Becky Garrison: Selling the Nativity
Like many journalists and Christian clergy, I had the privilege of watching a screening of The Nativity Story prior to the film's national opening on December 1, 2006. Yes, this movie is Hallmark-y as all get out, and at times the actors are hampered by having to speak in this rather stilted Mediterranean inspired dialogue.
What rang true for me, though, was the depiction of Mary as a young giggling teen, who was dealt two whammies – first, she's told here is the older dude her parents have decided she's going to marry. As she's reeling from that bit of bad news, the angel Gabriel stops by to inform her that even though she's sworn to be chaste for a year, she's going to be pregnant with God's son. As expected, her community reacted with the same scorn and distaste towards this unwed teen that certain Christian circles today would display towards a woman they found to be guilty of a sexual sin.
Through this couple's eyes, I saw how these two ordinary people, who barely knew each other, fell in love as they ventured on an extraordinary journey that would change humankind. Also, I appreciated that unlike other lily white adaptations of the life of Christ, Keisha Castle-Hughes (Mary) is Maori, Oscar Isaac (Joseph) is Guatemalan, and most of the major roles feature actors are of Iranian, Israeli, Sudanese, and Algerian descent. Finally, Hollywood gave us a biblical cast that looks like they might have actually lived in the Middle East (the notable exception being the Northern European looking baby Jesus).
As I prepared to write my reflections on this seemingly sentimental yet sweet flick, an email hit my inbox advertising all the promotional opportunities available to congregations. I began to experience a bit of déjà vu from The Passion: Not only were both these films shot on location in Matera, Italy but it also looks like we're headed for yet another Hollywood style, full-frontal marketing blitz targeted towards Christian churches.
As noted in their pamphlet Experience the Nativity: Beyond the Movie, "This movie is a reminder that real Christmas miracles aren't found under the tree, but in the hearts of people touched by God." While that may be the case, their PR machine would make any secular retailer proud.
Thanks to the savvy folks at Outreach, clergy can download a host of communication and marketing tools to get the word out about this flick to their flock. The freebies include such items as movie posters, sermons, video clips, and even an Informational PowerPoint presentation. While the 8-page evangelistic pamphlet can be downloaded gratis, it costs $17.50 for a set of 50 booklets. The outreach books and Bibles, direct mail postcards, bulletin shells, door hangers, invite cards, and bookmarks seem to be within a reasonable price range.
But now we come to the church decorations. And here's where I gotta ask WWMJD (What Would Mary and Joseph Do)? Given the movie's simple yet steadfast depiction of their faith, something tells me they'd run back to Nazareth lickety split at the sight of such spiritual sappiness. Let's be honest. Can't a church find another way to promote Christ without resorting to an indoor or outdoor banner that ranges in price from $89 for the 2'x8' indoor banner available in fabric, plastic or vinyl to the 8' x 12' backdrop banners perfect for any church stage, classroom or hallway at a cost of only $599?
Instead of plunking down the big bucks for this Jesus junk, how about purchasing the Alternatives for Simple Living's "Whose Birthday is it Anyway?" ecumenical resource that's full of ideas of how to simplify Advent and Christmas. Then carry the real Christmas spirit further with the Buy Nothing Christmas Campaign. And don't forget next year to join Shane Claiborne's gang of USAantiheroes and celebrate Buy Nothing Day (the Sunday after Thanksgiving).
After all, Mary and Joseph gave us the greatest gift of all. What more do we really need?
Becky Garrison is the Senior Contributing Editor for The Wittenburg Door and author of Red and Blue God, Black and Blue Church
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Comments
The marketing behind these films is secular, so it is what it is. However, I can see why Pastors might want to advertise for a film that gives their membership an opportunity to discuss their faith with a non-believing friend.
I'm not condoning $600 banners (and who knows if those are actually selling?) but I do understand why churches would help promote the movie.>
Posted by: kevin sawyer | December 1, 2006 4:19 PM
What bothers me is the tone I pick up (subjectively, of course) that no real pastor wouldn't want to get their congregation as deeply involved in the media campaign as possible. It really feels like an imposition of a mission upon the congregation rather than a desire to augment the directions a congregation has already discerned.>
Posted by: Carter | December 1, 2006 5:29 PM
I can't imagine how churches could promote such scandal!
An olive-complected 16yrold girl sworn to celebacy gets pregnant, and her dark-skinned man "Jo" ain't the father?
This is clearly a War Against Marriage as we know it, and we must ban this film at all costs, beggining with prompt Swift-Boating of all involved in the production and distribution of the film.
Clearly, it's what Jesus would do...>
Posted by: Tenoch | December 1, 2006 5:37 PM
I certainly agree somewhat with the assertion that movies with Biblical content are now 'hyped' to the extreme given the finacial sucess of "The Passion". Persoanlly., I was a little disappointed with "The Passion" as it only had a brief 'nod' at the end to the Resurrection.
However, I do find it ironic that the Christmas 'promotion' show in Chicago would not allow advertsing for this film. IF you can promote a story about WHY there is a Christmas at a Christmas marketing show, what is the point of HAVING Christmas at all???
Unless the answer is "because it's good for the economy"!!!>
Posted by: Kris Weinschenker | December 1, 2006 7:33 PM
If Becky Garrison was serious about eradicating sappiness from the Christmas season, she would not endorse the insipid and just plain dumb USAantiheroes. They must have one of the worst web sites ever.
I wonder what she's really interested in eradicating?>
Posted by: timks | December 3, 2006 2:47 AM
I think this just goes to show the shallowness of western Christianity.
To be fair, I've not seen the film - it could be the greatest Christmas movie ever for all I care.
I have, however, seen the publicity. It is enough to make even the strongest stomach hurl and the baby Jesus cry. What is our problem? Is the Christian community so sad that it has to latch onto every 'religious' movie that gets served up from now on? It is funny how the same people who complain about violence in the movies are the ones who enthusiastically promoted The Passion.
This just goes to underline that our vision of the Nativity is more educated by Hollywood and Coca-cola than the Bible and the Holy Spirit.>
Posted by: joe | December 3, 2006 7:12 PM
I saw a pre-screening of this movie at a pastors conference I attended in Chicago. The screenwriter (also wrote "Miracle", "Finding Forester", etc.) was there to answer questions....which was mildly interesting...though the questions/comments were basically softballs (i.e. "Thanks for making the wisemen funny...").
But then they broke out a guy who was introduced as CEO of a marketing firm who specializes in helping Hollywood market directly to churches. He repeatedly told us to use their resources in our sermons and worship services (like we really need commercials amidst worship services). Hollywood has obviously identified a profitable market, and is looking to cash in. The way many pastors ate up what this guy was selling was disheartening...
The movie was beautifully filmed, but really made no emotional connection. The portrayal of the Roman oppression was powerful, but the film missed this chance to illustrate how Jesus came to usher in a new kingdom.>
Posted by: wolvesfan | December 4, 2006 7:16 PM
Given the fact that people think about what's in the media, I'd rather have a story about Jesus pervading our national conscious rather than another stupid-criminal-who-outwits-the-cops movie. Our minds feed on whatever is there for us to think about.
In that sense, even the Da Vinci Code had some merit, because it made us re-evaluate our beliefs. It's good not to get too complacent. I now know that I believe that Jesus was the Son of God made flesh, and he was 'married' to the Holy Spirit then as now. Why would he get involved with a mortal woman when he was constantly ministered by his Consort?
By the same token, I think I will be able to learn something from 'The Nativity' when I see it. I also know that Mike Rich is a man of faith, and has publicly acknowledged that on our local radio many times.>
Posted by: Esther | December 5, 2006 10:40 PM
I, too, get sick of the marketing 'tools' they try to push on those of us in Christian media. Narnia was the same--I think C. S. Lewis would have had a fit if he was at the Narnia promo event I and my co-workers attended. Probably the guy 'wolvesfan' saw was the same guy saying totally fake stuff he thought we wanted to hear at the event (we ended up leaving at one point when it became a flat-out right-wing soapbox that even Doug G. was contributing to). Unfortunately, the majority of the church folks there did seem to be "eating it up." But honestly, I think that if the film was presented to them in a different way--perhaps in a more responsible way, they would have been just as receptive and responsive. Seriously--that isn't speculation. This so-called demographic is not dumb--they just respond to the voice that speaks their language.
I didn't attend any promo events for The Nativity Story, but I did go to a normal (non-Christian-media) screening. And while that contrived scene at the manger was truly not cutting it for me, overall I was genuinely moved by many parts of the film-- and would definitely NOT go so far as to call it a Hallmark film. (And by the way, Hallmark has made a couple really good non-Hallmarky films in recent years, like Dreamkeeper, so hey.) It's definitely worth seeing (especially for the non-"lily white" cast!). You just have to work harder to ignore/forget the inevitable baggage you bring to the film. If you can do that, you'll see that the people who made the film did it as a labor of love.
The sad thing is that whatever was good in Narnia (or the Nativity on a smaller scale--was dampened by the overmarketing to Christians. Maybe more of us need to be more frank with the people who are sending us this promotional stuff. I think "they" just *might* listen, since we represent part of the demographic whose $$ they're after.>
Posted by: usagi | December 5, 2006 11:54 PM
The thing about our society is that we 'vote' with our money. If we want the movie industry to make more movies with spiritual themes, we will have to let them 'schmooze' us. Just because they think they're manipulating us doesn't necessarily make it so. We can consciously choose, despite them.
I want to support films that get people thinking about Jesus, even if it isn't perfect.>
Posted by: Esther | December 6, 2006 8:06 AM
Two interesting interviews--one with Oscar Isaac:
http://nellminow.blogspot.com/2006/11/interview-with-joseph-oscar-isaac.html
...and one w/ Mike Rich.
http://ww2.intouch.org/site/c.7nKFISNvEqG/b.1014819/k.8FC6/InTouch_Today.htm
Here's a quote from Mike in this interview:
"I'd love to see churches handle it in a manner consistent with the tone of the film. It was never intended to be this enormous film with an overblown budget and splashy lights or anything like that. This is a very small, intimate, humble story. I'd like for Christians to approach it in a similar manner: it's an intimate story, so let's look at it that way within our church. Let's not turn it into this larger than life 'vehicle.'">
Posted by: Anonymous | December 6, 2006 8:52 PM
Forgive me for my careless lack of blog etiquette! I gave the wrong link to the Mike Rich interview above. Here's the correct one:
">http://ww2.intouch.org/site/c.7nKFISNvEqG/b.2262059/k.553/112106_F_A_Story_with_No_Bit_Players.htm>
Posted by: Anonymous | December 6, 2006 8:54 PM
it's a little ironic that the banner ad at the top of this page was for The Nativity movie>
Posted by: Anonymous | December 6, 2006 9:17 PM
I think the marketing is the problem with these, but that's up to a church's leadership to see through. My congregation would be very upset if I decided to spend money on that stuff (and we have the Whose Birthday Is It Anyway? in our pews).
Becky, I love the Wittenburg Door and am reading my Christmas issue now!>
Posted by: Renee | December 6, 2006 9:30 PM
I also enjoy Becky's work with the Door and I look forward to reading Black & Blue Church soon.
I went to a pre-screening and didn't feel overly pressured; it was more of a "if you think it will be good, promote it" meeting. No one even pitched anything to our small group - we saw the movie, they let us know there were posters and free preview DVDs if we wanted them, and they even gave us free popcorn & soda.
I don't know if I'm so concerned about "Hollywood" corrupting the church - we've been doing a pretty good job of that on our own, thank you very much.
On the whole, I enjoyed the movie, especially the way it made me think of the perilous times into which Christ was born. Americans take so much for granted; this gives us a sense of how fragile God became for us, and how fragile we are as well.
Am I the only one who gets the "Psalm 23 bracelet" banner at the bottom of the page? Talk about irony... But thanks again for the review, Becky!>
Posted by: Rev Scott | December 6, 2006 10:05 PM
Last year I attended a couple of services at a church that had built its entire Advent and Christmas experience around "The Chronicles of Narnia: the Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe." It had the banners, it had reserved a couple of special showings at a nearby theater and, I feel fairly certain that the pastor's sermons were based on materials put out by the film's publicists, making lots of references to Narnia and the life of C.S. Lewis. Not that these are unworthy material, if supplementing/ illustrating Scripture, but there does seem to be something wrong when a church's focus is steered by publicity mills.
Of course, this is nothing new. Twenty years ago pastors were invited to special screenings of "The Mission" (a film which didn't just tell a nice story with a "Hallmark" ending, but raised important issues.) I'm sure there have been many other instances of this. I guess the question is whether the church will use such media (and non-religious media and arts, for that matter) for the Kingdom or be used by the media for their profits. (Not that these are necessarily mutually exclusive.)
The flashy connection with popular culture that these films and their publicity provide are, I suppose, inviting--especially, one might suppose--to churches who seem somewhat performance-based (worship, sermon, etc as entertainment?) I would imagine, however, that the Gospel is spread more fully when it is presented by Christians living out the redemption that child in the manger brought.>
Posted by: A Howe | December 6, 2006 11:05 PM
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