Can you cuss in faith-based films?!
Posted on February 8, 2008
Filed Under Dallas Jenkins |
Below is an excerpt from an article/blog I wrote a few months ago, but it has relevance now as I gear up to actually shoot Mountain. Check it out.. In the last week alone I’ve had two detailed email “debates” about the issue of cussing in movies. It’s been fascinating. The first one came because my Dad and I got an email from a viewer of the film “Though None Go With Me,” whic she saw on DVD. She was horrified because at the beginning of the film, one of the characters (a doctor) says, “I brought him into this world, and I’ll be damned if I let him suffer because he can’t afford medical insurance.” She believed that using the word “damned” was inappropriate, sinful, and offensive, and it compromised the Jerry Jenkins name. I’ve also been discussing the issue with someone who’s interested in helping raise money for “Mountain.” In the script, there’s a fair amount of cussing (no F-bombs or blasphemy, but a few other choice phrases) because the story is about a bunch of drinking, fighting mountain people in 1920’s Virginia.
This issue has always puzzled me in the Christian community. My films aren’t intended to be Christian films or made solely for the Christian market, but because my films do come from a Christian perspective and worldview and usually include some Christian characters or references, I have a relationship with the Christian market.
That said, I’ve always wondered why most Christians have no problem watching films that contain the sins of betrayal, murder, stealing, lying, or drunkenness, but they can’t stand to see someone commit the “sin” of saying a bad word. I didn’t mean for that sentence to sound condescending, but it does puzzle me. I think that faith-based films have a tendency to be so sugar-coated and sanitized that the ultimate redemption they try to portray is tempered. The message of Christianity is that God can redeem and save the dirtiest of souls, and that hope can be found in the midst of the most vulgar of circumstances. I don’t believe that films should be titillating or present wrong behavior in a glorifying or endorsing way (not sure if I’m being grammatically correct right now, but bear with me), but I also believe that sanitizing it in order to be “safe,” “clean,” or “family friendly” really ignores an important aspect of the Christian message.
The Old Testament, for example, is full of disgusting, horrifying, and yes, vulgar stories. Several translations tell of people “pissing on a wall,” “eating their own dung,” or one man “spilling his seed on the ground.” Of course, the Bible always portrays an overall message of good over evil, of hope and redemption triumphing over immorality.
Therefore, in the case of cussing in films, it seems odd that we would treat that sin as worse than others and as something to avoid at all costs.
But let me illustrate my point through a scene in my script for “Mountain,” which is the true story of Bob Childress, a man who went from being the biggest fighter and hardest drinker in the 1920’s mountains of Virginia to become a life-changing preacher. Here’s a scene that takes place during the period of time when he’s trying to be a better man:
OUTSIDE CHURCH
Bob talks with other members. A MAN approaches.
MAN
The Heller of the Hollow at a Presbyterian church! Childress, you got no right readin’ from the Bible.
BOB
I’m tellin’ yuh, I ain’t the same man.
MAN
Like hell you ain’t! Your cousin Jess, your whole damn family live by stealin’ and fightin’!
BOB
You jus’ watch yerself!
MAN
You a sinner your whole life.
BOB
I reckon I’m still a sinner…but I been saved.
MAN
I don’t believe you changed a lick. God got no place for the likes a you.
Bob punches the man, knocking him out. Bob realizes what he’s done.
BOB
Aw, hell!
He falls to his knees.
BOB
Lord, please forgive these damn fists.
(covers his mouth)
And this tongue.
BUGGY - NEARBY
Lelia and Maggie stare at Bob. Reverend Smith walks up.
REVEREND SMITH
The Lord changes some slower than he changes others.Now what’s the greater sin portrayed in the scene? The fact that he punched a man or that he swore? I would say that he punched a man. But either way, why would it be okay to show the punch but not hear him say a bad word? This is what has always confused me about certain people’s reactions to movies. I think the scene is very poignant and a creative and efficient way to show on screen one man’s transformation from the “old” to the “new,” which is very difficult to do. Showing a spiritual transformation is about as hard to do on film as anything–it’s easy to show someone losing weight, or someone getting smarter, or someone learning how to box, or a building turning more beautiful. And it’s also easy to show the moment in which these ideas are formulated–”I need to lose weight because my fat is killing me,” or “I need to train for this big event so I can win,” or “This building is broken down and ugly and needs improvement.”
But showing someone have a spiritual heart change is extraordinarily difficult, and most movies fail at it, which is why most Christian movies never break out of the church basement. The reason is that it’s so hard to show, in a short amount of time, someone’s NEED for God, and then to show how their relationship with God has changed them. Do they smile more? Do more good things for others? How does their life improve? What if their circumstances don’t improve (which is realistic in real life, but is rarely, if ever, shown in faith-based films)?
So how do we effectively and efficiently, in the course of 2 hour movie, show a heart change? Even more difficult, and in our case, how do we show it in the span of the first 40 minutes of the movie so that we can get on to the ministry part of Bob’s life? And on that same train of thought, how do we show the transformation of the whole region? Especially when we don’t have the benefit of a book format, where you can discuss people’s thoughts and motivations without having to show them.
I suppose, if we really wanted the film to be as clean as possible, we could use narration, or we could have characters say things like, “I used to cuss, but I don’t anymore.” But I believe that would make for a static and sanitized movie. And what it would gain in appealing to church families it would lose in being unrelatable or dynamic to someone who isn’t a Christian but was interested in the film.
In my opinion, a great way to show the spiritual transformation of Bob Childress, and subsequently the region, is to use the tools we have as artists–words and actions. In the scene above, in one page, we have efficiently and dramatically shown what is going on inside of Bob’s heart, without being cheesy or overly simple. By using rough actions and rough words in the first part of the film, and then showing a lack of those actions and those words in the latter part of the film, we are showing victory. And I confess I wouldn’t see the point in sanitizing those words to protect our ears as we watch the film, anymore than I would see the point in sanitizing the actions to protect our eyes. The “F-word,” or the Lord’s name in vain, would probably be pushing the envelope unnecessarily, because those words are considered so strong and inflammatory in our culture that they can be a distraction. Not that I would be adverse to using the “f-word” in a film if it had a strong and specific purpose, but usually, it’s just window dressing. Anyway, thsoe are some of my recent thoughts on this interestingly controversial topic. FYI, I do believe that there are some movies that can and should do without cussing, especially if they’re marketed to families. And I also recognize that certain people go to films for different reasons, and sometimes they don’t want to smell the dirty sewer of life, they just want some clean entertainment. That’s totally fine. I’ve been part of movies that fit that description, especially Though None Go With Me (the word “damned” excluded). It’s just not the type of film I’ll usually make.
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18 Responses to “Can you cuss in faith-based films?!”
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Sorry about the font issues! Hope to fix these shortly.
Interesting perspective. I agree that Christian films are too sanitized sometimes. Although if there is cursing there should definitely be a reason behind it. I really don’t think there would ever be a time the “F-bomb” would ever be appropriate though in a Christian film or really at all in life for that matter. Great piece.
Thanks, Dallas, I appreciate your commitment to image for us redemption as it truly is, not to merely a re-enact a redemption we are comfortable with.
I think there are also times when an expletive isn’t sinful at all but a proper reflection of human emotion and a reaction to evil in the world around us. A case study of C.S. Lewis’ use of profanity along these lines would be pretty interesting.
Thanks, Dallas, I really appreciate your thoughts here.
Thank you for posting this! This is something that I have been thinking for a long time and have been waiting for Christian film-makers to man up and do something like this. I am looking forward to more Christians going this route…maybe we’ll finally be able to get some QUALITY “Christian” movies out.
I have repeated told friends that if I could make any movie, it would have been Crash - and I wouldn’t have changed a thing. That movie is full of beauty and pain and hope…cussing and all.
Thanks again!
I don’t see why you can’t…I think people pick and choose what in scripture they want to follow. We tend to “prioritize” sins as if some are worse than others. And we allow ourselves to watch violence and then act shocked at an obscene word. An amazing Derek Webb song describing his spirit life refers to him as a whore…and people feel like that has no place in “Christian” music. But what better place to acknowledge our brokenness and be honest about ourselves than in creative venues like music and film? I say be honest about the emotions we feel…and like you said, don’t glorify that behavior but let’s not pretend that it isn’t there.
Great article. I’m an aspiring screenwriter and while I try to only use cuss words if its really what the character would say, I can still always hear my mother’s voice in my head saying “I thought you were going to tell nice stories!” (I’m sorry if this a semi-double post. I tried last night, but it didn’t seem to work.)
back in grade school when we read “To Kill A Mockingbird” out loud in class, we occasionally had to read the word “n****r.” i know that’s not really a swear word, but it was pretty uncomfortable for a lot of us suburban white kids to utter that without choking. but if that effect is used properly, then a real emotional tension can come across in a story.
Thanks, Dallas, for your commitment to making films that artistically present a story from a Christian world view. There are not enough artists out there with the courage to step out and make their art for the world and from the Church.
As a writer I always try to remember what my teachers used as the first rule of writing, “Show it. Don’t tell it.” You HAVE to show the sin (albeit, within the constraints of your own standards)in order to show it’s effects. That was a powerful scene but it would lose far too much of its impact if the language was cleaned up.
Dallas,
You know, it’s funny… I come from a culture and a town of mechanics and construction workers; a small town in the Ozarks where a conversation might use the words “like hell” or ‘I’ll be damned’. Especially among those who aren’t ‘churched’ (as if that = the salvation of their souls… but that’s another story). I think that it is probably ok to ‘cuss’ in a Christian movie, but be careful about the motives you use. I’ve seen among my peers and friends (ie. Christians at a University here in the midwest) rebel against the fictional ‘thou shalt not cuss’ command of our christian culture just because they can or because they wanted to be controversial or prove a point or because it has some sort of ’shock value’. That being said, some situations or character portrayals require the use of ‘colorful’ language in order to convey the sense of emotional tension (ie, dylan’s post about the n* word) or the stress/urgency of the situation.
I guess what I’m trying to say is that we don’t live in a world of ‘nice’, even as Christians. We encounter and are broken people and our situations are jacked up. If we try to portray the world as this ‘nice’ place where people’s shortcomings and sins are minor and watered down and tame, we do a disservice to our portrayal of the power of God’s grace in those peoples’ lives.
So I would pose a question. Is it a sin to cuss? The only verses that I can think of that pertains to this is Colossians 3:8 and Ephesians 4:29.
Ephesians 4:29- Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear.
Colossians 3:8- But now you must put them all away: anger, wrath, malice, slander, and obscene talk from your mouth
Perhaps an appeal to the original greek is needed (I’m at school and don’t have that resource here) to define what “corrupting talk” or “obscene talk” are translated from. Sometimes the translations can be a bit unstraightforward so appealing to the greek and also to the context (ie. “corrupting”=perverted sexual talk?, badmouthing people?, or cussing? which or all of these does God mean?)
So search your heart and seek God on it. I don’t have a straightforward answer but I should think that He does. Best of luck in your filmmaking ventures.
We need to be careful about judging our fellow Christians about thier sensitivity to different areas of sin. I have learned and am still reminded that what the Holy Spirit has convicted me about may not be what He is working on in the life of someone else. I am personally very sensitive to language that involves cursing. I find that if I hear it, I begin to think it, and it is more likely to come out of my mouth. I have friends who don’t even notice curse words in movies and are obviously not using that type of language either. For them it may be violence, nudity, or drug use that they are sensitive to. I just choose to watch movies that don’t have a lot of cursing and refrain from judging those that do.
And the Christian population wonders why we’re so secluded from the unsaved. . .
We wrap ourselves in bubbles and refuse to work with the thorns of the field; how else are we supposed to reap a harvest?
“The “F-word,” or the Lord’s name in vain, would probably be pushing the envelope unnecessarily, because those words are considered so strong and inflammatory in our culture that they can be a distraction.”
Maybe it’s just me, but the S-word and the B-word come across just as strong to me as your two examples. I suppose that’s due to the personal culture standard that I’ve created for myself.
That same personal culture standard has deemed mild violence and minor cursing to be acceptable, while big-time violence, prevalent cursing and nudity are considered unacceptable.
I’m that guy who will read “Plugged In” before he considers seeing a movie. And while I enjoy good cinema, I don’t think I’ve seen any major Oscar contenders because of my standards. So I just end up watching “Mad Hot Ballroom” a lot…..
I’m also getting away from the fact that this is a faith-based film. As such, it’s probably not intended for me. Would I see it? If the story interested me and the content was acceptable, yes. But if not, then no.
I agree that a lot of Christians treat cussing like it’s the unforgivable sin, but that’s not an excuse for you to sin. You are not accountable to those people, you are accountable to God. And I think God was pretty clear in 1 Corinthians 10:31 when he said “whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God.” To disagree is to call God a liar. I wish people would stop trying to justify sin! Genuine faith doesn’t look for loopholes!
I’d be interested to hear what Dallas’s favorite movies are.
As for me, my top ten would most likely include 7 or 8 R rated movies that involve cussing.
I sometimes wonder how far the Christian community could go if they would stop continually being in a state of being “offended.”
Thought I’d weigh in on a few thoughts here, in no particular order:
1. I agree that there should be a reason behind the cussing. Someone once asked, “Do you think it’s okay to cuss in films because cussing is no big deal?” I said, “No, I think that because I think cussing IS a big deal.” I wouldn’t call it a big sin, but I do think that words have a lot of power, especially in art, and we need to have all the tools available to us when communicating something important artistically.
2. Funny you mentioned Crash, as that’s a film that my film Midnight Clear has been compared to. I liked it as well, although Magnolia was an even bigger influence. Interestingly, Lionsgate distributed Crash and also Midnight Clear. But when it came time to release Midnight Clear, they wanted the “cuss-free” version so that they could fully maximize the Christian audience.
3. We can argue about whether or not cussing is a sin, but even if we agreed that it was, I don’t think that is relevant to the argument of whether or not it should be in a film. There is a difference between a sin and the portrayal of sin. Most people instinctively understand this, but for some reason, many Christians can handle the portrayal of certain sins but not others, including saying a bad word.
4. I do agree that many people cuss/drink/smoke for the wrong reasons. It’s more to be cool or to thumb their nose (or flick off) at their Christian upbrining. Yes, we have “freedom in Christ,” but why do we want to exploit that to the fullest degree?
5. As to whether the “S” and “B” words are just as strong as the other biggies, I’m not sure I agree, but I will say that I took out the S-words in my new project, simply because they did seem to stand out and distract. That won’t always be the case, but for this film, it was.
6. On my blog at my site, and my myspace page, I mention my favorite and most influential movies, but I’ll list a few here quickly. In terms of films that influenced me (different list than my “favorites”), I have to include One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest, It’s a Wonderful Life, Magnolia, Jerry Maguire, Pulp Fiction, About Schmidt, The Station Agent, and Traffic/Erin Brockovich, among others.
I suppose for me, the story is greater than the details. That is, the bigger picture can redeem the inperfect brush strokes present within the painting. So I am fully able to overlook cussing in a movie so long as the bigger picture paints something that represents truth, or beauty, etc.
This is how I see certain movies.
Further, I feel like too many Christians fail to distinguish between supporting/uplifting immorality and a film that is simply calling a spade a spade. Sin is sin and there’s no dodging that. There’s also pretty much no way around portraying it without losing the profound impact of reality. Sure, you can do a narration or maybe hint at a few things, but that is not real. That is not life. Sin can be really ugly and offensive - in fact, it SHOULD be!
And my guess, at least with the folks who read this magazine and participate at this website, is that the goal is not to make a movie that will make Christians happy, per se. But a movie that appeals to truth - that truth that is within each one of us, Christian or not. That we all have a side of us that is ugly or depraved, but that the ugliness is being redeemed (notice I did not say, “has been redeemed” - this is often a long and grueling process).
And if this is true, then the movie has the potential to cross religious boundaries and bring truth (and hopefully hope and life) to others.
What’s not to support?
Cussing in movies is no big deal. Whether the movie is Christian or not. It often helps better portray the character, especially against a specific backdrop. I’m not terribly offended when I watch “Entourage” and Ari belts out a strong of profanity. In some ways it’s funny. But I am offended when Jane Fonda uses the c-word in a television interview. That’s not her in character - that’s her really making herself look like an ignorant, uneducated slob.
It’s not being prudish to avoid cussing. I used to cuss regularly. But one day on a business trip, I heard some folks speaking and a couple of them used some profanity. One of the girls I was with said (to what I don’t recal), “What the f*?” Something about it really turned me off. What did that mean? Grammatically it made no sense. So I was left thinking there could only be two reasons for her saying this. One, because she wanted to shock the listeners. That couldn’t be, since others were using similar vocabulary. The option I was left with was laziness and a lack of care. I think she felt it was easier to say this than to properly convey her thoughts. It took too much effort to think first, then articulate a response.
I don’t cuss now, not because I’m a Christian, but because it’s just not how I want others to view me in my role as a husband, father, student, teacher, etc.
I think you both make terrific points, so I can’t add much to them.
Regarding cussing in real life, I do it every now and then for humor’s sake with specific people, but in general, I think it’s important that we exalt language and be “gentlemen” and “gentlewomen.” Just because we have “freedom in Christ” doesn’t mean we shouldn’t set an example of class, maturity, and professionalism.