On Wednesday, Movieguide held its 17th Annual Faith & Values Awards ceremony. Among the winners was “Fireproof,” which received a $100,000 Epiphany Prize for the Most Inspiring Movie of 2008, sponsored by the John Templeton Foundation. Even more valuable was the information we released in our Report to the Entertainment Industry, a detailed survey of what kinds of movies made money last year, and why.
Our organization was founded in part to help families who want to find movies and TV shows that stay within the perimeters of biblical principles. We also seek to encourage the production of such works. The entertainment industry can be resistant to our prodding, but this year it may want to listen. With media conglomerates, from Time Warner to Disney to News Corp., reporting big losses, few can afford to ignore proven recipes for box-office success. And when it comes to movies, what succeeds is capitalism, patriotism, faith and values.
We know this because each year www.Movieguide.org examines more than 250 major films from Hollywood studios and independents for their social, political, philosophical, moral and religious content. When all the information — categorized by dozens of criteria — is in a database, we calculate which movies took in the most money at the theatrical box office in America and Canada in 2008.
Once again, family-friendly, uplifting and inspiring movies drew far more viewers in 2008 than films with themes of despair, or leftist political agendas. Sex, drugs and antireligious themes were not automatic sellers, either. Among the 25 top-grossing movies alone, 14 out of 25 had strong or very strong Christian, redemptive and moral content, and nearly all had at least some such content.
