'Machine Gun Preacher' for Two Audiences

by Mark Moring

Coming to theaters next month, Machine Gun Preacher is a movie that will appeal to some Christians because of its subject matter. It will also turn off some Christians . . . because of its subject matter.

The movie, opening in limited release on September 23, is based on the true story of Sam Childers, a drug-dealing hell raiser as a teen and young man who began to turn his life around after finding Jesus. Today, he spends much of his time in Sudan and neighboring countries, allegedly fighting pockets of the LRA (Lord's Resistance Army) with his own band of gun-toting rebels while sweeping up orphans who have been left behind -- and then putting them into orphanages that he has built in the area.

Some Christians will love the film for showing Childers' path from rebellion to redemption. Others may avoid it for the same reason; the first 15-20 minutes are as in-your-face and gritty as anything you'll see in an R-rated movie (which it is), with a sex scene, drug dealing (and taking), brutal violence, and foul language. Even after Childers -- played terrifically by Gerard Butler -- finds God, he's still got some rough edges, and his flaws stick with him through the rest of the movie. Sounds pretty realistic to me, and I appreciate the filmmakers' boldness in showing those character flaws. But it's also a bit much for the "safe-for-the-whole-family" folks who prefer their "Christian" movies to be G-rated fare.

Relativity Media, which is distributing the Marc Forster-directed film, realizes this, but knows it's also got a film on its hands that can have terrific crossover appeal -- for Christians because of the redemptive arc of the tale, and for secular audiences who appreciate character development woven into what is in many ways an action movie, with Childers as its real-life action hero.

In an attempt to reach both audiences, Relativity has released mainstream and faith-based versions of the movie poster. They also plan to release "exclusive" clips for the faith-based market in a week or so. Stay tuned.

Here are the two posters -- "secular" on the left, "faith-based" on the right. Both include the phrase, "Hope is the greatest weapon of all." In the latter, the cross motif is evident, but seems forced, especially as it cuts off Butler's forehead. But there seems to be a clear focus on the children -- the main motivation for Childers' work -- in the background.

Finally, here's the trailer:

Tonight on TV! Pint-Sized Preachers!

by Mark Moring

They preach, the heal the sick, and they swagger from the pulpit. But these aren't your average preachers, they are children dubbed pint-sized preachers. The viral internet phenomenon is transitioning to TV in a new documentary.

On Wednesday at 10 p.m. ET, the National Geographic Channel will air “Pint-Sized Preachers,” a documentary looking inside the controversial world of child evangelists and the families who watch over them.

The hourlong documentary tells the stories of three young boys who have gained notoriety for their explosive sermons and, in one case, a self-proclaimed power to heal the sick with a single touch.

Will the documentary have the same cringe-inducing effect on viewers as, say, TLC’s “Toddlers and Tiaras”?

After watching this preview, I don't know whether I'm fascinated or totally turned off:

Gay Musicians Struggle to Find Audience

by Mark Moring

More than a year after announcing that she is gay, Jennifer Knapp tells NPR that she was "very hesitant" about coming out in the first place.

"Knowing that I was going to have to publicly deal with my sexuality — it really made me consider how much I wanted to participate in music," Knapp says of her decision to suddenly stop making Christian music in 2002. But after a seven-year hiatus, she returned, not as a CCM artist, but as a secular folk-rocker who still identified herself as a Christian. She told NPR she was "very hesitant to get back up into the public level, knowing that there would be discussion about my sexuality on the whole."

Other Christian musicians who have come out also shared their stories with NPR. Read the full story here, or listen here.

An Unexpected Tale of a Priest

by Mark Moring

There are all sorts of directions one might take a screenplay about abusive Catholic priests, but writer-director Nathan Scoggins takes his story along unexpected paths in The Least of These, a drama/mystery releasing to DVD today.

Made four years ago, the just-now-to-video release stars Isaiah Washington (Grey’s Anatomy) as Father James, an African-American priest who steps into a new role as a teacher at a Catholic boys’ school—but he’s got some emotional baggage. Figuring out just what that baggage entails is part of the mystery—and it’s not as cut-and-dried as you might think. Meanwhile, Father James’ predecessor at the school has gone missing . . . and watching that mystery unfold is another compelling element.

The school’s head priest (played by former Oscar nominee Robert Loggia) welcomes Father James, a former student, into the fold, but another priest (Bob Gunton) is suspicious of the newcomer. And yes, the film’s title plays a vital role in how events ultimately unfold in the end.

It all adds up to a “Christian movie” that rises above cliché, predictability, and agenda. There are no in-your-face sermons here, just realistic men trying to live their lives according to the cards they’ve been dealt. They all sin and make errors in judgment, some more serious than others. But grace and forgiveness also have their place in the story. It's worth a watch.

Here’s the film’s official website, here’s where to buy it, and here’s the trailer: