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Home and Heart

Home and Heart

Top Hollywood Executives, Producers, and Talent Help MOVIEGUIDE® Honor Family-Friendly, Redemptive Movies with Strong Christian, Moral Content

By Dr. Tom Snyder, Editor

A packed house of Hollywood stars and celebrities joined with top Hollywood executives, producers, filmmakers, and television artists to celebrate the most inspiring, family-friendly movies and television programs of 2015 at the 24th Annual MOVIEGUIDE® Faith & Values Awards Gala and Report to the Entertainment Industry Feb. 5.

The event was held in the sparkling Grand Ballroom of the Universal Hilton Hotel near the heart of Hollywood.

Many of the entertainment industry’s top movers and shakers and celebrities, along with friends and supporters of the Gala and MOVIEGUIDE®, came to find out the winners of the Best 2015 Movies for Families and Mature Audiences, the Grace Awards for Most Inspiring Movie and TV Performances of 2015, the Bradley Foundation Faith & Freedom Award for Promoting Positive American Values in Movies, the $50,000 Kairos Prizes for Spiritually Uplifting Screenplays by Beginning Screenwriters, the $50,000 Chronos Prize for Inspiring Screenplays by Established Filmmakers, and the prestigious $200,000 Epiphany Prizes for Most Inspiring Movie and TV Program of 2015.

More than 485 people attended the event.

MOVIEGUIDE® is the host of the Gala and Annual Report, but we couldn’t have done it with help from many sources.

The affair was supported by a major grant from the John Templeton Foundation, which also supports the Kairos Prizes, the Chronos Prize and the two Epiphany Prizes. Many other groups and people also supported the Gala and Annual Report with their gifts throughout the rest of the year, including the Cawood Foundation, the Lynde and Harry Bradley Foundation, the Huston Foundation, the Reese Foundation, the Lindsay Family Foundation, the Heritage Foundation, and hundreds of individual donors.

Celebrity attendees and honorees gathered on the Red Carpet before the Awards, which included a Gala banquet honoring the men and women who make the most family friendly, redemptive movies and television programs.

The emcee for the Gala was Joe Mantegna, the star of CBS-TV’s popular program CRIMINAL MINDS and movies like CARS 2 and SEARCHING FOR BOBBY FISCHER.

The co-host for the evening was Sadie Robertson, star of A&E’s hit program DUCK DYNASTY.

Also included among the beautifully quaffed and handsomely garbed celebrities were legendary entertainer and filmmaker Dolly Parton, acclaimed actor David Owelyo of the movies SELMA and CAPTIVE, Corbin Bernsen of TV’s PSYCH and LA LAW, actor Kevin Sorbo of GOD’S NOT DEAD, GALLOWS ROAD and WHAT IF. . ., actress Lily Tomlin of 9 TO 5 and Netflix’s GRACE AND FRANKIE series, actress Jane Seymour of DR. QUINN:  MEDICINE WOMAN and the upcoming HIGH STRUNG, actor Ernie Hudson of GOD’S NOT DEAD 2 and GHOSTBUSTERS, T.C. Stallings of WAR ROOM and COURAGEOUS, actress Karen Abercrombie of WAR ROOM, actor Ricky Schroder of DOLLY PARTON’S COAT OF MANY COLORS, LONESOME DOVE, and TV’s NYPD BLUE and SILVER SPOONS, actress Candice Cameron-Bure of FULL HOUSE and MOM’S BLIND DATE, actor Kevin Downes of DO YOU BELIEVE? and COURAGEOUS, actress Priscilla Shirer of WAR ROOM, actor Caleb Castille of WOODLAWN, actor John Schneider of SMALLVILLE and DUKES OF HAZARD, actor David Henrie of PAUL BLART:  MALL COP 2 and TV’s THE WIZARDS OF WAVERYLY PLACE, actor Cody Linley of MY DOG SKIP and TV’s HANNAH MONTANA, Lorenzo Henrie of TV’s FEAR THE WALKING DEAD, actress Catlin Green of TV’s HEROES REBORN, actor Nicholas Galitzine of the upcoming HIGH STRUNG, actor Nic Bishop of WOODLAWN, and actor Bruno Gunn of the upcoming OFFICER DOWNE.

The evening’s two musical highlights were performances by Country & Western star Trace Adkins of his new hit song “Jesus and Jones” and by singer Andra Day of her inspirational hit “Rise Up.”

Giving the invocation prayer was Producer DeVon Franklin of HEAVEN IS FOR REAL and MIRACLES FROM HEAVEN. Producer Stephen Kendrick of WAR ROOM and COURAGEOUS gave the benediction prayer.

Producing the Gala this year, including the TV program for the REELZChannel, was Larry Thompson of the Larry A. Thompson organization of Beverly Hills and Michael Trent of Firefly Creative.

All of the Gala honorees and attendees were given a surprise packet after the ceremony. Included in the packet were:

The Annual Issue of MOVIEGUIDE® featuring the 2015 DVD Guide as well as the Best and Worst Movies of 2015, MOVIEGUIDE®’s 2016 Annual Report to the Entertainment Industry, and a Holman Christian Standard Note-taking Bible from Holman Publishers.

Joy:

MOVIEGUIDE® Publisher Ted Baehr Presents Highlights from Annual

Report to Hollywood Showing Christian, Family Movies Do Best

MOVIEGUIDE® Founder and Publisher Dr. Ted Baehr presented highlights from Movieguide®’s 2016 Report to the Entertainment Industry, a comprehensive economic analysis of the content and philosophical, moral, spiritual, and political perspectives in the major movies released theatrically in 2015.

“You’re the heroes,” Dr. Baehr told the nominees and award winners. “You made movies with home and heart, which is our theme this year. I’m praying you’re going to go forth from here to make more of them so that your children and grandchildren will have the heart to seek that very special real home that they have intended for them to give them a more abundant life.

“Every year, movies with faith and values do better at the box office,” he added. “Thanks to you, redemptive content continues to increase every year.”

Dr. Baehr reported that 80% to 90% of the Top 10 Movies in the United States and overseas in 2015 contained strong or very strong Christian, redemptive, biblical, moral content, and/or conservative values or worldviews, including such movies as FURIOUS 7, THE MARTIAN, CINDERELLA, JURASSIC WORLD, INSIDE OUT, THE HUNGER GAMES:  MOCKINGJAY – PART 2, MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE:  ROGUE NATION, THE AVENGERS:  AGE OF ULTRON, and even STAR WARS:  THE FORCE AWAKENS.

Even better, 90% of the Top 10 Home Video Sales in 2015 thru Dec. 20, 2015 had strong or very strong Christian, redemptive, biblical, moral content, and/or conservative values or worldviews, which also included such positive movies from 2014 and 2015 as BIG HERO 6, HOME, AMERICAN SNIPER, THE HOBBIT:  THE BATTLE OF THE FIVE ARMIES, and THE HUNGER GAMES:  MOCKINGJAY – PART 1.

Also, family-friendly movies with absolutely no foul language, sex, explicit nudity, or substance abuse earned more money than movies containing such content.

“You did this,” Dr. Baehr said. “You made a difference. We’re here to help you succeed. That’s what we do.”

Here are charts of some of the major findings in the Annual Report:

 

The Stronger the Christian Worldview, the Better It Did

Sources:  MOVIEGUIDE® and Box Office Mojo.

 

Worldview 2015 B.O. Avg
C $25,860,113
CC $49,489,619
CCC $52,102,282

 

Very Strong Worldviews Compared, 2011-2015

 

Very Strong Worldviews Avg. B.O.
Movies with very strong Christian, redemptive worldviews $79,767,881
Movies with very strong moral/biblical worldview $91,492,268
Movies with very strong Non-Christian worldviews $19,071,923

 

Most Family-Friendly Movies vs. Least Family-Friendly Movies

Category 2015 B.O. Avg.
Most Family-Friendly Movies $73,009,776
Least Family-Friendly Movies $17,585,623

 

** Foul Language in 2015 Movies

 

Movies with No Foul Language Earn the Most!

 

Foul Language 2015 B.O. Avg.
No obscenities/profanities $58,368,742
1-9 $32,687,742
10-25 $37,233,844
More than 25 $28,182,711

 

** Sexual Content in 2015 Movies

 

Movies with No Sex Earn the Most!

 

Sex 2015 Avg. B.O.
No Sex $54,665,084
Implied Sex $33,193,387
Strong or Depicted Sex $19,386,336
Extreme Sexual Content $21,544,709

 

** Nudity in 2015 Movies*

 

Movies with No Nudity Do Best!

 

Nudity 2015 Avg. B.O.
No Nudity $38,554,833
Non-Sexual Nudity $43,189,999
Some Sexual Nudity $23,243,990
Excessive Sexual Nudity $17,753,955

 

** Movies with Strong Conservative Content Do Best!

 

Content 2015 Avg. B.O.
Anti-Communist Content $109,607,390
Very Strong Biblical Morality* $104,554,949
Strong Patriotic/Pro-American Movies $94,331,461
Strong Pro-Capitalist Content $66,023,054
Strong Politically Correct Content $12,688,137
Strong Anti-Capitalist Content $11,966,704
Strong Anti-Patriotic/Anti-American Movies $5,047,824
Very Strong Pro-Homosexual Content $4,654,761
Very Strong Feminism $4,462,566
Pro-Socialist Content $4,792,603
Pro-Communist Content $4,119,711
Very Strong Pro-Atheism $3,360,195

 

Content 2015 Avg. B.O.
All Conservative/Moral Categories $94,645,797
All Liberal/Leftist/Immoral Categories $7,690,834

 

Note:  Movies in 2015 with at least some strong or very strong Pro-American, conservative, patriotic, moral, anti-totalitarian and/or capitalist content or values promoting liberty against tyranny included THE HUNGER GAMES:  MOCKINGJAY – PART 2, AVENGERS:  AGE OF ULTRON, CINDERELLA, HOME, STAR WARS:  THE FORCE AWAKENS, MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE – ROGUE NATION, JOY, THE SPONGEBOB MOVIE, THE PEANUTS MOVIE, THE GOOD DINOSAUR, PAWN SACRIFICE, ASSASSINATION, THE MAN FROM U.N.C.L.E., SON OF SAUL, CHILD 44, BRIDGE OF SPIES, BROOKLYN, STEVE JOBS, WOMAN IN GOLD, A LEGO BRICKUMENTARY, SPARE PARTS, COMING HOME (2015), FAITH OF OUR FATHERS, MAX, FURIOUS 7, and STEVE JOBS, among others. Movies with some strong or very strong Anti-American, left-wing, immoral, anti-capitalist, politically correct, socialist, atheist, radical feminist, pro-homosexual, and/or pro-communist content or values supporting tyranny included KINGSMAN:  THE SECRET SERVICE, TRUTH, TRUMBO, WHERE TO INVADE NEXT, POINT BREAK, JIMMY’S HALL, JUPITER ASCENDING, OUR BRAND IS CRISIS, HITMAN:  AGENT 47, BRIDGE OF SPIES, THE BIG SHORT, THE GUNMAN, WHILE WE’RE YOUNG, WHITE GOD, IRRATIONAL MAN, THE DANISH GIRL, CAROL, GRANDMA, AN HONEST LIAR, FREEHELD, SAINT LAURENT, DOPE, THE OVERNIGHT, THE DIARY OF A TEENAGE GIRL, THE GREEN INFERNO, HE NAMED ME MALALA, PAPER TOWNS, CHI-RAQ, and I SMILE BACK.

 

Now more than ever we’re bombarded by darkness in media, movies, and TV. Movieguide® has fought back for almost 40 years, working within Hollywood to propel uplifting and positive content. We’re proud to say we’ve collaborated with some of the top industry players to influence and redeem entertainment for Jesus. Still, the most influential person in Hollywood is you. The viewer.

What you listen to, watch, and read has power. Movieguide® wants to give you the resources to empower the good and the beautiful. But we can’t do it alone. We need your support.

You can make a difference with as little as $7. It takes only a moment. If you can, consider supporting our ministry with a monthly gift. Thank you.

Movieguide® is a 501c3 and all donations are tax deductible.


Now more than ever we’re bombarded by darkness in media, movies, and TV. Movieguide® has fought back for almost 40 years, working within Hollywood to propel uplifting and positive content. We’re proud to say we’ve collaborated with some of the top industry players to influence and redeem entertainment for Jesus. Still, the most influential person in Hollywood is you. The viewer.

What you listen to, watch, and read has power. Movieguide® wants to give you the resources to empower the good and the beautiful. But we can’t do it alone. We need your support.

You can make a difference with as little as $7. It takes only a moment. If you can, consider supporting our ministry with a monthly gift. Thank you.

Movieguide® is a 501c3 and all donations are tax deductible.