's responsibility is to create a story on screen that engages the viewer and invites the viewer into a new reality or perception of life."

Cunningham fell in love with movies when he first looked through a camera, at 19. "I knew from that moment on, making movies is what I wanted to do. Since then I have focused on learning the craft and business and trying to find stories that are relevant and can make a difference." He told "Charisma": "My life's mission is to challenge and shape culture through film. I want my films to connect with people and touch their hearts."

You can read more about "To End All Wars" and the new wave of Christian filmmaking in the October issue of "Charisma" magazine, out today.

VeggieTales Creators Make 'Real Movie' (July 1, 2002)

Bob the Tomato and Larry the Cucumber are not big anglers, but they plan on telling the biggest fish tale ever -- Jonah and the whale. "Jonah -- a VeggieTales Movie" is currently in production and set for theatrical release this October, marking the vegetables-turned-cultural icons' first big-screen venture.

"We've always wanted to make movies -- not just half-hour videos, but real movies with ticket takers, concession stands...and yes, sticky floors," VeggieTales co-founder and co-creator Phil Vischer told Assist News Service (ANS). "We picked one of the best known Bible stories, about a guy who knew what God wanted him to do, did exactly the opposite, and ended up in the stickiest of situations ever -- the belly of a whale."

Besides Bob, Larry, Archibald Asparagus and other familiar VeggieTales characters, the film will feature a big fish and worm from the biblical story, which ends up being Jonah's friend, ANS reported. Jonah's sidekick, Khalil, which means friendly in Arabic, is part worm, caterpillar and rug salesman.
In the meantime, Bob, Larry and their wacky vegetable friends have taken the stage for "VeggieTales Live!" a singing, dancing, theatrical version of the direct-to-video series that has sold more than 25 million tapes since its debut in 1993.

"It's kind of the equivalent of what if Monty Python took over your Sunday school class," Vischer, 35, said, the Associated Press reported. The tour features two Old Testament stories from the videos - David and Goliath done as "Dave and the Giant Pickle," and Joshua and the Battle of Jericho as "Josh and the Big Wall."

'Windtalkers' Ministry Seeks to Serve Navajo Community (June 19, 2002)Film honors "forgotten" people, says pastor

A New Jersey pastor invited to a Hollywood premiere says that his presence was not just an opportunity to rub shoulders with the stars, but the latest in a series of events through which God is bringing a forgotten people to the American church's attention.

Herb Hutchinson, who leads Center of Unbroken Praise (CUP), a small charismatic congregation in Egg Harbor Township, outside Atlantic City, was among the guests at the opening of "Windtalkers," in Washington, D.C., last week. Starring Nicolas Cage and Christian Slater, the movie tells the story of how Navajo servicemen used their Native language to provide a desperately needed unbreakable code for military operations in World War II.

Hutchinson says that the film brings long-overdue honor and recognition to Native Americans, and that Christians need to be awakened to the needs among Indian communities. Over the last few years, the East Coast pastor has formed an unlikely relationship with leaders and others on the Navajo reservation across the country.

Hutchinson has made more than 40 visits to the reservation, taking with him members of his church and other pastors, to introduce them to Native American culture. He is converting a former trading post on the reservation into a community center. It will provide training in computers and music, and also host a skateboard park and basketball courts for local youth.

Hutchinson's efforts have been applauded by Kelsey A. Begaye, president of the Navajo Nation. "We have become real close friends," he said. "We are beginning to have some of the problems that the big cities have, like gang-related problems, youth violence, and so something like [the center] will certainly make an impact."

A former musician who co-founded CUP in 1990, Hutchinson says God led him to tell his congregation of a coming "window of opportunity" in 1995. But he did not know what that meant until two years later, when a pastor friend invited him to a Native American prayer gathering-held at Window Rock, Ariz.

He started reading about Native American history and was grieved by how poorly they had been treated. "God is saying that if we will touch this nation, He will bring revival to the rest of the country," he says. But, "the people of the United States don't have a clue about the Native Americans. We have problems in this country other than the inner cities. We have the indigenous people of this land that have been forgotten about."

Hutchinson has spoken at Native American churches on his frequent visits, but has focused on building relationships before looking to share the gospel. "Our problem has always been that we preach first and relate later. They don't want any more preachers. The preachers have taken away what they are-telling them they couldn't wear their moccasins, their feathers."

Hutchinson said that the release of "Windtalkers" and the interest it has sparked in a largely unknown part of World War II history underlined that fact. "When the missionaries came they said you have to stop this Navajo language, and tried to take it away from them. Then in the Second World War we wanted them to use their language to come to save us."

Invited to the premiere by President Begaye, Hutchinson was also a guest at ceremonies in Washington, D.C. and Arizona, last year, when some of the original Navajo "code talkers" received Congressional medals for the service.

Film Takes Gospel To Higher Level (June 5, 2002)

The latest Billy Graham movie is literally taking the gospel to new heights. "The Climb" from World Wide Pictures (WWP), the movie arm of the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association, tells the story of two men's once-in-a-lifetime adventure to scale a killer peak in the Chilean Andes.

Airing nationwide on television this week, the film has the climbers take part in a harrowing mountain rescue in which they save the son of big-time Denver developer Mack Leonard, played by Dabney Coleman, the most recognizable actor in the action-adventure movie. Grateful for the rescue, the businessman offers to bankroll the men's fantasy climb, which leads to a spiritual journey for one of them.

The film embodies WWP's most recent marketing and movie-making trends, Religion News Service (RNS) reported. "The Climb" was shot for $2.5 million on a whirlwind 18-day schedule in the Wasatch Mountains of Utah in April 2001. "Variety" magazine called "The Climb" a "welcome relief from the hellfire-and-brimstone theatrics" of the recent "Omega Code" films.

WWP faced the challenge of packaging a distinctive Christian message in a film with popular appeal. Rev. Scott Young, director of a yearly Los Angeles film festival that brings together critics, industry professionals and theologians to discuss issues of faith in cinema, believes WWP has carved a niche by blending of evangelism and entertainment. "There is a role for intentional religious filmmaking, in this case, Christian," he said, RNS reported.

Reproduced with permission from Charisma News Service

Martial Arts Star Makes 'Faith-and-Family' Film (June 3rd, 2002)

Martial arts movie star Chuck Norris' next movie venture will be a faith-and-family affair. The former "Walker, Texas Ranger" star will star in "The Bells of Innocence" along with his son, Mike, and granddaughter, Gabby.
The movie - Norris' first feature in eight years - tells the story of three men on a missionary flight to Mexico, who make an emergency landing near an isolated town where they come into contact with an angel. "This is a good, faith-based screenplay," Norris said.

The actor's son, Mike, heads up Dallas-based Norris FilmWorks, which is producing the movie. "My goal is to slowly but surely make faith-based films more acceptable," he said. "The movie has been a leap of faith from day one. Our priority is to make a film that glorifies Jesus Christ."

While "The Bells of Innocence" will probably play in select theaters, the focus of promotion will be on the direct-to-video market when it is released later this year. Mike Norris, previously a director for "Walker, Texas Ranger," said he hoped to find "Christian investors who will step up to the plate" for future faith-based films.

Reproduced with permission from Charisma News Service