HOW'S "COURAGEOUS" DOING AT THE BOX OFFICE?

As you no doubt know, a little Christian-based film opened this weekend at #4 in the nation, and as the top new film, sharing the thin air with DOLPHIN TALE, MONEYBALL, and THE LION KING.

A few highlights:

1) Ranking. COURAGEOUS was the #4 movie in the country, though it opened against six other movies with almost three times as many screens. It was the #1 new movie of the weekend!

2) Audience. More than 1 million people saw COURAGEOUS this weekend.

3) Box office. Total box-office was $9 million, $2.2 million more than FIREPROOF on opening weekend.

4) Per-screen. Per-screen, COURAGEOUS averaged $7752, almost doubling everyone else.
5) CinemaScore. COURAGEOUS received a rare A+ CinemaScore, a signal to expect strong word-of-mouth in coming weeks.

6) Mainstream press response. Most general entertainment press and reporting outlets were surprised by COURAGEOUS. A couple of early excerpts before the actuals were in:

Variety
"Time and again, the pic effectively emphasizes how the deputies are reminded on a daily basis what eventually can happen to at-risk children who don't have fathers involved in their lives. Little wonder, then, that they're moved to ask God's help to hone their own paternal skills."

Box Office Mojo
"Sherwood Pictures' COURAGEOUS scored $8.8 million from just 1,161 theaters for a strong per-theater average of $7,580. . . The opening ranks fifth all-time for a Christian movie, and only trails THE PASSION OF THE CHRIST and the three NARNIA movies." . . . "Made outside of Hollywood without any major stars, COURAGEOUS managed to fly under most radars (including my own) until very recently. It's unfair to ignore the vast majority of church-going Americans for whom typical Hollywood fare isn't of great interest, though, and Sherwood Pictures has impressively found a way to mobilize this subset of the population."

Time
(Best Title Award): Surprise! Dolphins and Jesus Beat Cancer and Dead Kids!“Like the Christian-themed SOUL SURFER, the Kendrick's holy-cop film (with a $1-million budget) was pitched to the faithful, who came out fervently this weekend and gave it an A-plus CinemaScore. Opening in just 1,161 theaters, COURAGEOUS had the top per-screen average of any movie in the top 25. Even an agnostic would call that heavenly.”

7) Other indicators. Sales of books and resources supporting film's message—The Resolution books and others—reflect the movie’s spreading influence. Kerusso, maker of t-shirts, reports five times as many COURAGEOUS t-shirts sold as for FIREPROOF. Meanwhile, Facebook fans count on the COURAGEOUS fan page has leapt in a few days from 224,000 to 247,000.

Sherwood Church and its national field of supporters have long prayed for God to do “exceedingly, abundantly more than we could ever ask or imagine,” and He’s doing it.

Learn more:
CourageoustheMovie.com

Join COURAGEOUS on Facebook:
Facebook.com/CourageoustheMovie

Follow COURAGEOUS on Twitter:
Twitter.com/#!/CourageousMovie

Press material:
CourageoustheMovie.com/pressroom

MOVIES: "COURAGEOUS" (SHORT REVIEW)

You can search for my longer review AND review of the screening on my blog!


“Courageous” is the much-anticipated movie on fatherhood by the same people who gave us “Fireproof.” (“Fireproof” is the story of a fireman whose marriage is on the rocks, in part due to his internet porn use, and what happens from there. It was the #1 independent film of 2008. With its tie-in printed resource components like “The Love Dare Book,” the film impacted thousands of real life marriages.) “Courageous” was well worth the wait, and will doubtless do the same to strengthen fathers in their oh-so-vital vocation.

“Sherwood Pictures” (a ministry of Sherwood Baptist Church in Albany, Georgia) is behind these two great films. They are two of the most “Theology of the Body” films out there, and I’m sure Blessed John Paul II the Great is smiling on them from glory.
“Courageous” is about four policemen, their families, and what being a father means.

“Honor begins at home” is the film’s short, sweet and apt tagline. Cops are about serving, protecting, honoring, right? Guys are about serving, protecting, honoring, right? And there’s lots of wonderful and needed ways they do that outside the home, often for the sake of home, but there’s no place like home to do it. So many things pull men away from home: work, demanding work, overtime work, wars, travel, hobbies, volunteer/charitable work, even church work. So many men are tempted to measure their worth and success by the external benchmarks, accolades, promotions and achievements outside the home, but, really? A man’s home is his castle. Everyone’s first vocation is to love their families. Our greatest bragging rights should always be about our particular vocation to love, our particular way of loving (married, single, priesthood, religious life). When people ask us what we “do,” we should talk about our vocations, our families first, what we “are,” before what we “do.”

The stories, struggles, tragedies and joys in “Courageous” ring true, and the acting is superb. Sherwood Pictures also has a way with tense action scenes. There’s just enough about and for women in “Courageous” as well. Young single men leaving screenings of “Courageous” have written on their surveys that they never really thought seriously about fatherhood before, but now they are looking forward to being good fathers! Sherwood Pictures doesn’t call their films “message” films (a Hollywood no-no) but “take action” films. Hear, hear!

“Courageous” asks the question: “How do we do fatherhood? Who are our role models for it?” Here’s another possible tagline for “Courageous”: “Think fathers are important? So does ‘Courageous.’”

MOVIES: "COURAGEOUS" (OPENS SEPTEMBER 30)

2011 is the “Year of the God Film”: “Soul Surfer,” “Tree of Life,” and now “Courageous.”

“Courageous” is the much-anticipated movie on fatherhood by the same people who gave us “Fireproof.” (“Fireproof” is the story of a fireman whose marriage is on the rocks, in part due to his internet porn use, and what happens from there. It was the #1 independent film of 2008. With its tie-in printed resource components like “The Love Dare Book,” the film impacted thousands of real-life marriages.) “Courageous” was well worth the wait, and will doubtless do the same to strengthen fathers in their oh-so-vital vocation.

“Sherwood Pictures” (a ministry of Sherwood Baptist Church in Albany, Georgia) is behind these two great films. They are THE most “Theology of the Body” films out there, and I’m sure Blessed John Paul II the Great is smiling on them from glory.

“Courageous” is about four policemen, their families, and what being a father means. “Honor begins at home” is the film’s short, sweet and apt tagline. Cops are about serving, protecting, honoring, right? Guys are about serving, protecting, honoring, right? And there’s lots of wonderful and needed ways they do that outside the home, often for the sake of home, but there’s no place like home to do it. So many things pull men away from home: work, demanding work, overtime work, wars, travel, hobbies, volunteer/charitable work, even church work. So many men are tempted to measure their worth and success by the external benchmarks, accolades, promotions and achievements outside the home, but, really? A man’s home is his castle. Everyone’s first vocation is to love their families. Our greatest bragging rights should always be about our particular vocation to love, our particular way of loving (married, single, priesthood, religious life). When people ask us what we “do,” we should talk about our vocations, our families first, the people in our lives, what we “are,” before what we “do.”

The stories, struggles, tragedies and joys in “Courageous” ring true, and the acting is superb. Sherwood Pictures also has a way with tense action scenes. There’s just enough about and for women in “Courageous” as well. Young single men leaving screenings of “Courageous” have written on their surveys that they never really thought seriously about fatherhood before, but now they are looking forward to being good fathers! Sherwood Pictures doesn’t call their films “message” films (a Hollywood no-no) but “take action” films. Hear, hear!

“Courageous” asks the question: “How DO we do fatherhood? Who are our role models for it?” Here’s another possible tagline for “Courageous”: “Think fathers are important? So does ‘Courageous.’”

OTHER STUFF:

--There’s a slow-mo scene where a beautiful little girl is saved from harm’s way by the cops (the word “princess” comes to mind), and it seems like a random thing, but the more you gaze, the more you wordlessly realize: it’s all about us women, it’s all for us women, it’s all for the bride.
I’m not a fan of constant close-ups, but it seems to be the trend in movies these days. There’s a lot of close-ups, especially in the beginning.

--I think the hard thing for men AND women is not to lead a double life. As I watched the lives of these fictitious characters trying to be righteous, I thought: Yes—most of us want to be good, want to be good people, live good lives…BUT we also dissemble. We also want “something on the side.” I had a teenage boy in a youth group (where I was teaching 'em Theology of the Body) tell me only half-jokingly that he wanted to get married, but have “something on the side,” too. I asked him if he wanted to be a hero or a tool all his life. And there’s the rub. Our sins of whatever kind are ALWAYS a double-life, and sometimes we have a very developed double life. It’s so hard not to lead a double life. And then I got to hang out with "Courageous" actor, Ken Bevel—(I don’t mean to namedrop here)—who, I’ll bet, really walks the talk, and really is the strong, peace-filled, humble, Spirit-filled man of God he seems to be.

--The Latino couple who were introduced as sort-of main characters a bit later in the film detracted from the film for me. As soon as I “met” them, I didn’t buy anything about their lives. (And these were professional actors, as opposed to the many non-actors in the film! Their home set-up is very hokey: a cinematic light shines on a cross on the wall. A little blackboard in the kitchen says: “Jesus Loves You.” Nothing feels authentic. Even their accents sounded fake.) I know they were primarily supposed to be the comic relief, but it was rather corny (except for a few truly hilarious scenes where Javier, the husband, is interacting with his cop friends). There is one whole utterly-predictable sequence with the Latino couple toward the end of the film that really needed to be cut right out since he was really a minor character. Almost the exact same plot point was repeated back-to-back with it, involving one of the four policemen we are really invested in. Removing this scene would have really shored up the movie.

--One of the most important scenes in the film is when the policeman/father played by Ken Bevel (my new best Hollywood-South friend) takes his teen daughter out to a swanky restaurant almost as a passage into womanhood. Ken told me that he felt so much spiritual warfare during this scene and he kept on messing up his lines. What he tells her is what every daughter, every young woman needs to hear from her father.

--LADIES! Listen up! “Courageous” is NOT a date movie. Do NOT bring your husband/boyfriend and tell them: “This is what you’re supposed to be!” Uh-uh. Men need to go to this together. They’ll know what to do.

--The gang-actors are fabulous. The point is: gang-father fills in when there’s no father. Gang=family.

--GREAT LINES: Dad to teen daughter: “Any time a boy asks you to go anywhere , it’s a date.”

--“Courageous” is WELL-LIT. Sr. Helena LIKES WELL-LIT SETS. They are hard to find these days.

--Best relationship portrayal: Cop-father and his teenage son. (This is when I cried.)

--Best actor: Ken Bevel. I know him.

--MORE GREAT LINES: “I have to learn to do the hard things [in fathering].” “There is so much in Scripture about being a father.”

--DAUGHTERS NEED DADS, TOO! Thank you, “Courageous”!!!!

--I remember when I was growing up in the 19___’s, and my friend’s mother (a very intelligent woman) shocked me by saying emphatically—as she was watching some soap opera awards on her kitchen TV—“These actors show us how to solve our problems!” So why CAN’T we have some positive Christian films that show us how it’s done? If families aren’t staying together and working things out, why not use art and entertainment to show us how to do it? And millions of people DO live the way portrayed in "Courageous." “Courageous” is no less real than all the hopeless family stories we see constantly. But there is a huge segment of the “tragically hip” youth population who simply will not give films like “Courageous” a chance. It has to be younger, cooler, edgier, harder, or they will not even give it a look-see. Perhaps there is some deep dark truth to their cynicism. Perhaps we don’t know how much they have already suffered in their families in their young lives. Even though there is plenty of familial suffering in “Courageous,” it may not be of their harsher garden variety. And so it will be up to a younger generation of filmmakers to make “their” films. It’s kind of sad, though, to only be open to what one already knows.

WHEN MY FRIENDS AND ME WERE YOUNG (Yessss! I have finally reached old fartdom!) we were open to absolutely everything—old, boring, fresh, shabbily-presented, historical, new, whatever: we didn’t want to feel like we were missing out on ANYTHING, we wanted to know something about everything, we wanted to know everything our parents knew and then some. We prided ourselves on the breadth and depth of our interests. But perhaps there was much, much, much less to process—certainly less pop culture/media artifacts (good grief—3 TV channels, no internet), and perhaps we had more hope or a different kind of hope. It’s time for another generation to find their way. But “Courageous” could help. It really could.

--Yeah, it’s a little slow and Southern like “Fireproof.” So what?

--“As the family goes, so goes society.” –BJP2G

--“If you really want to understand all of reality, understand the rejection of the Fatherhood of God in the Garden of Eden.” –BJP2G

--The “Resolution” ritual: “Every girl crazy ‘bout a sharp-dressed man.”

--These words blew my mind in the father's "Resolution" ritual: “I will lay down my life, as Jesus did for me.” Usually, in TOB, we say, the husband lays down his life as Jesus laid down His life for His Bride, the Church. But it really starts with and includes what Jesus did for the husband (who is also the Bride, the Church), doesn’t it?

--Since “Courageous” is not Catholic, I did feel the lack of the Mass, sacraments and Catholic prayer-forms to keep the men strong in their “Resolution.” But hey, adapt it to yo’self if you is Catholic!

--“Prisons are full of men and women who were fatherless children. Single mothers are doing a great job, but they were never intended to carry the weight alone.”

--“Courageous” is not a tearjerker, but you WILL cry unless you’re a stone. That goes for you, too, guys—think “Toy Story 3.” We know you cried.

--Men leave “Courageous” convicted.

--Courageous was screened at NASCAR races.

--Ken (Bevel, that is) and I came to great agreement that MOVIEMAKING is one of the most important ministries in the Church today. It’s a VISUAL STORYTELLING WORLD.

--“Courageous”: Something to say and sayin’ it well.

For a "review" of my screening experience (when I met actor, Ken Bevel):

http://hellburns.blogspot.com/2011/05/movies-courageous-part-1.html

MOVIES: "COURAGEOUS" PART 1

I was so moved by this film that I need to “blog about it.” I normally just write a review, but “Courageous” calls for a “blogging about.” (This trailer is a solid representation of the film, but there’s lots more great stuff, too.)

I’ve been asked to be a bit vague about story details since “Courageous” opens on faraway September 30. However, tickets go on sale Father’s Day(!) What gives? Marketing genius, that’s what! The plan is to sell out all the pre-programmed theaters by September 30: www.courageousthemovie.com

Want to bring “Courageous” to your city? Just pre-purchase 1,000 tickets, and you’ve got it.

“Courageous” was done by the same folks who put out “Fireproof” (the story of a fireman whose marriage is on the rocks—his fault, partially because of internet porn—and what happens next). “Courageous is about four policemen, their families, and what being a father means. All us “Fireproof” groupies have been eagerly awaiting “Courageous.” “Fireproof” and “Courageous” are two of the most “Theology of the Body” movies out there. They are from the “moviemaking ministry” of Sherwood Church www.SherwoodBaptist.net (motto: “We can change the world from Albany, GA”). The “moviemaking ministry” is very humbly listed under “Ministries” as “Sherwood Pictures.”

PRE-SCREENING

Hmmm. Where to start. I am not at a loss for words about “Courageous.” I took 17 pages of notes during the screening. A record! In my case, the more notes, the better the movie. So, I need to also blog about the experience of the screening, cuz as soon as I walked in the theater, I recognized one of the stars from “Fireproof”: Ken Bevel. I shook his hand and summarily gushed over “Fireproof.”

When I got to our theater within the cineplex (the huge “Ultra Screen” theater—hey, Sony is releasing this puppy), whom did I end up sitting behind? Ken Bevel (also newly-ordained minister) and his lovely wife. So naturally, I began interviewing him. Ken--who also stars in “Courageous”--had no prior acting experience before “Fireproof,” and he’s really one of the best of the cast. He just retired from the U.S. Marine Corps, but is still in good enough shape to do his own stunts. And stunts there are. Sherwood Pictures has a way with action scenes. They’re just really good at them.

ME: “So, these films are a ministry of your church?”
KEN: “Yes, we use mostly non-actors, members of the church. The stories are written and directed by the Kendrick brothers.”
ME: “Incredible.” (I then proceeded to tell him about BJP2G’s “Theology of the Body,” and how this teaching emphasizes from Ephesians that marriage is a reflection of Christ and the Church: Christ the Bridegroom, laying down His life for His Bride, the Church. Ken nodded vigorously. I told him how Catholics into “Theology of the Body” really appreciated “Fireproof.”)

[As an aside for fans of “Fireproof,” I asked Ken if people always mention salt and pepper shakers when they see him. He laughed and said he has a whole collection of them now.]

THE INTRODUCTION

As the film promoters gave a verbal introduction in the theater, they explained some of the resources and components that will tie in with the movie (as “Fireproof” had). These tie-ins are very cool because they actually APPEAR in the movie itself in some form, and you’re thinking: WE NEED THAT!!! I WANT THAT!!! WHERE DO WE GET THAT???

Sherwood Pictures are not “message movies.” (Lordy, Lordy, spare us the “message film.” As the old Hollywood adage goes: “Wanna send a message? Call Western Union.”) Sherwood Pictures are “take action” movies. NEW GENRE ALERT! As the promoters told us: “We want to make our movies a movement,” or rather, the audience will do that. ROCK ON, NEW GENRE INVENTORS!

The tagline of “Courageous” is also tres, tres cool and very TOB: “Honor begins at home.” Short. Sweet. Brilliant. Cops are about serving, protecting, honoring, right? Guys are about serving, protecting, honoring, right? And there’s lots of wonderful and needed ways they do that outside the home, often for the sake of home, BUT there’s no place LIKE home to do it. “Honor begins at home.” So many things pull men AWAY from home: work, demanding work, overtime work, wars, travel, hobbies, volunteer/charitable work, even church work. So many men are tempted to measure their worth and success by the external benchmarks, accolades, promotions and achievements OUTSIDE the home, but, really? A man’s home IS his castle. Everyone’s first vocation is to love their families. “In the evening of life we will be judged on love” (St. John of the Cross). Our greatest bragging rights should always be about our particular vocation to love/our way of loving (married, single, priesthood, religious life). When people ask us what we “do,” we should talk about our vocations, our families first, what we “are,” before what we “do.” “Honor begins at home.”

I think so many men might be afraid of getting too “domesticated” at home, or if there are problems at home, it’s easier to avoid home. Men working away from the home came with the Industrial Revolution. Before there were factories and skyscrapers and cars, men worked where they lived: on farms, in shops, etc. (Think Joseph of Nazareth at his carpenter’s shop, which was probably attached to his house.) Women need to be aware that men need time alone, with buddies, out in nature, whatever, but home is where the heart is, and where the real test of manhood is: being a husband and father. Men sometimes think they have to be "doing" something or "fixing" something all the time, but what women and children desperately need more than anything is simply the PRESENCE of their men--husbands and fathers. Of course, if men don't feel appreciated, they're not going to want to be "present," so it's a two-way street, of course.

“Courageous” asks the question: “How DO we do fatherhood? Who are our role models for it?”

I thought of another tagline for “Courageous”: “Think fathers are important? So does ‘Courageous.’” But of course I’d be wading into the “message movie” swamp with that.

THE SCREENING

After we get to know and care about the main characters, the movie begins with two awesome action/chase scenes. I don’t know how true-to-life all the cop stuff is, but it certainly is true-to-all-the-other-cop-movies-I’ve-ever-seen. The family life stuff is also true-to-life, often painfully so. There’s a few prolonged belly laughs in the movie (from good character/scene set-ups). There is clever, organic, hidden exposition.

So what about these non-actors? Um, you can’t really tell they’re not actors. Or rather, they’re natural-born actors without formal training. I tried to guess later (with my new best friend, Ken Bevel) which ones were professional actors. Got ‘em wrong. The child actors—as are so many kids today—are phenomenal. Most of them—you guessed it—non-actors from the church.

Ken Bevel is my favorite actor of the bunch (and not just because we’re peeps now). You’ll see what I mean. The dude speaks with such conviction, and perhaps his military training has given him this fixed, penetrating look, that you will hang on every word he says. (Ken shared with the audience that some of his character’s back story is also kind of autobiographical.)

Alex Kendrick (director, writer, actor) is not only believable, but you can tell he’s a very funny guy. One of the film’s promoters said, yeah, he’s so funny that he has trouble focusing when he's on the set.

For those who might turn their noses up at this prospect of non-actors, may I remind you of the post-war Italian film school of Neo-Realism, where non-actors were used to produce some amazingly poignant and enduring films. (See: “The Bicycle Thief.”) I rest my case.

Casting is done with much prayer. They’re not only looking for the best one to fill the part, but will these actors be good spokespeople for the film? Will they be able to handle the fame? Whoa, talk about “neo-realism,” a new way of doing things, and the proper spiritual care and feeding of actors!
And for those who turn their noses up at this way of proceeding:
CARDINAL WOLSEY: “You’d like to govern the country with prayer, wouldn’t you, More?”
THOMAS MORE: “Yes, I would.”
CARDINAL WOLSEY: “And I’d like to be there when you try. You should have been a cleric, More.”
THOMAS MORE: “Like yourself, Your Grace?”
--Robert Bolt, “Man for All Seasons”

Is “Courageous” a religious film? Yup. How does its “religiousness” compare to, say, “Soul Surfer”? Way more religious, although not all the characters in “Courageous” are believers. Each character’s life-situation is extremely current-day. There’s just a lot of honesty about life in “Courageous,” and no easy answers to tragedy. My favorite line is: “God never promised us explanations [to life’s individual events].” Don’t like “religious” films? Go with an open mind and surprise yourself.

THE CRITIC SQUEAKS

Do I have criticisms of “Courageous”? Yes—but I’ll wait till when I release my “official” review, because they will give a little more away, and the criticisms are minor.


THE AFTER-SCREENING

It’s a good succession of films: First—MARRIAGE (“Fireproof”), Second—FATHERHOOD (“Courageous”). So I was chatting with Ken (oh, did I mention I know one of the stars?) again after the film, and I said: “We need a film like this for women.” I had even mentioned this to some of the lady movers and shakers present, and they all kind of slid into the same thing: If men get their act together, if good men lead, women will follow. Women will know what to do. Women already do know what to do, but they have been thwarted by men not leading, or bad men leading. By "women following," I don't mean "submissive," but rather "following on" men's lead--women leading in their own way, women's using their "feminine genius" and gifts BECAUSE of the leadership of good men. 1 Corinthians 11:11 We are interdependent on each other! "Submit to one another out of reverence for Christ." Ephesians 5:21