(AgapePress) - Hundreds of thousands of Christian activists helped propel The Passion of the Christ to top honors at the recent 31st Annual People's Choice Awards (PCA). Mel Gibson's surprise box office smash won in the "Favorite Drama" category at this year's award ceremony, which aired January 9 on CBS.This year, for the first time in history, all the PCA winners were determined by votes cast through the Internet. The Passion went up against four other popular films of 2004 -- The Bourne Supremacy, Finding Neverland, Collateral and the much acclaimed Ray Charles bio-pic, Ray. But when the votes were tallied, Gibson's scripture-based film emerged as the people's choice, and according to the American Family Association's Media Relations Director, Kathryn Hooks, AFA members had something to do with it.
"Over four hundred thousand American Family Association supporters voted for this film," Hooks says. "Ordinary Americans cast votes, and so this was not the Hollywood elite that voted for this movie. These votes were cast by pro-family Americans across the country."
The media relations specialist contends that the popularity and box office success of The Passion shows that the public is hungry for quality films without vulgar language and sex. Apart from vindicating Gibson's vision to direct, produce, and finance the project, she says the film offers the movie industry proof positive that consumers will support clean movies with a meaningful message.
"I think it would be beneficial for Hollywood to take note of this award," Hooks says. "These votes were cast by Americans across the country who just got online and registered their votes, and they voted for The Passion of the Christ."
The People's Choice Awards covered 38 film, television, and music categories. According to Associated Press, Gibson said this award for his depiction of the events leading up to the crucifixion of Jesus meant more to him anything before. In his acceptance speech, the filmmaker told the PCA audience, "I depended on you and you were there. If it wasn't for you guys, we would have been dead in the water."
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