The New York Times today examines the ways in which Hollywood is dealing with our current economic apocalypse in movies and on TV. Mostly, say producers, they’re trying to just ignore it, lest the bailout package work and American magically return to financial prosperity, thereby making a Wall Street–shaming script seem passé. Also, citing the recent surprise success of Beverly Hills Chihuahua, some expect a shift toward non-depressing escapist films with absolutely no basis in reality: “In bad times especially, people do not want to see on the screen what they’re living through,” says one Hollywood agent nice enough to pinch-hit for obvious-stater Paul Dergarabedian. So, yes, we can obviously all expect more Chihuahua-based children’s entertainment.
But what about the fall’s other surprise non-reality-based hit? The Daily Beast reminds us today that evangelical action spectacular Fireproof — the new film in which Kirk Cameron plays a fireman who overcomes an Internet-porn addiction and huge motherfucking fireballs to save his marriage — is a massive stinking success. Just this past weekend it cracked $20 million at the box office, which is semi-astounding considering its $500,000 budget and a cast seemingly made up of whoever was walking past the set the day they were filming. Is this the future? Right now Hollywood will green-light literally any film in which Jesus is played by a dog.
In Hollywood, the Wall St. Plots Will Thicken [NYT]
The Red Hot Christian Blockbuster [Daily Beast]
