Why Faith-Based ‘True Story’ Movies Are So Often Untrue

[Michie]

Religion Unplugged believes in a diversity of well-reasoned and well-researched opinions. This piece reflects the views of the author and does not necessarily represent those of Religion Unplugged, its staff and contributors.

The film “Flamin' Hot” recalls the story of Richard Montañez and the birth of the spicy snack. (Photo courtesy of Searchlight Pictures)

(OPINION) If Christians actually believe our beliefs are true, why do so many of the “true stories” we tell in our movies stretch the truth beyond the breaking point?
This has been a big year, not only for faith-based movies but specifically for faith-based films based on true stories. Whether it’s “Jesus Revolution,” “Sound of Freedom,” “Flamin’ Hot,” “Big George Foreman,” “On A Wing and A Prayer,” “The Hill,” or the upcoming “Ordinary Angels,” the vast majority of offerings from the faith-based film industry in 2023 has fallen under the “based on a true story” category. (And that’s not including Bible stories like “His Only Son” and “Journey To Bethlehem,” which Christians, myself included, believe to be true stories as well).

This is not an accident. Christian audiences have long rewarded “based on a true story” movies, from “I Can Only Imagine” to “Breakthrough,” “I Still Believe,” “Miracles From Heaven,” “American Underdog,” “Heaven Is For Real,” “Unplanned” and “Lifemark.”

Continued below.

Why Faith-Based ‘True Story’ Movies Are So Often Untrue

(OPINION) The uncomfortable problem is that so many faith-based “true story films” turn out to be either totally made up or highly deceptive. For Christians, however, this poses some problems. The Bible is explicitly against lying and repeatedly warns against being deceived.

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[Bob Crowley]

This is a bit like Christian faith in general - "I am the God who heals" and parishioner X died last week from cancer despite the fact a number of people were praying for him or her.

We say "God is love" and a tidal wave kills 227,898 people overnight with humans left to deal with identifying and burying the bloated rotting corpses, if they're even found. And that was on the day after Christmas.

Someone says God saved them from boarding a plane which later crashed. Fine, but the rest of the people who actually got on the plane all perished, and the chances are that some of them were also Christians.

I believe the Catholic Church is "Closest" to the truth, and the reason I believe this is because my old Presbyterian pastor who predicted I'd become Catholic turned up one night in a vision and said so, with a distinct emphasis on the word "Closest". But the same time he predicted I'd become Catholic, he said he though that sometime after I crossed the Tiber, there'd be complaints about child abuse in the Catholic Church, and "I think there's going to be a LOT of them" (with an emphasis on the word "lot"). I don't think I need to say if he was accurate or not.

There's a constant tension between what we believe, the hope we aspire to and the reality of the world the way it actuall is.

I'm not a fan of "Christian" films in general - they're a bit too saccharine for me. My personal experience of God hasn't been one of a senile benevolent Grandfather.

To quote my old pastor again "God the Father can be pretty tough". On another occasion we were discussing the business of "God is love".

He replied "Sometimes I wonder if its true. He seems to write people off pretty easily".

 

[Bob Crowley]

PS - In view of my post above I thought I'd better admit that we're seeing "Sound of Freedom" tonight. It was my wife's birthday last week, and she wanted to see a movie. This is what she chose.

At least I suppose I'll have some idea of how realistic it is.

 

[fide]

This is a bit like Christian faith in general - "I am the God who heals" and parishioner X died last week from cancer despite the fact a number of people were praying for him or her.

We say "God is love" and a tidal wave kills 227,898 people overnight with humans left to deal with identifying and burying the bloated rotting corpses, if they're even found. And that was on the day after Christmas.

Someone says God saved them from boarding a plane which later crashed. Fine, but the rest of the people who actually got on the plane all perished, and the chances are that some of them were also Christians.

I believe the Catholic Church is "Closest" to the truth, and the reason I believe this is because my old Presbyterian pastor who predicted I'd become Catholic turned up one night in a vision and said so, with a distinct emphasis on the word "Closest". But the same time he predicted I'd become Catholic, he said he though that sometime after I crossed the Tiber, there'd be complaints about child abuse in the Catholic Church, and "I think there's going to be a LOT of them" (with an emphasis on the word "lot"). I don't think I need to say if he was accurate or not.

There's a constant tension between what we believe, the hope we aspire to and the reality of the world the way it actuall is.

I'm not a fan of "Christian" films in general - they're a bit too saccharine for me. My personal experience of God hasn't been one of a senile benevolent Grandfather.

To quote my old pastor again "God the Father can be pretty tough". On another occasion we were discussing the business of "God is love".

He replied "Sometimes I wonder if its true. He seems to write people off pretty easily".

The only way that life on this earth, in this natural creation, in the brief span of years we are here, can make any sense is to see it from the perspective of the One not on, in or from this earth: the supernatural Creator who is eternal - timeless. There is a point to our frequent bewilderment: our frustration with this world is to lead to a serious search for more. And that "more" is found in Him. His ways are not our ways. His ways are just, loving, good.

 

[Bob Crowley]

PS - In view of my post above I thought I'd better admit that we're seeing "Sound of Freedom" tonight. It was my wife's birthday last week, and she wanted to see a movie. This is what she chose.

At least I suppose I'll have some idea of how realistic it is.

Well we saw the movie "Sound of Freedom". It certainly wasn't saccharine or light entertainment.

It was based on child sex slave rescues by Tim Ballard (whom I'd never heard of till tonight).

Tim Ballard - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

The message at the end had something to say to me in that story tellers can make a lot of difference. I remember an indigenous (Aboriginal Ausralian) activist saying much the same thing years ago. I don't remember who he was, but he appeared in a movie and he said he made more ground doing that than he ever did as a political activist.