I have mixed feelings around movies like October Baby. One side of me totally agrees with the filmmaker in this article about the movie. He has an audience and he is catering to it. Religious folks, be they conservative evangelicals or conservatives Catholics, deserve more respect than they currently get. All too often they are pigeon-holed as being radical, crazy, out of touch or all three.
However, I wonder what the point is of creating a movie that only the converted will go see.
The problem here is that while I’d like Hollywood to make better movies, those movies, in order to support life, need not touch on it quite so directly. I suppose what I’m interested in are high quality films that testify to the human spirit, which will, in turn, testify to the idea that life is worth living, through good times and bad.
I’m not saying movies like October Baby should not be made. I’m glad Jianna Gesson’s story of surviving an abortion is being told. But I suppose what I’m saying is that I hope the filmmaker will go on to tackle a range of topics, doing so from his faith perspective, speaking to life and faith in a manner that might be more subtle, as well.
by 
Recently, there was an excellent mini drama on TVO, called The Jury. One of the jurors was a young school teacher who had an affair with one of her students (bad idea) and got pregnant. I was waiting for the inevitable “It’s my body, my choice,” rhetoric, but, surprisingly, it never came. After considering her options, the young woman, who was being pressured by her peers to abort the baby, gave a passionate speech about wanting to celebrate life after having been surrounded by death (it was a murde trial). In the last episode, the jurors reunited after several months, and the young woman was there — beaming and holding a beautiful baby. I was surprised and pleased to see a pro-life message in a mainstream TV drama.
So. . . it was a lousy film, eh?
Thanks, Brigid, for your comment.
fern hill: I haven’t seen it yet.
I lack the parental perspective. Got this from a friend so I’ve made it anonymous and am posting it.
“Speaking as a Christian parent, even though we are among “the converted” – as are our kids– it is a constant struggle for us to fight against the messaging put out there by the world – including the educational system. Our kids have told me that they sometimes don’t know what is real because what they hear at home is so different from what they see on TV and hear at school. So it is good to have supports – like pro-life movies – that say something similar to what they hear at home.
The reality is that Hollywood is not going to produce any movies that are pro-life or un-anti-Christian – so we need to look elsewhere for media support for what we are saying at home. And it is good for churches to have movies like October Baby for showing at young people’s groups and retreats.
And equally important, such movies give work to Christian actors, actresses, and film-makers – to help them get a start in their careers. The male lead in the movie, who was previously in the mainstream movie business, has taken a strong Christian and pro-life stand – and has suffered career-wise for his beliefs. Having Christian movies to star in allows him to continue working – until Hollywood eventually forgives him for being a Christian.
I might add that another movie that fits into this category was “Courageous”. It didn’t get much movie house distribution (being Christian) but it also was a success. And it was also a hit with our kids.
So I guess I would have to say that while I am not personally enamored with every Christian movie produced, they do seem to play an important role in helping our children to stay on the path.”