Why is the New Movie for Christians Flopping?

Phil Vischer has some interesting comments about The Nativity movie, much of which I agree with. Still not sure we'll get to see it, especially since this is a tough time to get a sit and we already have about two family movies we want to see, includine Charlotte's Web. (By the way, these are the reasons we might choose not to see it in theaters, not because it doesn't portray the Blessed Virgin in a Catholic way.)

Vischer discusses a lot of reasons why Mel Gibson was able to pull off what New Line Cinema can't seem to, but the big "oh, yeah!" comment is this one:

I would suggest this particular film never had much of a chance due to two factors: First, it had no well-liked artist behind it whose involvement would create high expectations or intrigue, and, second, it told a story that we've seen told a million times in the corniest of animated specials and low-budget Christmas dramas. No intrigue about the artistic vision, combined with no intrigue about the subject matter, leaves a movie with very little to stand on except, "Hey Christians! Please come see our movie about your savior! We made it just for you!" And that pitch, as Hollywood is about to learn, will only get you so far.

Christian filmmakers need to have legitimate artistic visions for their work, and need to choose or create material with inherent intrigue for a sizeable audience. If you have great ideas and great vision for bringing them to life, you will, over time, earn an audience for your work. But the "Hey Christians, we made another movie just for you guys!" pitch isn't going to work. Sure, a few Christians will show up out of a sense of obligation, but the bulk of that now coveted Passion of the Christ audience will be in the next theater over, watching Pirates of the Carribean 2. Why? Because it's fun. And that, at the end of the day, is why America goes to the movies. Even the Christians.

The whole post is worth reading, and it's not even that long. Head on over and check it out.