Albany, Ga. — While brothers Alex and Stephen Kendrick may not have won over Hollywood, they have gained legions of fans elsewhere, including, more recently, Republican presidential hopefuls.
The Christian filmmakers, known for profit-margin monuments like “Courageous,” “Fireproof” and “Facing the Giants,” have deeply moved viewers with their faith-filled movies, and fans are eager to see their latest, “War Room,” in theaters Aug. 28.
“Like with the other films, people are going to laugh. They’re going to cry. They’re going to enjoy the journey of this movie,” said Stephen Kendrick, producer and co-screenwriter. “But they’re going to be challenged and inspired at the same time.”
“War Room” focuses on a middle-age couple who, while successful at work, are losing their marriage at home. Things begin to look up when the wife meets a client who takes an interest in her failing marriage and points out the power of prayer.
The cast includes popular Christian authors and speakers Priscilla Evans Shirer and Beth Moore. Ms. Shirer plays the lead character, Elizabeth Jordan, and Ms. Moore makes a cameo appearance as Mandy.
“My part in ’War Room’ is tolerable because it’s short,” Ms. Moore tweeted in February. “But @PriscillaShirer is flat-out phenomenal. A great movie!”
The film, distributed by Sony’s TriStar Pictures, will undergo a staggered release in 18 other countries. The film’s accompanying book, “The Battle Plan for Prayer,” already hit shelves earlier this week.
The Kendricks’ films are unique in that while they don’t appease many seasoned critics, they do attract large audiences that are hungry for films that are not only socially redeeming, but are told from a distinct Christian point of view.
The outpouring of support in the U.S. and abroad affirms for the Kendricks that their viewers are more concerned than ever in learning how faith can play a productive role in their personal lives and within a world that they view as increasingly unstable, hostile and depraved.
Brotherly love
The Kendricks gave an exclusive interview to The Washington Times at Sherwood Baptist Church, which paved the way for their film careers 12 years ago. The Kendricks were both associate pastors at the church when Alex Kendrick approached their senior pastor with a Barna Group poll that revealed the church’s waning influence in the growing presence of secular-based cinema, TV and Internet.
“Our motto is still ’In God we trust,’ but is that true? Is that still true for America?” asked Alex Kendrick, who co-writes, -directs and acts in their films. “I would say it’s less true for America than it’s ever been before. So to say ’God bless America’ and ’In God we trust’ and not to acknowledge God at all, to remove him from prayers, to remove him from schools, is very concerning for us.
“At the same time, when you lift up a standard of hope and biblical truth, you shine brighter. And people tend to look at you.”
Major U.S. politicians are looking too. Republican presidential candidates are not only telling the Georgia natives that they like their films, but that they would like to have their endorsement too.
Though fellow Christian entertainer Willie Robertson of “Duck Dynasty” fame recently endorsed Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal, the Kendricks have not been as eager to back a candidate. Though somewhat leery of politics, they say an endorsement may be coming.
Business model
In the meantime, their fans keep coming — not only to buy tickets, but to volunteer on set. “War Room,” their first film shot outside of Albany, Georgia, was filmed in Charlotte, North Carolina.
The Albany Herald reported that 1,000 volunteers and 85 churches assisted in the production of “War Room,” which takes advantage of the scenery of the Blue Ridge Mountains. As was done with their prior films, pre-screenings of “War Room” were held for Christian leaders across the country who, as they’ve done before, passed along glowing reports.
Churches, once again, have gone to bat for the Kendricks by marketing “War Room” and encouraging congregations to buy tickets in advance and join fellow church members for a night out at the movies. To date, this grass-roots approach has garnered the Kendricks a huge following and jaw-dropping profits.
From their first film, “Flywheel,” in 2003, it was clear that the Kendricks knew how to attract audiences. Their last film, “Courageous,” a $1 million production released in 2011, raked in a staggering $34.5 million at the box office. “Fireproof,” produced on only a $500,000 budget, brought in $33.4 million at theaters. Their other films have had similar profit margins, all of which have largely benefitted Sony and Sherwood Pictures, a ministry of the church.
“While we have made profits for our writing, the majority of movie profits go to Sony and Sherwood,” Alex Kendrick said. “I hope no one thinks that the millions from the box office came to me and my brother, because they didn’t.”
The Kendricks, while still active members at Sherwood Baptist, resigned as associate pastors to pursue filmmaking full-time. “War Room” is the first movie they’ve produced with their company, Kendrick Brothers. Sherwood Pictures has retained ownership of their four prior films.
Proceeds from their films have been used to construct a public recreation center in Albany and expand church ministries.
While grateful that all of their films have been box office dynamos, the Kendricks, both of whom are pastors, are more excited to point out how their Gospel-enriched storylines have saved marriages and helped people to overcome tough, personal obstacles.
“I don’t know how many times…hundreds of times we’ve heard people say, with tears in their eyes, this movie saved my son’s marriage, or this movie saved my family, or my husband came home after he saw ’Courageous,’” Stephen Kendrick explained.
“We’ll hear stories of people’s marriages being reconciled in Brazil. There’s men in Malawi [in] Africa who united together after seeing ’Courageous’ and started saying that they need to start providing for their children that they’ve been neglecting. Seven-hundred police officers in Panama going to see ’Courageous’ in uniform. I’ve got photos of that.”
Alex Kendrick is just as excited about the social impact of their films.
“When I went to Ecuador, one of the top police leaders there held an open ceremony in an arena and had me come down and lead about 1,500 police officers in uniform, standing next to their wives, and they went through the resolution ceremony that we put into the movie [’Courageous’],” Mr. Kendrick explained. “They wanted to do that for real, and state those resolution points as their standard for manhood as an officer in Ecuador.”
As their cinematic stars continue to rise — albeit in a mostly conservative universe — the Kendrick brothers appear humbled by their success and say that filmmaking is the hardest thing they’ve ever done.
The Kendricks are exercising as much discernment as they can when it comes to applying what they’ve learned.
And one of the biggest lessons they’ve learned is that the subjects of church, politics and culture have remained taboo for too long. The violence, immorality and cultural division that they see pervading the U.S. and other countries is not the fault of quibbling and ineffectual politicians, but rather, as they see it, a failure of the church.
“When I see the news, I can get very discouraged,” Alex Kendrick said. “It does seem that our culture is getting more divided, selfish and immoral. That’s an indictment on all of us. First, it reveals that the church in America has not been the ’light’ we were called to be. Secondly, it reflects the wickedness of mankind apart from God. If there ever was a time for us to repent and return to the Lord, it’s now.”
Political circles
Stephen Kendrick said their movies are not intended to rouse politicians, but rather to stir the church first into spreading the Gospel, which they believe will alleviate the world’s woes.
“Politics are downstream from culture,” said Stephen Kendrick. “We did a Bible study course for the people in the White House staff years ago after ’Fireproof’ (2008).
“They were talking about how the politicians look to the culture and see what’s popular in the culture and the movement of opinion within the culture is, and they tend to make the laws following the movement of the culture,” he said. “And so when the heart of the nation changes and they want to head in a certain direction, the politicians tend to follow.”
The Kendricks take their position as Christian icons seriously and may later endorse a presidential candidate. But for now they’ve made it clear that it’s not a priority.
“We don’t think the right presidential candidate is the answer to our culture,” said Alex Kendrick.
“It doesn’t change the heart of the people,” Stephen Kendrick added. “It’s a wonderful thing when a leader leads with conviction, and is pointing everyone they’re leading in a moral, upright, God-honoring, healthy direction.”
“But that’s not the answer,” Alex Kendrick added. “That’s like two or three levels down. The first answer is that we want revival and awakening for the church. Because when the church is the church, it spreads from there.”
Mixed media
While other successful filmmakers have convinced audience members to save whales, rainforests and extraterrestrials, the Kendricks have convinced millions of viewers to save themselves through the Gospel. It’s a message the brothers have reinforced through best-selling books that complement their films and equip people to overcome their daily struggles.
Their films hark back to the once-popular kitchen-sink genre that Hollywood revered decades ago. Academy Award-winning films like “Marty,” starring the late Ernest Borgnine, reveal next-door-neighbor-like characters who rise up and overcome deep personal problems.
While Hollywood has produced films that subtly, and sometimes even cryptically, refer to Judeo-Christian values, the Kendricks are far more overt in revealing the spiritual source behind a character’s triumph.
“Every director is preaching a sermon,” Stephen Kendrick said. “Whether it’s James Cameron communicating a save-the-planet message in ’Avatar’ — “
“Or that their life’s not important, or that it is important, or whatever,” his brother added. “Every movie has a worldview, and ours do too.”
“We just admit it,” said Stephen Kendrick, laughing.
“We are ministers who make films as an outlet for ministry,” Alex Kendrick said. “We want the films to be engaging and powerful and inspirational. But, we have an agenda, just like everybody does.”
When the Kendricks talk about the success of their films, they do not embellish about the enormous profit margins they’ve earned that leave Hollywood moguls panting. Rather, they point to the marriages and the personal lives they’ve helped to restore by presenting the Gospel through stories that their audiences find authentic, funny, personable and hopeful.
Their work has also inspired other Christian filmmakers, including a former top country music producer, Chuck Howard.
Mr. Howard, who became a Christian five years ago, is now co-producing a movie on the 1999 Columbine shooting, featuring “Duck Dynasty” stars Korie and Sadie Robertson.
“The Kendricks are my heroes,” Mr. Howard said from Nashville, the set location for “I’m Not Ashamed,” based on the shootings. “They know exactly who they make their films for, and they don’t apologize for that. As a result, they’ve been wildly successful and a blessing to audiences worldwide.”
The Kendricks have inspired several private Christian universities. Film programs have become more popular at such schools as Bob Jones University, Liberty University, Regents University, Biola University and North Greenville University. Qualifying students have received internships with the Kendricks.
“There’s a growing number of them [Christian universities] that are starting film programs, and we’re excited about that,” Alex Kendrick said.
Mr. Kendrick said that Christians are playing catch-up when it comes to mastering various forms of media that can help spread the Gospel.
“Followers of Jesus used to be among the greatest artists, musicians and writers in the world. But somewhere along the way, we decided to just put a Christian spin on whatever the world was doing,” he said.
“But we’ve realized that we took a backseat to powerful and creative expression, and are now starting to reclaim much of that influence. So, yes, we came late to the party in recent decades when mastering new forms of media for the advancement of the Gospel. But we’re now seeing a growing level of excellence in film, music and writing that is very exciting to see.”
Backlash
Critics frequently condemn the Kendricks’ work. A reviewer on RottenTomatoes.com wrote of “Courageous” (2011): “While the filmmaking is fairly competent, ’Courageous’ is overall worthless to anybody who doesn’t subscribe to its dogmatic agenda.”
Reviewer Peter Chattaway in Christianity Today wrote of “Fireproof” (2008): “The first half-hour or so feels uneven, like the filmmakers were trying to find the right tone, or weren’t quite sure how to set up the story.”
Overall, Mr. Chattaway endorsed the film and said it was an improvement, in terms of its production value, over their earlier films.
The Kendricks say they’re not bothered by negative reviews. Considering that box office sales are booming, viewers keep calling and emailing to express their gratitude, and leaders around the U.S. and abroad keep vying for their attention, it’s easy to see why.
“Each of our films is fairly bold in presenting the Gospel from Scripture, for presenting biblical principles,” Alex Kendrick said. “But we must do that with truth and love. All of our answers are going to boil down to that. We want to honor the Lord. He is the ultimate one that we want approval from and, secondly, we want to do it effectively and with a growing level of excellence. And so that’s what drives us.”
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