Reel faith

Christian Century, March 22, 2003 by John Dart

To those who think the cost of movie screening would be prohibitive, Fuller's Detweiler counters that prices are down significantly in recent years. "A projector for about $1,600 would give you good resolution and powerful images," he said.

For clergy wary of violating copy right laws United Methodist Communications (UMC) since September has processed annual licenses for $45 to $200 (priced according to church size) through Christian Video Licensing International. "We are quite pleased with the numbers--264 churches applied," said Leslie Alexander, director of UMC production. "We expect a big increase in April." That's because the office is ending the offer of group licenses, which regional conferences once bought to cover individual churches.

For pastors needing film synopses and insights into a movie's religious metaphors or moral themes, the variety of resources is growing in print and on the Internet. The competition is so heavy that the United Methodist Publishing House (www.cokesbury.com) has stopped writing "Reel to Real" lesson plans for high schoolers. "It became less cost effective," said Bob Shell, director of youth resources. But the publishing arm is joining with the communications branch, starting in April, on an "Igniting Worship" series of paperback books and DVD film clips, including videos about bread and grapes to accompany the serving of communion.

Fuller Seminary is writing study guides for new films, such as Nicholas Nickleby and Gods and Generals, at www.moviemission.com. The Web site, run by Hollywood publicist Jonathan Bock, also serves studios that feel certain releases have a potentially large religious audience. The Web site has links to film review sites, though missing from the list was www.spiritualityhealth.com which carries reviews by Frederic and Mary Ann Brussat, whose top picks for 2002 are in the March issue of The Lutheran and Spirituality and Health magazines.

No film guide is more impressive than the three-volume Lights, Camera

... Faith! A Movie Lectionary, published by the Boston-based Pauline Books & Media. Movie expert and Catholic priest Peter Malone of London and Sister Rose Pacatte, director of the Pauline Center in Culver City, California, are coauthoring the series, whose third book will be out in time for the next ecumenical lectionary period.

Two examples of the lectionary-movie connection: Billy Elliott, about a boy who is learning ballet dancing a whose dreams are nearly killed by economic pressures on his father, a man trying live up to his town's macho image, is the film for March 16. On that day the Bible readings include the story of Abraham's near-sacrifice of his son and the Transfiguration narrative in Mark. The Matrix, a 1999 movie about computer programming and virtual reality, stars Neo who is picked as the One (an anagram of Neo) by a remnant band of humans hoping to destroy the Matrix, a virtual reality universe in which humans are trapped, and restore the world. The film, which contains echoes of the Jesus story, is Malone and Pacatte's selection for Easter Sunday.