Movieguide®’s Annual Faith & Values Awards Gala and Report to the Entertainment Industry is entering its 28th year. The past 27 years of this annual event, which features the Epiphany Prizes for Inspiring Movies & TV, the Best Movie for Families Award, and the Faith & Freedom Awards for Promoting Positive American Values, have led to a tremendous renaissance in movies with Christian, biblical and civilized faith and values.
For example, Movieguide® recently studied 130 movies with strong Christian, redemptive content released in 1996, 2012 and 2015. We found that the number of movies with such content increased 194 percent from 1996 to 2012, and 319 percent from 1996 to 2018!
Our study also showed that the theatrical box office totals in the United States and Canada for such movies have increased from only $208.63 million in 1996 to $3.69 billion in 2012 and nearly $5.68 billion in 2018, an increase of 2,463 percent and 2,623 percent, respectively.
And, that doesn’t include all the money these movies made overseas or on home video!
** Movies with Strong Christian Content
| Year | Number of Movies | Total Box Office |
| 1996 | 16 | $0.21 billion |
| 2012 | 47 | $3.69 billion |
| 2018 | 67 | $5.68 billion |
Movieguide®’s study didn’t just measure Epiphany Prize-winning, faith-based movies like THE PREACHER’S WIFE from 1996 and last year’s I CAN ONLY IMAGINE. We also studied major Hollywood movies with strong, including overt, Christian content and values such as Disney’s 1996 animated classic THE HUNCHBACK OF NOTRE DAME and Universal Studio’s blockbuster DR. SEUSS’ THE GRINCH, both of which had overt, positive Christian content and values.
Also included in Movieguide®’s database were small movies with Christian, redemptive content such as 1996’s CITIZEN RUTH and 2018’s PAUL, APOSTLE OF CHRIST.
Similar successes are happening in the television industry.
This can be seen not only in the success of such recent Christocentric programs as DUCK DYNASTY, THE BIBLE and DOLLY PARTON’S CHRISTMAS OF MANY COLORS, but also in the Christian, redemptive, biblical, and civilized values expressed in such successful programs as BLUE BLOODS, CHICAGO FIRE, NCIS, WALKER TEXAS RANGER, TOUCHED BY AN ANGEL, MARVEL’S AGENTS OF S.H.I.E.L.D., ROSEANNE, and LAST MAN STANDING.
The Christocentric, biblical vision of our founder and leader, Dr. Ted Baehr, which was inspired by the Holy Spirit and biblical principles, has been an important reason behind all this success.
He and the staff at Movieguide® view the Annual Awards Gala and the Epiphany Prizes not only as a chance to commend and reward the filmmakers and television artists behind the most positive, redemptive and inspiring movies and television programs of the past year. We also see them as a chance to report the positive findings in our Annual Report to the Entertainment Industry. Also, we see it as a chance to preach the Gospel of Jesus Christ – to build the Christian faith of believers and to bring non-believers into a right relationship with God through Jesus Christ.
The tremendous increase in Christian faith and values in movies and television isn’t the only result we’ve seen over the past 27 years. Movieguide®’s Annual Awards Gala and Report to the Entertainment Industry has also greatly increased biblical and civilized faith and values in movies and television.
Movieguide® studied 243 movies with strong biblical or moral faith and values in 1996, 2012 and 2018. We found that the number of movies with such content has increased 693 percent, from only 14 such movies in 1996 to 125 such movies in 2018.
Our study also showed that the box office totals in the United States and Canada for these movies have increased from only $119.39 million in 1996 to $5.78 billion in 2012 and nearly $7.99 billion in 2018, an increase of nearly 6,595 percent over 22 years and 38.22 percent over the last six years alone.
** Movies with Strong Biblical Faith & Values
| Year | Number of Movies | Total Box Office |
| 1996 | 14 | $0.12 billion |
| 2012 | 104 | $5.78 billion |
| 2018 | 125 | $7.99 billion |
Finally, since we began looking at movies with strong civilized content and values in 1999 and publishing our results in 2000, the number of movies with such content has increased from only 24 in 1999 to 39 in 2008 and 105 in 2018, an increase of 62.5 percent from 1999 to 2008 and 169 percent from 2008 to 2018, with an overall increase of 338 percent from 1999 to 2018.
At the same time, the total cumulative earnings of movies with strong conservative content in the United States and Canada alone have increased from about $878.2 million in 1999 to $3.01 billion in 2008 to $8.87 billion cumulatively in 2018. That’s an increase of about 242 percent from 1999 to 2008, 195 percent from 2008 to 2018, and a whopping 910 percent from 1999 to 2018!
** Movies with Strong Conservative Content and Values
| Year | Number of Movies | Total Box Office |
| 1999 | 24 | $0.88 billion |
| 2008 | 39 | $3.01 billion |
| 2018 | 105 | $8.87 billion |
** Cost Effectiveness
Clearly, the above statistical and financial analysis shows that Movieguide®’s ministry of redeeming the values of the entertainment industry, according to Christian, biblical and conservative principles, has been extremely effective. Hollywood is listening, and God has definitely blessed our efforts, including our unique, trailblazing strategy.
However, we are often asked by our donors and potential donors, “What’s the return on my own investment in your ministry?”
That question is easily answered.
Thus, using our total expenses for 2018, including the cost of the 27th Annual Faith & Values Awards Gala and Report to the Entertainment Industry, for movies with strong and very strong Christian faith and values, every dollar donated to Movieguide® in 2018 generated $2,599 at the domestic box office alone and every $10,000 donated generated $25.99 million at the domestic ox office.
Looking at the total earnings in 2018 in the United States and Canada for movies with strong and very strong biblical, morally uplifting content and values, every dollar donated to Movieguide® in 2018 generated $4,033 at the domestic box office alone and every $10,000 donated generated $40.33 million at the box office.
Finally, looking at the total earnings in 2018 in the United States and Canada for movies with at least some strong civilized content and values, every dollar donated to Movieguide® in 2018 generated $4,476 at the domestic box office alone and every $10,000 donated generated $44.76 million at the box office.
These numbers clearly show that Movieguide® is an extremely cost effective nonprofit organization. They also prove that the return on your investment in this ministry is very high.
** Conclusion
Success isn’t just measured in percentages, dollars and cents, however.
Numerous filmmakers have told us personally how taking our advice and turning from making movies without faith and values to making movies with faith and values has brought meaning, purpose, dignity, and many blessings to their own lives and the lives of their families.
Thus, the work of making entertaining movies for a mass audience can be a great benefit not only in regards to financial prosperity but also with regard to one’s personal growth and fulfillment – especially when you apply Christian, biblical and conservative principles to your endeavors.
Without a doubt, Movieguide®’s success has been striking and undeniable.
For the last 27 years – and more – we’ve been showing Hollywood that movies and television programs with Christian, biblical and civilized faith and values not only make good business sense but also inspire and satisfy the human heart as well as stimulate the mind and stir the imagination.
God has mightily blessed Movieguide®’s work, but we couldn’t have done it without the faithful support and prayers of our many friends and allies. So, we pray that God will continue to bless this work of our hands, and the work of the filmmakers and friends who have responded so positively to our appeals to honor God and redeem the entertainment industry by applying faith and values.
We ask that you play a major role in our continuing success. Please consider making a major, ongoing commitment to financially support the work of Good News Communications, Inc., dba Movieguide and the Christian Film & Television Commission®.
We greatly appreciate your prayers and your support.
God bless you.
Yours in Christ,
Dr. Ted Baehr and the Staff of Movieguide®
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