Filmmakers Jon and Andrew Erwin launch a Christian ‘revolution’ in Hollywood

Recently I saw part of a movie trailer that I wish I hadn’t seen.

As an avid though pretty selective moviegoer, I watch a lot of movie trailers. Therefore, many movie ads nudge their way into my social media feeds and start auto-playing, which is how I glimpsed a few seconds of the preview I wish I could unsee.

‘Jesus Revolution’ raised the bar for Christian movies, employing top-notch talent to tell a truly touching story about authentic Christian faith.

I’ll spare you the gory details, but suffice it to say it was the kind of disgusting, depraved stuff that is entirely common in modern moviemaking. It was the latest jolting reminder that what passes for entertainment today is disproportionately profane.

Now, I’m no prude when it comes to movies and TV. I’m not the type who thinks every movie must be “Pollyanna.” But neither must every movie be “Goodfellas.”

Four-quadrant failure

There’s a vast watchable spectrum between those two extremes. Hollywood loves to talk about the magic “four-quadrant” movie — the rare gem that appeals to young, old, male, and female (2022 blockbuster “Top Gun: Maverick” is a textbook example).

The film industry may value this broad audience in theory, but in practice, Hollywood rarely attempts to reach it. Only four of last year’s 25 top-grossing movies were rated R, but more R-rated movies were released (297) than PG (70) and PG-13 (125) movies combined.

Clearly Hollywood leaves a vast amount of money on the table with its lopsided preference for, frankly, garbage.

It’s not simply a problem of portraying sex, profanity, and violence; it is rather the almost worshipful display of these elements without any moral or narrative value. Much of popular entertainment reveals a perverse obsession with the darkest side of human nature. Object to the sleaze, and you’re reminded that it is in fact art, with industry awards to back it up.

Of course, such criticism is not remotely new. “Hollywood as easy target” has been a Christian and conservative trope for decades — at least since the 1992 release of Michael Medved’s seminal book on the subject, “Hollywood vs. America.”

Medved’s warning that Hollywood was mounting a blatant, concerted assault on traditional values was spot-on — and about 20 years ahead of its time.

Sitting on the sidelines

It’s easy to be against stuff. But what are we for? A cursory survey of the past century-plus of mainstream entertainment reveals the dispiriting answer: not much.

It wasn’t always this way, of course. Christians were at the forefront of the arts for much of the first 2,000 years of the faith. But the ascent of the movies happened largely without Christians, who became better known for decrying the product that Hollywood cranked out.

In the 1920s and 30s, prominent Catholics and other conservatives spearheaded the first organized efforts to censor Hollywood movies. One wonders what difference they could have made behind the camera. Perhaps it’s the nature of the art form to trend toward moral darkness, but the near-total abdication of the church from film production certainly didn’t help.

The rise of ‘faith-based’

There have been scattered efforts by Christians to influence this powerful medium. The late evangelist Billy Graham created World Wide Pictures in the 1950s, which went on to make over 100 films. But most of those films struggled to find an audience outside churches.

In the 1980s and 1990s, smaller, independent filmmakers — among them, my former film school professor Edward McDougal — attempted to blaze a trail in an industry that was indifferent and often hostile to Christianity. Alex and Stephen Kendrick’s 2008 hit “Fireproof” earned enough at the box office to put faith-based films on Hollywood’s radar.

More recently, Angel Studios has used its unique crowdfunding model to perform a successful end run around the traditional Hollywood system. Likewise, Dallas Jenkins’ “The Chosen” series has become such a phenomenon that it now draws fans to an annual event called “ChosenCon.”

The Erwin brothers break through

Then there are writer-director-producers Andrew and Jon Erwin, often credited on-screen as “the Erwin brothers.” With fellow filmmakers such as Jon Gunn (director of the terrific films “The Case for Christ” and “Ordinary Angels,” among others) and Jenkins, they’ve formed a sort of Christian “fellowship of the Ring” — dedicated to storming the gates of Mordor/Hollywood.

What’s remarkable about the Erwin brothers is that their success has earned them a seat at the Hollywood table. It’s a seat they seem intent on keeping, as they work within a system that has long neglected the Christian audience.

Riding the momentum of their hit “I Can Only Imagine,” the Erwins teamed with producing partners Kevin Downes and Tony Young to launch Kingdom Story Company in 2019. A distribution deal with Lionsgate soon followed.

Kingdom Story Company’s 2023 film “Jesus Revolution” (co-directed by Jon Erwin and Brent McCorkle) raised the bar for Christian movies, employing top-notch talent to tell a truly touching story about authentic Christian faith. Kingdom’s latest film, “The Unbreakable Boy” (directed by Jon Gunn and starring Zachary Levi) hits theaters February 21. And Andrew Erwin recently announced that a sequel to “I Can Only Imagine” is in development.

Betting the ‘House’

The brothers have also set their sights on more general audiences. In 2023, Jon Erwin started Wonder Project, which will produce films and TV shows that, while lacking explicitly Christian messages, aim for a family-friendly, broad appeal — you know, those “four-quadrant” pictures Hollywood claims to love.

Wonder Project will release “Sarah’s Oil,” which tells the true story of 11-year-old oil magnate Sarah Rector, later this year. Also in the works are a Wright brothers biopic and a Nate Bargatze comedy.

But the Erwins’ biggest test yet will come February 27. That’s when Wonder Project releases “House of David,” a big-budget, eight-episode TV series on Amazon Prime based on the biblical account of Israel’s King David. Produced and directed by Jon Erwin and Jon Gunn, it’s epic in scope and action.

Is “House of David” good Christian entertainment? Yes — but it can also compete with anything secular entertainment has to offer. These guys aren’t just pretty good for Christian filmmakers. They’re good filmmakers, period.

The Erwin brothers and their cohort have a unique opportunity to change the industry from within, but only if their work continues to reach a sizeable audience.

That’s where we come in. I don’t want to just stand against things. I want to be for good things, which in this case means supporting like-minded storytellers who have a unique opportunity to nudge Hollywood in a new and better direction — one chiefly concerned with shining a light in the darkness.