The estimated box office for the weekend puts “Courageous” at $8.8MM and slots it as the 13th best Christian film of all time. By next week it will be in the top ten, surpassing the Kendrick brother’s first popular film “Facing the Giants.” But, success isn’t the only thing Alex and Stephen are facing. The weekend saw the first critics slamming the film for not using the proven and standard story structure that has given rise to thousands of box office successes.

Instead of following those standard rules, Alex and Stephen focused on taking the audience on an emotional journey that leads them to face a decision of whether or not they are willing to be courageous in their own homes. The Inception type ending leaves the audience with plenty to discuss and a decision of what they might choose for their life.

The universal question that seems to permeate the plot line is, “Are you willing to lay down you life for your family.” Rather than resolving it in a clean manner by the end of the story, the audience is taken on an emotional journey to see numerous demonstrations of what that resolve might look like based on the lives of the ensemble cast. By the end of the film, a new question is asked, “Are you willing to make that same resolve in your life?”

It wouldn’t surprise me if the emotionally charged ending of the film drives men in some theaters to physically stand in accepting that same resolve. It certainly sparked conversations within families who attended and charged men to do what is deep within their hearts to do.

By the end of the weekend, I had bumped into several men who saw it. They felt the emotional pulse of the film was too strong and they would not watch it a second time, but pointed out that they would consider the resolve in their own life. Others hearing about the high emotions within the film, chose to avoid it because they didn’t know how to deal with such an onslaught of emotions.

The intensity of the film at one point, did get where I too felt uncomfortable and hoped for some comic relief, and relief is what I got. The humor in the film generated several belly laughs, making me wonder if Alex and Stephen might some day consider making a hilarious comedy, bringing joy into our lives during these difficult days with a message of hope. They certainly have the aptitude for good clean humor.

The intensity of the film did cause many to wipe their eyes once or twice. And, it made even good fathers consider whether they should step up to become great fathers. The new format, which seemed to be similar to a sermon, worked well for the story and seemed perfectly at home focused on it’s primary market – The church.

In my mind, “Courageous” surpasses Alex and Stephen’s previous films because they got back to the core of what they do best, preach to the church. Rather than watering down their message to make it more universal, they focused on the church, knowing that there would be some people on the fringes that see it. This focus on turning what is on their heart into a work of art makes “Courageous” more emotionally charged than any of their previous films and worth seeing.

A recent study from the Annenberg School of Communication and Journalism at the University of Southern California was released, covering the top 100 grossing films of 2008. It pointed out simple things like guys having 67% of the lead roles (Women 33%). The study further noted that 26% of the female roles were dressed provocatively, compared to only 5% of the male roles.

Partial nudity for women was at 24% and men 8%. The shocking news was the sexualization of teen girls, who were more likely to wear provocative clothing than other women ages 21 to 39. But what was more interesting was the number of companies taking cues from Hollywood and altering their clothing lines for little girls to look more sensual.

According to the Parents Television Council, 29% of the new children’s clothing lines have both sexualizing and childlike features. One manufacture is now designing dresses to create the look of breasts. Another designs its pants pockets to make the buttocks look more appealing. Skechers has a “Shape Up” brand of shoes that “helps women (teen girls) shape up their rears.”

What is difficult to understand is why women continue to purchase tickets or videos for movies that objectify women. Since the majority (about 90%) of DVD purchases are made by women, they could revolutionize the market by purchasing only programs that treat women with dignity. They could let their buying power change the way Hollywood produces films.

And what about Hollywood? They have a responsibility to protect our kids, yet they continue to push the envelope and hook them on sensuality, which sells. At a recent MTV Movie Awards show on June 5th, the f-word went un-bleeped, even though the producers knew the bulk of their audience were minors. The scene I’m referencing introduced the two female presenters. It started with a clip of them playing a mother and daughter kissing sensually. The presenters opened their talk with comments from the show about “f***ing” each other.

It’s time for a producer of wholesome and moral programs to come out with a great film starring a strong female lead that keeps things in perspective and doesn’t make women appear to be lower than men. And, when the film comes out, I hope that women buy it in droves to prove to Hollywood that women are more than sex objects that make adventurous guys look good. Let’s get the next top 100 films to clearly depict a healthy perspective of women.

Copyright © 2011 By CJ Powers
Photo © fergregory – Fotolia.com

This morning I’m shooting an international commercial spot for Capgemini, but rather than directing, I’m actually in the spot. Over the past dozen years my life took me away from production long enough to learn about the Fortune 100 world and how to manage big business. I’m currently responsible for a $200MM spend at Kraft Foods Global with the focus on Sales Services.

The position was a natural fit since I entered the Fortune 100 world in sales. In the tech industry, I quickly learned how to develop relationships and build the partnerships needed to sell and close over $2B in large network and technical manufacturing deals. Not only did I learn about sales, but my travels took me to 25 countries where I had the opportunity to live among the locals and learn about their culture first hand.

While these experiences might sound like incredible business opportunities, I found it more useful in my maturing process – Realizing how insignificant I was compared to everything else going on in the world. It gave me a unique perspective about life and balance that I may not have gained from typical self-help sources.

So, today I’m being filmed as the expert in International Sales Services. While my experience fits that bill, I find myself more focused on the shooting process. Im curious about what techniques and style the international director will use to capture the moment. I’m wondering if I can keep focused on my topic and leave the filmmaking to others. I’m wondering if I will come across as the expert, or if my creativity will well up due to the shooting process that I dearly love and appreciate.

They say the worst patients are doctors and I can’t help but wonder if I’ll be like a “doctor” of the film world. Hopefully I’ll keep my business hat on and leave the shooting to the experts. Although, having won several international awards for directing, I can’t help but wonder what caliber of director will be producing the spot. Hmm, there I go again. I better focus on sales and leave the creativity to others.