Most people like to go to the movies. The smell of popcorn, a chance to forget about “real life” for a couple of hours, the anticipatory mood of the audience as the previews fade and opening credits begin to roll while holding your sweetie's hand or watching the reflection of the big screen in the eyes of your child… pure joy for some of us.
But the average cost to see a movie in a theater is exorbitant these days. (According to ChatGPT, the average ticket price is somewhere between $12 and $20, depending upon where you live.) If you add the cost of concessions and parking, it’s enough to make you wish you’d waited a few weeks to rent the movie on Redbox or stream it on your favorite service; or better yet, check it out on DVD or Blu-ray at your local library.
So who can afford to go to the movies these days? Or to look at it from a motion picture industry marketing perspective, how many 16 to 30 year-olds— the largest movie-going demographic in America today— can afford to go to the movies?
Well, after the 2024 Memorial Day Weekend, which is traditionally the start to the summer movie-going season, the answer would seem to be: Not as many as Hollywood would like.
In case you’re not aware, box office revenues for Hollywood motion pictures have been in decline and 2024 is shaping up to be the worst in 30 years. Total weekend box office revenues for Memorial Day Weekend were down 30% from 2023 and some articles I’ve read are calling it the worst opening weekend to summer in 29 years. The top 2 movies released over the Memorial Day weekend were “Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga” and “Garfield”— each pulling in roughly $30 million. The studio executive who green-lighted Garfield, which cost approx. $60 million, looks like a genius while the exec who thought spending $160 million on yet another Mad Max movie will likely be looking for another job.
Reading about Hollywood’s box office woes reminds me of the famous quote by the late William Goldman who was one of the most prolific screenwriters of the last fifty years: “Nobody knows anything. Not one person in the entire motion picture field knows for certain what's going to work.”
Speculation as to the root-cause of the recent box office calamity varies tremendously, depending upon who you’re reading or listening to. Some pundits blame last year’s SAG/AFTRA and WGA strikes. Some blame the low-cost alternative of streaming services where people can watch their movie of choice from the comfort of their own home. And some blame the lack of a Marvel superhero franchise release. Strangely, no one seems to mention the two most obvious reasons for lower box office attendance: Cost and Content.
Personally, I can’t help but wonder how much the values of the movies being released factor into the movie-going audience’s decision on whether or not to pay the exorbitant prices. Over the broad spectrum of audience demographics and religious affiliations in the U.S., probably not that much. But amongst Christians, I would hope that discernment and a desire for more wholesome entertainment would be an important factor. That’s why I plugged “Unsung Hero,” the best Christian family movie I’ve seen in a long time, in a previous blog post. It’s also why I’ll be rooting for the Kendrick Brothers’ latest movie (“The Forge”) to do well when it comes out in August.
Last summer’s runaway success was Angel Studios’ “Sound of Freedom,” released over the Fourth of July weekend and starring Jim Caviezel. The picture brought in an unexpected $250 million worldwide, $184 million in the States. It’s a dark, somber movie about a heartbreaking reality. But it has Judeo-Christian values at its core and a hero that everyone can get behind. Unfortunately, Angel Studios’ latest release, “Sight,” which hit theaters in May and stars Terry Chen and Greg Kinnear, does not seem to be garnering the same box office success. Another victim of the unwillingness of Americans to pay the high price to see movies at the box office perhaps. (I haven’t seen “Sight” yet, so I can’t comment on its quality or values here.)
Summer is prime movie-going season. Many Americans will bite the financial bullet and pay to see at least one movie in theaters between Memorial Day and Labor Day. But which one will it be? Are there any motion pictures with Judeo-Christian values on the horizon worth seeing at the cineplex?
One great resource to help you decide whether or not a movie is worth your time & money is the Plugged In web-site sponsored by Focus on the Family. (They have a large archive of online movie reviews written from a Christian perspective.) Christian Parent Reviews is a great resource that provides a detailed & comprehensive list of sites where parents can read about upcoming movies.
I will also be writing about and recommending specific movies with Christian values in future blog posts. (All comments on my posts are welcome, whether you agree with my recommendations or not.)
Paul wrote in Philippians 4:8:
Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable— if anything is excellent or praiseworthy— think about such things.
Do movies reflect our culture? Or are they products manufactured by people working in an industry that is disconcertingly out of touch with what Americans want from their entertainment? Hopefully, the old adage that Americans “vote with their pocketbook” will cause Hollywood to create more movies with Judeo-Christian values. It seems like an obvious truth, but I believe movies that are spiritually uplifting can also be good for the bottom-line.
Let me know your thoughts in the Comments section.
Sources:
Box Office Meltdown: Worst Memorial Day Box Office in Three Decades
Well said. Thanks for the perspective.