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After the recent breakout successes of faith-based films like Fireproof and Facing The Giants, this past weekend’s debut of To Save A Life is the latest. Released by IDP/Samuel Goldwyn Films and Outreach Films, it opened on just 441 screens. But the pic is projected to gross $1,499,400. How? Through extensive grassroots outreach — which is marketing-speak for their advance and group sales effort among church groups and especially Christian teens, highlighted by success in markets like Burelson TX, Oceanside CA, Ft Lauderdale FL, and Evans GA, which make up the top grossers for To Save A Life, Goldwyn said. Funny enough, the pic did amazing matinee grosses on Friday and landed in the #2 spot to Hollywood’s amazement. “For the life of me, this one slipped between the cracks!” one top distribution exec emailed me because of it. Yet, on Fandango, To Save A Life was #3 in most requested tickets behind Avatar in IMAX and Digital 3D going into this weekend. But it finished Sunday not in the Top 10.
‘To Save A Life’ Slipped Through Cracks
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The trailer for this film is awful.
Yeah, someone was commenting earlier (on another article) about workers in Hollywood being out of touch with middle America. I believe this is somewhat true but it is definitely true with the Christian marketplace. It is not uncommon for large denominations(like the Southern Baptist Convention) to play a trailer weeks in advance in the service and encourage attenders to go see the movie when it comes out. Also Christian TV plays a big role in getting the word out. We know that after the Passion of The Christ Hollywood took notice and tried to come out with Faith films. The difference being that the Passion had a large Catholic audience whereas future Christian films did not(only evangelical). It seems that faith films were out for a while because no one was getting big bucks as they did from The Passion. Hopefully more faith films will come out again.–good ones, that is.
Nikki,
It’s just another sign of how disconnected the development people are from profitable segments of the viewing public.
Tyler Perry, Kirk Cameron, heck even James Cameron – all ignore the critics and suits and know their audiences.
The suits don’t have to scratch their heads, they just have to get some diversity and originality in the mix.
Most Americans don’t live in a lily white, “Mad Men” type environment any more. Those days are gone (I do enjoy MAD MEN, just for the record).
Most of the profitable projects (TV and Film) reflect what this country looks like now.
That’s the future of entertainment( That and Video games!) That’s the future of moviemaking.That’s the future of TV.
That’s the present of Cable. That’s why cable wins all the awards.
Everybody make some dough today!
Hollywood has always been out of touch. The entire town is full of leftist, socialist,communist, American hating Chavez wannabes. Christian films is like something from the planet Mars or something to them. So, now big surprise there.
(christian conservative – ex-commie liberal atheist)
I’m tired of blame america. I’m tired of blame Christianity, blame white capitalist. I’m tired of broken marriages and cheating & sexualizing our kids. Majority of my friends, in hollywood, are married, hard working, raising kids, christiany with social liberalness… though I’m all hardcore christian…. well not ‘burn in hell’… but… ‘life will be hell’… w/o jc.
It baffles me that Hollywood continues to ignore the fact 90-95% of America is Christian and, as such, movies that are geared toward that majority (and don’t treat them as bumbling idiots for their religious beliefs) do well.
The town is run by, ahem, people who would rather leave millions on the table than finance a movie like Gibson’s Passion…why are you baffled, it’s perfectly obvious that the tribe hates religious Christians and refuses to serve them
It should not baffle or puzzle anyone that Hollywood is “out of touch” with the American mainstream. Like TV news and much of the mainstream “news” media, these industries are not about profit, like other businesses. their owners would rather pass up making money, or even lose money, than violate what they see as Job #1: promulgating their worldview on a public that is in their view benighted.
Most Americans are revolted by the contents of most movies and TV shows, because those shows reflect the character and world views of the people who write and produce them. And those people in habit a culture that is very different from the rest of the country. Their primary driver is not successful business, but cultural evangelism.
maybe they bought tickets on their own behalf on Friday. Just maybe!!!!
This may not take too much wind out of your sails, “atheist but not stupid”, but as of 2008 it’s more like 76% of American’s are Christian.
Hollywood refuses to produce any film that promotes America, God, Mom and Apple pie like they use to. The agenda is to attack everything about this Country, its history, its jewish christian values, the Bible and all our troops, especially the Vietnam Vets. They cult of leftist malcontents that crawled out of the mud in Woodstock are now in charge. They spit on the returning Vietnam Vets both in person and on film. I made an independent film Vietnam War film called FORGOTTEN HEROES that has no F-Bombs and I showed our troops as heros and doing their job. For that this town backlisted me and the film and it has been twenty years dealing with the inhabitants that live in the land of the intolerant. So now I am selling my DVD directly to the American public and the response I am getting is amazing and this is proof that Americans want pro -American films and they are fed up with the leftist propaganda that is coming out of Hollywood since 1970.
I just started a radio show on LA TALK RADIO to promote my film and to tell the world what is like being a conservative filmmaker out here in Hollywood. We are treated like lepers and outcast because we want to make positive films out there.
So you’re only on this blog to promote your crap film and cry about hollywood? You could have saved a lot of bandwidth by saying that and not going into a long boring cry baby diatribe.
that was harsh!
Oh my god your trailer is the funniest thing I’ve ever seen. It looks like the movie they were shooting in “Tropic Thunder”, except without great actors.
Also, dummy, there are TONS of movies that are pro-America. Have you ever heard of “Forest Gump?” You’re hilarious.
The first most relevant statistic for this movie is the $3,433 screen average. That places it about 15% below the Tooth Fairy, and in 5th place by screen average among films playing on the same amount of screens or higher. The second most relevant statistic is the budget, only half a million dollars. So it’s a success on its own terms.
Growing up in the church, I learned to equate “christian entertainment” with cheezy, lazy, and unimaginative. this isn’t a slam on the faith, but the truth is, christian branded film and music tends to be bad because they can get away with it. they put the message before the entertainment factor and even the art, and many christians buy it because it’s “christian”. the fact that Kirk Cameron is the poster boy for christian entertainment just goes to show how low the bar really is. As a progressive christian, I find can find truth and God-inspired work in many places, and it’s always fun to come across a movie that is good first and then thought provoking regarding issues of faith as a bonus. Something like LARS AND THE REAL GIRL or DEAD MAN WALKING.
THE PASSION was unique in that although it definitely appealed to christians because of the subject matter, it felt like a real movie. the cinematography and the score felt like a theater quality film, although I’d argue more than anything that the marketing was what put it over the top– the controversy surrounding it made evangelicals feel defensive of it, which really got the fox news crowd in the seats; I mean they definitely didn’t support & turn out for THE NATIVITY.
Actually, about 76% of the population is Christian.
I’m glad a movie with an actual point to it is doing. Enough plotless cheesy comedies, we need more movies like this.
We need more poorly acted movies with terrible scripts? Having a message is nice, but if I’m going to paid my hard earned money on a film, it better be good.
Remember, the same people that are surprised “To Save A Life” is holding its own are the same people that green light such classics as Tooth Fairy, Nine, and Land of the Lost.
The success of this features proves the future is all about niche marketing. Appeal to a core audience and you will be successful.
Bruce Almighty wasn’t great art, but it was entertaining, well done, and thoughtfully addressed core questions of faith, suffering, freedom and redemption. It found an audience without being promoted by any church groups that I am aware of.
76% is WHAT? christian? [looking around from sea to shining sea] looks more like a POST-christian society, unless B-HO’s your pastor and james cameron’s your deacon. it’s been downhill since WWII. “and your money says ‘in God we trust,’ but it’s against the law to pray in school.” – larry norman, 1972
This is the highest rated movie in the country by the fans on Fandango and Flixter. Check out the FB page. The reaction is unbelievable!
Cookmeyer… marketing? There is absolutely no TV trailer, magazine ads, or billboards for this movie. Marketing is basically just word of mouth. The thing that made this film successful, besides the movie being so powerful was all the pre screenings they did.. that was basically the match. The fans were the fire that has started a blaze and will keep the fans coming back with more and more friends.
I can see how my post was confusing because I was responding to what someone had posted above about THE PASSION– that was the marketing I was referring to.
I don’t think Hollywood is out of touch with middle America. They know full well how middle America is which is why they make movies for young kids and teenagers with adult themes. Hollywood movies are no different than a Mormon missionary knocking at your door. They each have a message to present and each wants a convert: one to the ways of the world, one to Christianity).
So don’t think HW is out of touch with America. They know full well what they’re doing. Spielberg doesn’t have kids swear in his movies for no reason.
I don’t have time to see very many movies in the theater each year, so I was glad this one was worth the time spent.
This movie focuses on major life issues such as loneliness, acceptance, peer pressure, and frustration when life feels overwhelming.
However, the solutions it explores aren’t found in typical Hollywood scripts… they are reflected in the lives of many ordinary Americans. Therefore, the film gives viewers a lot of substance to discuss afterwards. I find myself pondering scenes from the movie and feeling more compassionate towards others who may need help.
Since almost everyone can relate to some aspect of the movie, it has the potential to inspire, encourage, and perhaps make the world a kinder & gentler place (especially the teenage world).
why does a film about people treating each other right have to be labeled “Christian”? Christianity has been responsible for a huge share of the savagery committed in the name of religion.
MalibuWaves is right. I think the rest of you are missing it. You are all fixating on it being a Christian movie because that’s so exotic to you, but in reading the detailed synopsis on IMDB, the thing that immediately strikes me is it’s a teen movie that’s actually about something. It’s not some dumb sex comedy. It has the same themes John Hughes explored back in the day with enduring resonance and success. It has way more in common with Breakfast Club in many ways than it does with Gibson’s Passion. We see this often: Hollywood does not accurately analyze why a successful film is successful. Which of course logically means Hollywood greenlights the wrong scripts too much of the time.
I agree with you MalibuWaves! Although it does specifically target the youth with some heavy issues, as an adult I see so much truth on a universal level. We come into contact with people everyday that are struggling in some form or another. And sure, in the end they are responsible for what they do to themselves but we can be the one person who pulls them back or the one person that pushes them off the edge. A friendly gesture, a smile, a hello even can make all the difference in the world, for the good or for the bad.
I’m generally a people person so I don’t usually struggle with being rude to my co-workers or in the grocery line or in traffic even BUT what about the days I’m in a hurry and I deliberately look the other way from the person begging on the street or the man at the gas station who is trying to wash my windows…even in those cases I need to be aware of the consequences. Even if I’m unable to take the time to stop and help. A smile there way or a kind, “I’m sorry” is much more appropriate than a snub. Human interaction is so huge!
Sometimes we feel bad not helping because we can’t dish out money every time we see someone, but the problem is when we think that if we don’t acknowledge them, they don’t exist. That is the whole point of this film and how it as impacted me. Everyone matters and everyone needs to feel noticed. I may not have money to help everyone but I can offer a smile or a respectful greeting. Film to me is about unifying and inspiring people and I believe that this touches on the importances of it.
Please respond back to this! Here goes…The production budget of TO SAVE A LIFE was $500,000(boxofficemojo) and as of Sat. Jan. 28, 2010, the Domestic total $1,836,498! Now when I do some subtraction, I am left with 1,536,498! Looks like profit to me, however, I did not consider the PRINT and ADVERTISING, which is not part of the production budget(or is it)!!! I have a feeling it’s not, so my question is how much do you think Samuel Goldwyn spent on PRINT AND ADVERTISING for TO SAVE A LIFE? $500,000- 1,000,000 or more?
By the way, I went to see TO SAVE A LIFE and it was a really good movie! Seriously, I went in thinking it was going to be cheesy! In fact saw the trailer 2 days prior and actually thought it was a really good trailer! The pace, editing, scene selections and music, is really good! Inspite of the really good trailer, I still had my guard up when I sat down in the movie theatre on a SUNDAY morning at 10:45 am! Yes folks, I skipped church, went to see it at the AMC at 10:45 am just to avoid paying full price! (I can already hear the wisecrack comments) Anyway, to make a long story short, I was impressed! The plot, the pacing, the acting, the story….all of it was really good! It was an honest movie! It didn’t beat around the bush! In fact being a high school teacher myself, I felt this is the kind of film I want my students to see! The title of the film means so many things! Yeah I spent $6.00 when I saw it it, but I’d see it again for FULL PRICE! And I’m not talking matinee either!! GO see TO SAVE A LIFE!