Cultural backlash

Audiences desire more uplifting theater fare

By Richly Chheuy
From the September 2005 Print Edition

On a recent outing to the Hollywood Bowl, where I eagerly anticipated the commencement of the Tchaikovsky Spectacular, I couldn’t help but notice the iconic Hollywood sign in the distance. Hollywood, in my mind and in the minds of many others, instantly evokes images of dazzling movies, A-list celebrities, and a luxurious lifestyle. Yet, as I shifted my sights rightward — interestingly enough — I noticed behind a tree the image of the cross, up on a hill overlooking a city that largely contradicts its meaning. The cross, like the Hollywood sign, evokes powerful thoughts and feelings, but the similarities end there.

The physical separation of those two icons of modern culture — to think they once coalesced to create The Ten Commandments and Ben Hur, two venerated film classics — holds greater symbolic significance today than half a century ago. With the political climate separated into so-called red states and blue states, the cultural divide widens. However, moral values remain consistent through the ages; thus Hollywood must actively appeal to those values or face a severe economic and cultural backlash.

We just ended a summer blockbuster season featuring big-budget fare such as War of the Worlds, Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith, and Batman Begins. Yet, even with such high anticipation for these films, Hollywood suffered 19 straight weeks of declining box-office receipts; it took a super-heroic effort from the opening of Fantastic Four on July 8 to finally put Hollywood execs out of their misery.

From an economic perspective, more and more moviegoers are opting for DVDs and the comfort of their own homes, rather than spending nearly $10.00 — around $60.00 total for a family of four, including some refreshments — to watch Anakin turn to the dark side, or the admittedly impressive special effects in Worlds. However, in recent months, even DVD sales are down, with Dreamworks and other major studios cutting earnings due to lower-than-expected sales of box-office hits. With DVD sales and box office receipts declining concurrently, what’s going on?

Much of the problem with Hollywood today is the overemphasis on dark, controversial content that doesn’t uplift or inspire moviegoers, but rather leave them in a state of short-term depression. War of the Worlds is that type of grim sci-fi fantasy tale; the characters are pitted against a backdrop of seemingly insurmountable odds amidst an evil, deplorable, and malicious culture. It is not an easy film to sit through; it’s unsatisfying not because of its ending, but because of a society portrayed that unfortunately resembles, and in some instances replicates, ours. Consequently, Worlds is raking in lower-than-expected receipts, despite strong reviews and early praise.

What Hollywood needs — and television execs should take note of this as well — is to provide more family-orientated, kid-friendly, or even religious fare. Michael Medved, conservative talk show host and movie critic, has argued in a recent column in USA Today that “It’s the values, stupid.” In other words, Hollywood insiders and analysts waste too much time blaming changes in movie-going tastes rather than observing the possibility of moral depravity in many Hollywood releases.

In 2004, five of the ten highest-grossing films were rated G or PG. The R-rated Passion of the Christ was number three in total domestic gross; the remaining four films were rated PG-13. This indicates a greater demand for family-friendly and religious films in the movie industry. That doesn’t suggest churning out run-of-the-mill family or religious content for the sake of achieving that agenda. Bad movies, whether family-friendly or not, will always be bad movies. What must be done from Hollywood’s standpoint is to promote more uplifting stories so that audiences can once again watch a movie over and over, feeling more euphoric than they did two hours earlier.

I’m definitely not free from the excesses of popular culture; I’m a big Star Wars fan and there are times I wish I had a real lightsaber. However, as the cultural divide begins to widen between family values and mainstream culture, we have to stop and focus, like a laser beam — as Medved often says — on how we can instill some semblance of decency in cultural modernity. College students and older adults have a choice to accept or reject popular culture in their lives. We also have a clear moral incentive to protect the youngest and the most innocent of the populace from the junk cranked out by much of the entertainment industry. Only then can we shift into a mainstream culture that will embrace more conservative values, rather than the suppression of those values.

As these thoughts churned, the Los Angeles Philharmonic played its first notes and the stadium was blanketed in darkness, with patches of light coming from overhead and gigantic video screens. I gazed at the horizon once again; the Hollywood sign was shrouded, but the brightly lit cross remained visible.

How telling that is.

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