Gibson's Christ Film

An article thanks to McAllister.

Mel Gibson brings movie to city's church leaders

By KAMON SIMPSON- THE GAZETTE

Actor Mel Gibson has been getting closer to God.

On Thursday, that led him to Colorado Springs, where he visited New
Life Church and Focus on the Family and previewed his upcoming film,
�The Passion.�

Gibson, star of such films as the �Lethal Weapon� series and
�Braveheart,� said it was his Christian faith that inspired �The
Passion,� which depicts the final 12 hours in the life of Christ.

�I�m not a preacher and I�m not a pastor,� Gibson said. �But I really
feel my career was leading me to make this. The Holy Ghost was working
through me on this film, and I was just directing traffic. I hope the
film has the power to evangelize.�

Although the film won�t be released until March, Gibson brought it to
Colorado Springs � a national hub of evangelical Christianity � for one
day to make sure its depiction of the Gospel was acceptable to leaders
at Focus on the Family and to hundreds of church leaders, including Ted
Haggard, New Life�s pastor and president of the National Evangelical
Association.

�It conveys, more accurately than any other film, who Jesus was,�
Haggard said based on clips he viewed at New Life. �You can�t help but
be upset when you realize the gravity of what Jesus went through.�

As a Hollywood superstar, Gibson carries quite a bit of gravity
himself. As word spread he was at Focus on the Family screening the
film, almost 300 giddy staff members and visitors gathered outside the
visitor�s center, hoping to catch a glimpse and get an autograph.

Gibson financed the $25-million film, which is seeking a distributor.
He co-wrote the script, directed and produced the movie, which stars
James Caviezel, a lesser known actor, as Christ.

On Thursday, he received feedback on the film, which has generated a
buzz because it was shot in the Aramaic language of the time. Gibson,
who has said the film will �transcend language barriers with visual
story telling,� wants to release it without subtitles.

But subtitles were in place during Thursday�s showing for a small
audience at the Focus on the Family visitor�s center, and local
religious leaders told him those subtitles should stay in place to help
spread the movie�s message to those not familiar with the story.

Based on the reaction of those who saw the film, they enthusiastically
endorse it.

�I was very impressed,� said Don Hodel, president of Focus on the
Family. �It�s certainly the most powerful portrayal of the passion I�ve
ever seen or heard about. The movie is historically and theologically
accurate.�

Wearing a gray shirt and black slacks, Gibson appeared on stage at New
Life Church before the screening to address an audience of more than
800 ministers gathered for the Life Giving Leadership Conference, an
annual event.

He was candid in relating how events more than a decade ago led him to
become a more committed Christian.

�I�ve been pastor at New Life Church for 18 years, and I don�t remember
anyone displaying a fear of God on our platform the way Mel did today,�
Haggard said.

A Catholic, Gibson attended Mass every morning during shooting because
�we had to be squeaky clean just working on this,� he said.

�It was a strange mixture of the most difficult thing I�ve ever done,
along with this incredible ease,� Gibson said. �Everyone who worked on
this movie was changed. There were agnostics and Muslims on set
converting to Christianity.�

When Haggard thanked Gibson for making the film, Gibson said, �I was
afraid not to.�

Posted by Kammer at June 30, 2003 10:55 AM