Why the 82nd Academy Awards were Significant to the Christian Filmmaker
First of all, I'd like to state that I do not in any way suggest that anyone should go out and watch either of the films discussed below. This article regards these films solely as the representatives of different standings in the filmmaking industry, and does not endorse either of them. I also do not suggest that anyone watch the Academy Awards (I received all of my knowledge of them via live blogging.).
This year's Academy Awards were frontlined by James Cameron's
Avatar and Katherine Bigelow's
The Hurt Locker. They were complete opposites in more ways than one.
First of all, a few facts regarding each film.
Avatar is James Cameron's first blockbuster film since
Titanic.
Titanic held the world record for the highest gross revenue of a film in history, until James Cameron broke his own record with
Avatar grossing (at the time of this writing) $2.6 billion. He spent $237 million to make it.
The Hurt Locker is Katherine Bigelow's eighth feature film. It was independently produced, and it cost $11 million to make, and so far, it has grossed $21 million.
Thanks to it's dazzling special effects, gripping action sequences, and attractive (among other things) characters, the mainstream world absolutely loved
Avatar. But when it came time to give out the Oscars, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences had a decision to make. They could choose either to give the Best Picture award to the film that was produced on an enormous budget and backed by a huge studio, or they could acknowledge that it is still possible for an independent filmmaker with a good screenplay to make a commercially successful film.
They chose the independent film. And we, the Christian independent filmmakers, are grateful for the encouragement that we too can reach this world with our independent films.