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iQuestions Faculty, Ted Baehr 
 
 
Question: 
 
Why are so many "Christian" movies and TV shows preachy or just 
plain bad? 
 
Answer: 
 
I’ll give you a couple of answers.  
 
Number one: you’ve got to make some bad movies and television until 
you learn to make some good ones. You’ve got to try your hand, 
you’ve got to experiment.  
 
Now, I wish that these people would grow.  
 
Number two: every child can recognize the difference in budget 
between a little low-budget animated faith-filled film, and a $180 
million Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, 
where they’ve done special effects that are just terrific.  
 
The kids love the well made movies, even if they’re six or seven years 
old. Even if they don’t know what the cost was, you can see the 
difference. 
 
You have to cut some slack for the little movies. There are some great 
movies out there.  
 
Movies that I can think of in the back of my mind like Babette’s Feast 
and others are just wonderful and weren’t made on a big budget. You 
just have to understand, you just have to appreciate them for what 
they are. I’m thinking of Facing the Giants, the other one.  
 
 
 
People make bad movies in every category.  
 
The good news is—and here’s the most important point—among all the 
great big Hollywood films, of which there are about 300 every year, 
the movies with good over evil—averaged about $183 million last year. 
The movies that added a positive reference to a savior, to faith, to 
Jesus averaged over $200 million.  
 
It reminds me of Superman. Lois Lane writes an article, “The world 
doesn’t need a savior.” Superman takes her up into the sky—actually, 
the producer is a Christian and is a friend of mine—and says, “Lois, do 
you hear that?” and she says, “No.” And he says, “I hear people every 
day crying out for a savior.”  
 
And that’s the truth. All over the world where I teach, people are 
asking for help, because they live very difficult lives. 
 
We’d like everybody to make a big budget $200 million Superman film, 
but if they can’t, let them try their hand. Let them grow.  
 
Understand that if they can only afford a small budget, appreciate 
what they’ve done for what they’ve done. Help them, especially if 
they’re just interested in that particular market niche to reach that 
niche.  
Baehr -2- 
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