Modern consumers are more likely to find guidance at the mall or multiplex than in a religious sanctuary. Thus, whether they admit it or not, artists such as [Clint] Eastwood are moral leaders when it comes time to wrestle with America’s most divisive issues.
Religion writer Terry Mattingly’s latest column, Those Oscar-winning sermons, examines the influence of the movies on popular thinking and the difficulty the church faces when trying to compete with subtle and slick message films like Million Dollar Baby.