Americans Prefer Conservative, Patriotic, Moral Movies, Seven-Year Study Shows

Hollywood, Calif. – A seven-year study of the top 275 or so movies released each year in the United States by Hollywood clearly shows that Americans prefer conservative, patriotic, pro-American movies with traditional, Judeo-Christian values and free market ideals rather than movies pushing an anti-capitalist, socialist, atheist, Communist, or anti-Christian agenda.

“Movies with strong or very strong Judeo-Christian values, capitalist ideals, patriotism, anti-Communist leanings, and/or Pro-American attitudes, do much better at the box office than movies promoting Marxism, political correctness, atheism, and anti-Christian content,” says Dr. Ted Baehr, founder and publisher of MOVIEGUIDE®:  A Family Guide to Movies and Entertainment and chairman of the Christian Film & Television Commission® ministry, a Christian advocacy group in Hollywood.

“For example,” Dr. Baehr added, “movies with more conservative values in 2008 averaged more than seven times as much money as those movies promoting liberal or leftist values, $81.2 million versus only $11.4 million.”

 

Content	Count	2008 B.O. Total	Avg. B.O. 2008
All Conservative Categories	37	$3,005,230,718	$81.2 million
All Liberal/Leftist Categories	81	$991,069,552	$11.4 million

 

 

Among the movies in 2008 with Judeo-Christian, capitalist, patriotic, anti-Communist, and/or pro-American ideals were such movies as BOLT, IRON MAN, BOTTLE SHOCK, CITY OF EMBER, INDIANA JONES AND THE KINGDOM OF THE CRYSTAL SKULL, FIREPROOF, EXPELLED, WALL-E, MEET THE BROWNS, THE DARK KNIGHT, AUSTRALIA, FLY ME TO THE MOON, AN AMERICAN CAROL, RAMBO, VALKYRIE, DEFIANCE, GRAN TORINO, BEVERLY HILLS CHIHUAHUA, THE TALE OF DESPEREAUX, THE PIRATES WHO DON’T DO ANYTHING, and PRINCE CASPIAN. Movies with anti-Christian, Communist, anti-capitalist, socialist, homosexual, pro-atheist, and/or anti-American content included such movies as MAMA MIA!, WANTED, RELIGULOUS, CHE, MAD MONEY, CHICAGO 10, HOUNDDOG, ZOMBIE STRIPPERS, GONZO, THE CHILDREN OF HUANG SHI, MILK, BRIDESHEAD REVISITED, THE VISITOR, STOP-LOSS, SEX AND THE CITY, UNDER THE SAME MOON, TRUMBO, FROST/NIXON, NICK AND NORAH’S INFINITE PLAYLIST, SON OF RAMBO, WALTZ WITH BASHIR, THE HAPPENING, WHERE IN THE WORLD IS OSAMA BIN LADEN?, KISS THE BRIDE, SAVE ME, STANDARD OPERATING PROCEDURE, REVOLUTIONARY ROAD, and WAR, INC.

Furthermore, none of the Top 25 Movies at the North American Box Office in 2008 had any socialist content, strong Communist content, strong anti-capitalist content, or very strong feminist, homosexual or anti-Christian content, but four of the Top 25 had very strong biblical or even Christian content, at least two had strong content featuring a positive view of a capitalist entrepreneur, and one had very strong anti-Communist content.

There were, of course, a few movies in the Top 25 for 2008 with some strong anti-Christian, anti-biblical, humanist, or politically correct content, such as MAMA MIA!, HANCOCK, SEX AND THE CITY, and WANTED, but they still tended to make much less money on average than the more positive movies closer to the top.

MOVIEGUIDE® recently released the full details of its 2009 Annual Report to the Entertainment Industry, which includes figures on Christian content, pagan worldview, occult content, environmentalist content, anti-Christian content, MPAA ratings, as well as box office averages on the amount of foul language, sex, nudity, violence, and substance abuse, in 2008 movies, at its 17^th Annual Faith & Values Awards Gala, Feb. 11 at the Beverly Hilton Hotel in Beverly Hills, Calif.

An analysis of movies released in the six previous years showed a similar political preference among American moviegoers.

Altogether, MOVIEGUIDE®’s seven-year study analyzed 2,025 movies released in the U.S. and Canada between 2002 and 2008. Box office numbers for the calendar year were used.

MOVIEGUIDE® is dedicated to redeeming the values of the entertainment industry by influencing industry executives and informing the public about the influence of the entertainment media.

Political Content Charts, 2002-2008

2008 Movie Content

Number of Movies Analyzed — 300

 

Content	Count	2008 B.O. Total	Avg. B.O. 2008
Strong Pro-Capitalist Content	6	$912,102,991	$152.0 million
Strong Anti-Communist Content	4	$344,236,430	$86.1 million
All Conservative Categories	37	$3,005,230,718	$81.2 million
Very Strong Judeo-Christian Morality*	18	$1,177,772,383	$65.4 million
Strong Patriotic/Pro-American Movies	9	$571,118,914	$63.5 million
Strong Politically Correct Content	22	$434,545,200	$19.8 million
Very Strong Pro-Atheism	19	$232,306,510	$12.2 million
All Liberal/Leftist Categories	81	$991,069,552	$11.4 million
Strong Anti-Patriotic/Anti-American Movies	14	$156,034,465	$11.1 million
Very Strong Anti-Christian/Anti-Bible Content	10	$70,163,108	$7.0 million
Very Strong Pro-Homosexual Content	9	$56,439,305	$6.3 million
Pro-Socialist Content	3	$17,488,654	$5.8 million
Strong Anti-Capitalist Content	4	$21,423,915	$5.4 million
Strong Pro-Communist Content	4	$2,538,104	mce_marker.1 million
Very Strong Feminism	2	$130,291	mce_marker.1 million

 

 

* MOVIEGUIDE® believes that the basic moral principles in both the New Testament and the Hebrew Scriptures are the same, though individual Bible-believing Jews and Christians, or individual churches and synagogues, may differ greatly on the issue of morality in the past, now or in the future due to non-biblical influences. The term Judeo-Christian Morality refers to MOVIEGUIDE®’s traditional understanding of what the Bible teaches, morally speaking.

2007 Movie Content

Number of Movies Analyzed — 295

 

Content	Occurrence	Avg. B.O.
Very Strong Judeo-Christian Morality	27	$60.3 million
Strong Pro-Capitalist Content	4	$62.7 million
Patriotic/Pro-American Movies	30	$73.1 million
Politically Correct Content	52	$20.6 million
Anti-Patriotic/Anti-American Movies	35	$34.6 million
Strong Anti-Capitalist Content	5	$5.5 million
Socialist Content	3	$8.2 million
Communist Content	12	$10.2 million
Very Strong Atheism	12	$25.3 million
Very Strong Feminism	0	mce_marker.0 million
Very Strong Homosexuality	8	$18.7 million

 

 

2006 Movie Content

Number of Movies Analyzed — 300

 

Content	Occurrence	Avg. B.O.
Very Strong Judeo-Christian Morality*	33	$45.6 million
Strong Pro-Capitalist Content	7	$74.2 million
Patriotic/Pro-American Movies	35	$40.8 million
Politically Correct Content	50	$30.1 million
Anti-Patriotic/Anti-American Movies	30	$19.6 million
Strong Anti-Capitalist Content	8	$11.2 million
Socialist Content	5	$  8.6 million
Communist Content	13	$  5.8 million
Very Strong Atheism	19	$14.8 million
Very Strong Feminism	3	$  0.4 million
Very Strong Homosexuality	14	$  3.5 million

 

 

2005 Movie Content

Number of Movies Analyzed — 268

 

Content	Occurrence	Avg. B.O.
Very Strong Judeo-Christian Morality	22	$57.6 million
Strong Pro-Capitalist Content	7	$74.2 million
Patriotic/Pro-American Movies	16	$40.0 million
Politically Correct Content	58	$36.2 million
Strong Anti-Capitalist Content	11	$34.5 million
Anti-Patriotic/Anti-American Movies	18	$10.0 million
Socialist Content	4	$18.8 million
Communist Content	7	$5.7 million
Very Strong Atheism	14	$8.0 million
Very Strong Feminism	2	$1.1 million
Very Strong Homosexuality	11	$5.1 million

 

 

2004 Movie Content

Number of Movies Analyzed — 282

 

Content	Occurrence	Avg. B.O.
Very Strong Judeo-Christian Morality	17	$107.7 million
Strong Pro-Capitalist Content	11	$77.6 million
Patriotic/Pro-American Movies	14	$47.3 million
Strong Anti-Capitalist Content	14	$23.3 million
Politically Correct Content	46	$42.9 million
Anti-Patriotic/Anti-American Movies	14	$26.8 million
Socialist Content	10	$24.1 million
Communist Content	12	$28.9 million
Very Strong Atheism	15	$11.5 million
Very Strong Feminism	0	mce_marker.0 million
Very Strong Homosexuality	9	$1.2 million

 

 

2003 Movie Content

Number of Movies Analyzed — 279

 

Content	Occurrence	Avg. B.O.
Very Strong Judeo-Christian Morality	15	$92.5 million
Pro-Capitalist Content	5	$60.1 million
Patriotic/Pro-American Movies	16	$47.8 million
Anti-Capitalist Content	22	$11.8 million
Politically Correct Content	55	$23.0 million
Anti-Patriotic/Anti-American Movies	12	$38.6 million
Socialist Content	3	$44.2 million
Communist Content	9	$6.6 million
Very Strong Atheism	14	$5.3 million
Very Strong Feminism	3	$20.3 million
Very Strong Homosexuality	15	$8.1 million

 

 

 2002 Movie Content

Number of Movies Analyzed — 299

 

Content	Occurrence	Avg. B.O.
Very Strong Judeo-Christian Morality	22	$71.0 million
Pro-Capitalist Content	6	$45.5 million
Patriotic/Pro-American Movies	8	$54.4 million
Anti-Capitalist Content	23	$26.5 million
Politically Correct Content	50	$27.8 million
Anti-Patriotic/Anti-American Movies	10	$22.3 million
Socialist Content	9	$27.0 million
Communist Content	8	$8.2 million
Very Strong Atheism	15	$5.9 million
Very Strong Feminism	6	$2.7 million
Very Strong Homosexuality	11	$3.8 million

 

 

Movies in 2007 with very strong Judeo-Christian values, strong pro-capitalist content and pro-American or patriotic attitudes, such as RATATOUILLE, LIVE FREE OR DIE HARD, SPIDER-MAN 3, NATIONAL TREASURE:  THE BOOK OF SECRETS, ALVIN AND THE CHIPMUNKS, I AM LEGEND, AMAZING GRACE, THE ASTRONAUT FARMER, ENCHANTED, THE TEN COMMANDMENTS, IN THE SHADOW OF THE MOON, PRIDE, THE ULTIMATE GIFT, RESURRECTING THE CHAMP, RESCUE DAWN, TYLER PERRY’S DADDY LITTLE GIRLS, and THE FINAL SEASON, earned significantly more money (especially if you combine all the positive versus negative content) than movies with politically correct, Marxist, Anti-American, strong anti-capitalist, and/or very strong atheist, feminist, or perverse content, such as SICKO, REDACTED, RENDITION, IN THE VALLEY OF ELAH, I NOW PRONOUNCE YOU CHUCK AND LARRY, THE 11TH HOUR, CHARLIE WILSON’S WAR, THERE WILL BE BLOOD, THE GOLDEN COMPASS, ACROSS THE UNIVERSE, LIONS FOR LAMBS, THE MIST, SYDNEY WHITE. 2 DAYS IN PARIS, THE HOST, THE WIND THAT SHAKES THE BARLEY, HOLLYWOOD DREAMS, FAY GRIM, THE WALKER, EVERYTHING’S GONE GREEN, and PERSEPOLIS.

In fact, 72 percent of the Top 25 at the Box Office in North America, and 90 percent of the Top 10, contained strong or very strong traditional, conservative Judeo-Christian values with positive pro-American, capitalist and patriotic content. In contrast, only 16 percent of the Top 25 had any anti-American or unpatriotic content or any strong or very strong atheist content and only 12 percent had any strong or very strong perverse homosexual content or any politically correct content. Furthermore, all of the Top 25 had no Communist or socialist content.

Movies in 2006 with very strong Judeo-Christian values, strong pro-capitalist content, and/or pro-American or patriotic attitudes included such examples as CARS, THE PURSUIT OF HAPPYNESS, ROCKY BALBOA, THE PINK PANTHER, SUPERMAN RETURNS, MISSION:  IMPOSSIBLE III, FACING THE GIANTS, THE NATIVITY STORY, LOVE’S ABIDING JOY, LASSIE, WORLD TRADE CENTER, CHARLOTTE’S WEB, UNITED 93, and SOPHIE SCHOLL. 2006 movies with politically correct, socialist, Marxist, Anti-American, strong anti-capitalist, and/or very strong atheist, feminist, or perverse sexual content included TALLADEGA NIGHTS, BORAT, SCARY MOVIE 4, V FOR VENDETTA, THE ANT BULLY, ANOTHER GAY MOVIE, AN INCONVENTIENT TRUTH, CLERKS II, THE NIGHT LISTENER, SLITHER, HALF NELSON, WHY WE FIGHT, AL FRANKEN:  AND GOD SPOKE, SWEET LAND, FAST FOOD NATION, LETTERS FROM IWO JIMA, THE GOOD GERMAN, EDMOND, CSA, and MAN OF THE YEAR.

In fact, in 2006, 100 percent of the Top 25 at the Box Office had no Communist or socialist content, 100 percent had no strong anti-capitalist or very strong radical feminist content, 92 percent had no anti-American or unpatriotic content, and 92 percent had no very strong perverse sexual content. Also, 72 percent had no left-wing politically correct content whatsoever. Yet, 68 percent of the Top 25 and 80 percent of the Top 10 had strong or very strong traditional, conservative Judeo-Christian values with patriotic, pro-American or strong capitalist content.

For examples of 2005 movies with positive, more conservative, patriotic, pro-American movies, please see such movies as BATMAN BEGINS, THE GREAT RAID, THE CHRONICLES OF NARNIA: THE LION, THE WITCH AND THE WARDROBE, CHARLIE AND THE CHOCOLATE FACTORY, CHICKEN LITTLE, MADAGASCAR, THE ISLAND, THE LEGEND OF ZORRO, CINERELLA MAN, VALIANT, BECAUSE OF WINN-DIXIE, THE PACIFIER, PRIDE & PREJUDICE, and SKY HIGH. These movies made significantly more money on average in 2005 than left-wing oriented movies like SYRIANA, GOOD NIGHT, AND GOOD LUCK, BROKEBACK MOUNTAIN, KING KONG, BREAKFAST ON PLUTO, TRANSAMERICA, CASANOVA, THE CONSTANT GARDENER, MATCH POINT, XXX: STATE OF THE UNION, MR. AND MRS. SMITH, NORTH COUNTRY, THE FAMILY STONE, DEAR WENDY, RENT, and THE NEW WORLD.

In fact, in 2005, 100 percent of the Top 25 Movies at the Box Office in North America had no communist, socialist or Anti-American content in them, only 20 percent had any politically correct content whatsoever, only eight percent had any feminist content in them (despite for the hype over the feminist movie NORTH COUNTRY), only 12 percent had any perverse sexual content whatsoever (despite the hype over BROKEBACK MOUNTAIN), and none of them had any very strong atheist content in them. Yet, 56 percent of the Top 25 in 2005, and 80 percent of the Top 10, had conservative, patriotic, pro-American content with strong or very strong traditional, Judeo-Christian values. By the way, only 20 percent of the Top 10 received an abhorrent rating from MOVIEGUIDE®.

For examples of 2004 movies, conservative, patriotic, pro-American movies with traditional, Judeo-Christian values included such movies as THE PASSION OF THE CHRIST, THE INCREDIBLES, NATIONAL TREASURE, AMERICA’S HEART AND SOUL, SPIDER-MAN 2, THE AVIATOR, HOME ON THE RANGE, and IN THE FACE OF EVIL: REAGAN’S WAR IN WORD AND DEED. Movies promoting communism, radical feminism, left-wing political correctness, atheism, and perverse sexuality included such movies as THE DAY AFTER TOMORROW, FAHRENHEIT 9/11, KINSEY, THE CORPORATION, A DAY WITHOUT A MEXICAN, TYING THE KNOT, THE MOTORCYCLE DIARIES, SUPER-SIZE ME, VERA DRAKE, SAVED!, THE HUNTING OF THE PRESIDENT, and Spike Lee’s SHE HATE ME, which averaged much less money at the box office than the more conservative, patriotic movies.

For examples of 2003 movies, SEABISCUIT had a strong positive portrayal of a capitalist, the Jeff Bridges character, despite a couple brief, minor instances where the movie supported a “socialist” perspective of the policies of the New Deal. Movies with very strong moral content include such big movies as FINDING NEMO and RETURN OF THE KING as well as very small movies such as THE GUYS and LUTHER. Movies with very strong atheist or humanist content include such movies as SWIMMING POOL and THE STATEMENT. Movies with anti-capitalist content or negative portrayals of a capitalist include PAYCHECK, THE LAST SAMURAI, and TUPAC: RESURRECTION. Movies with anti-patriotic or Anti-American content include THE LAST SAMURAI, BEYOND BORDERS, THE HULK, and BUFFALO SOLDIERS, while patriotic or pro-American movies include MASTER AND COMMANDER, TEARS OF THE SUN, SPELLBOUND, and THE BATTLE OF SHAKER HEIGHTS. Movies with politically correct content include such things as BEND IT LIKE BECKHAM, BOAT TRIP, HEAD OF STATE, RUNAWAY JURY, MONA LISA SMILE, THE TRIP, and MARCI X.

The movies analyzed in 2002 with positive, pro-capitalist content include SPIDER-MAN, MINORITY REPORT, MY BIG FAT GREEK WEDDING, THE EMPEROR’S NEW CLOTHES, LILO & STITCH, and SPY KIDS 2. Patriotic, pro-American movies during that year are HART’S WAR, WE WERE SOLDIERS, XXX, and THE SUM OF ALL FEARS. Negative movies analyzed in 2002 include BOWLING FOR CULOMBINE, THE HOURS, GANGS OF NEW YORK, FAR FROM HEAVEN, ADAPTATION, THE BANGER SISTERS, and NOTORIOUS C.H.O.

Our focus is on religion, morality, and philosophy, not politics or economics or patriotism, so the statistical comparisons reported herein are striking. They clearly prove our point that, if a filmmaker or studio wants to be successful at theaters in North America, he or she should film a story with pro-capitalist, patriotic, and pro-American content reflecting very strong traditional moral values reflecting a biblical worldview. Radical, atheist humanism, and strong perverse sexual content offend and annoy the average moviegoer.