In Less Than a Week, Gibson's Passion Becomes #1 Box Office Smash
by Fred Jackson and Jenni Parker
March 1, 2004
(AgapePress) - Mel Gibson's film The Passion of the Christ has already reached blockbuster status, pulling in $117.5 million since its debut last Wednesday. That sum represents twice as much money as the rest of the weekend's 12 top-grossing movies combined.The controversial movie debuted on Ash Wednesday, making an amazing $23.6 million, then shot up to the number-one spot for the weekend, earning $76.2 million from Friday to Sunday -- the seventh best three-day opening in movie box office history. Producer-director Mel Gibson, who put up the movie's $25 million budget, will reap most of the returns since the major Hollywood studios chose to have nothing to do with the project.
The Passion of the Christ is Gibson's powerful retelling, in graphic detail, of the events that occurred during the final 12 hours of Jesus' life, leading up to and including his brutal scourging, torturous humiliation, and crucifixion. Viewers flocked to see what some critics describe as a sadomasochistic and gratuitously violent drama. Nevertheless, many Christian viewers have responded to the film as a masterpiece of singular power and spiritual impact.
Early on, Gibson's Bible-based project was anticipated as an unusual niche film that would have limited appeal, mainly drawing conservative Christians. But word of mouth soon gave the movie a definite boost as pre-release buzz and debate began over its accuracy and historicity, its ideology, its violence, and its potential for anti-Semitic backlash.
Many critics were particularly concerned about what some view as The Passion's anti-Semitic presentation of biblical events. A number of Jewish and Christian leaders have charged the film with reviving or reinforcing the idea that the Jews collectively were responsible for Christ's death.
Although Gibson flatly denies that either he or his film is anti-Semitic, he has not been able to escape the Hollywood rumor mill unscathed. According to NewsMax.com, "Amid the daily dealings of Hollywood, the film and the star have been fodder for unfavorable gossip," with at least one major film star talking with friends about Gibson's "strangeness" during a recent ABC interview, and a producer referring negatively to Gibson's "religious zealotry."
But Bruce Davey, a partner in Gibson's film company Icon Productions, told Yahoo! Movies that Gibson's efforts to garner support among churches and Christian groups have actually been helped by such attacks, which raised the film's mainstream media profile. "It all began with a grassroots campaign we started," Davey says, "but the controversy has obviously helped in creating awareness."
Christian Critic's Kudos, Concerns
As debate over the movie took on a life of its own, the groundswell of publicity and interest worked to fuel the movie's phenomenal ticket sales, with many theaters selling out advance screenings and premiere dates well before the release. And now, Ted Baehr of the Christian Film and Television Commission has told Associated Press that The Passion of the Christ could wind up earning $500 million and would easily -- in a better world -- dominate next year's Academy Awards.
He says Gibson's film deserves nominations for best direction and cinematography, as well as acting nominations for Jim Caviezel, who played Christ, and for Hristo Shopov, who played Pontius Pilate. But he doubts Gibson will get the credit he deserves from the Hollywood establishment, "because I've been talking to a lot of people in the studios who are very angry at Mel," he says.
But Baehr says Gibson probably will not need an Oscar, since "he's going to walk away with a half-a-billion-dollar film."
Baehr publishes MovieGuide, a newsletter that reviews films from a Christian perspective and advises parents and other pro-family moviegoers about their moral content. The Christian media expert and pro-family advocate is pleased to see the progress that has been made in Hollywood in recent years in terms of spiritual content in films. He tells AP that there are far more religious films being released today than there were when he began publishing MovieGuide in the 1980s.
"You've got The Passion of the Christ, the Gospel of John, Luther, and you've got all these films that have positive spiritual values woven into them. So it's quite an incredible change," he says
MovieGuide's review of The Passion of the Christ calls it a masterpiece that will convict and transform the Body of Christ. But the reviewer notes, "This is not a 'Christian' film, in the sense that it will appeal only to those who identify themselves as followers of Jesus Christ. It is a deeply human, beautiful story that will deeply touch all men and women. It is a profound work of art."
Nevertheless, Baehr does have some concerns about Gibson's film. He feels some knowledge of the gospel is necessary to truly understand its meaning, and he fears many non-Christians who see it are leaving theaters bewildered, wondering why such horrible suffering was necessary.
Baehr says Christians need to make themselves available to non-believers who see the film, "because it's just a very small frame. It's just the last few hours of Christ's life. People have been walking out, including reviewers, saying they didn't get the story. So this is up to Christians."
But Baehr says he thanks God for Mel Gibson, who provided that frame and the opportunity for Christians to help fill it in, "to help people understand what the truth of the story is."
