Obviously Gibson's The Passion of the Christ was a unique event that will be difficult to duplicate. However, I believe another great Christian film is on the horizon with Therese: The Story of Saint Therese of Lisieux. This is a Catholic movie obviously (as was The Passion), but it is also the simple story of a girl who loved God greatly, even through immense suffering.
One of the great roles that Saints play in the life of a Catholic is that of hero, as Joe pointed out on this blog last week. In Therese, young women will see a hero: a girl who overcame disasterous events, terrible suffering, and yet remained dedicated to God. I have four daughters now and I hope that they look to holy women like Therese as heroes and role models.
On a side note, I also believe that to change a culture, you must depend on art, which includes everything from painting, music, movies, etc. Because art helps define us as a people. For a long time we've endured anti-Christian imagery in our art (such as "Piss Christ"), but perhaps now the pendulum is swinging back in the other direction. I hope to see more films in the vein of The Passion and Therese in the future, which means I will support them with my money in the present. Let's hope that there are other Christian directors out there looking to make the next The Passion of the Christ.
God bless,
Jay
