In 1985 Baehr began publishing
Movieguide as a biweekly magazine of movie reviews, which has now expanded to an online database of movie reviews.
Movieguide's reviews use a "Biblical perspective" and are aimed at helping parents use informed judgment when deciding what entertainment products are suitable for their families' enjoyment.
In 1986 Baehr founded The Christian Film & Television Commission (CFTVC), which encourages the major media companies to produce "wholesome, family entertainment." By cross-indexing
Movieguide's moral criteria with box office statistics, Baehr's commission produces an annual
Report To The Entertainment Industry which attempts to prove that the American public prefers "wholesome, worthwhile, moral movies." The
Report also includes a listing of the ten best "family friendly films" and ten best "morally edifying mature audience films" of the year, all of which are awarded plaques at
Movieguide's annual award show.
Movieguide Ratings
Movieguide rates movies for both quality and acceptability. Quality ratings (1 to 4 stars) cover production value, entertainment quality, and technical or narrative accomplishment. Acceptability ratings (range from +4 to -4, or exemplary to abhorrent) include evaluation of moral and theological issues, based on a "traditional view of the Bible and Christianity." The content of a movie is evaluated for acceptability based on its "dominant worldview" (Biblical, Christian, Environmentalist, Humanist, Romantic, Socialist, Homosexual, False Religion, New Age/Pagan, etc.) and on secondary elements, (hints of worldview, foul language, violence, sex, nudity, alcohol, smoking/drugs, miscellaneous immorality, or miscellaneous philosophical or theological problems).
The Movieguide Awards Show and Report to the Entertainment Industry
Every year since 1993,
Movieguide hosts an "Annual Faith and Values Awards Gala" in Beverly Hills, CA. According to
Movieguide the purpose of the Gala is to "[encourage] filmmakers and television producers to bring the brightest, most uplifting and inspirational movies and television to audiences world-wide." The Gala, which is sometimes referred to as the "Christian Oscars," includes the presentation of:
- * 10 Best Films for Family Audiences
- * 10 Best Films for Mature Audiences
- * The Faith and Freedom Awards (for promoting positive American values)
- * The Grace Awards (for outstanding performances exemplifying God's grace and mercy)
- * The Kairos Prize ($50,000 prize for spiritually uplifting screenplays by beginning or first-time screenwriters)
- * The Epiphany Prizes ($100,000 prizes for the most inspiring film and television program)
- * Special Faith & Values Crystal Teddy Bear Awards
The $100,000 Epiphany Prizes and the $50,000 Kairos Prizes are supported by grants from the John Templeton Foundation founded by the late Sir John Templeton, who personally discussed the creation of the Annual Movieguide Awards and the Epiphany Prizes with Dr. Baehr.
In addition to the awards, Baehr presents the "Report to the Entertainment Industry," an annual analysis of the past year's movies and their gross financial earnings in North America, internationally and in home video sales. The report includes articles about each of the Gala's award winners, an analysis of the Top 25 movies at the box office in North America during the previous calendar year, the top movies overseas earning $100 million or more during the calendar year, and an analysis of the top DVD sales for the previous calendar year. It analyzes these movies based on the various categories and letter codes of the
Movieguide rating system. The report then presents statistics on various cultural topics including: Hollywood demographics, world religions, faith in America, charity in America, the family, children and media, internet, and media wisdom. The report concludes with the "Twenty Most Unbearable Movies" of the past year.
Movieguide uses this analysis and statistics in the report to attempt to convince studio executives and filmmakers that producing "family-friendly" and "spiritually uplifting," "redemptive" and even positive Christian content can significantly increase the earnings of their movies.
Highlights of the Report to the Entertainment Industry
All major movies released each year on the big screen in the United States, usually the Top 250 to Top 275 depending on how many movies the major studios in Hollywood and the major independents release, are included in the annual
Report to the Entertainment Industry. The results are presented to industry executives at a Hollywood awards gala one week or so before the Academy Awards.
According to the annual report for 2009 movies, "Movies that fit Movieguide's high Christian, moral, biblical, theological, spiritual, production, aesthetic, and entertainment principles, values, and standards do much better than those movies consistently violating those principles, values, and standards."
Alleged Conflict of Interest
A March 2004 article by Marshall Allen in
Christianity Today claimed that Baehr's public relations company. "Kairos Marketing". accepted payment for consulting and promotional activities on behalf of six movies that were positively reviewed in
Movieguide. Though Kairos is not part of Good News Communications, the non-profit that supports the CFTVC and publishes
Movieguide, Kairos does donate to Good News Communications. The article quotes David P. Gushee, an ethicist then at Union University in Tennessee as saying that accepting money to promote movies and publishing reviews of those movies in a magazine that "presents itself as a Hollywood watchdog," is a conflict of interest.
Baehr contends otherwise. He states that the CFTVC primarily functions as an advocacy group, with the end goal of "redeeming the values of the mass-media." Reviewing films in order to advise film-makers and educate the public is only one aspect of the ministry's overall goal to promote a "redeemed Hollywood." Supporting moral movies through advertising is another.
We’ve lent our expertise to many movies — gratis, for the sake of helping God’s kingdom advance in this industry. In a few cases, after we approve of and review the movie according to our stringent criteria, we have been remunerated for our services through a sister organization set up for this purpose to help underwrite the extra time these promotional efforts required.
Further rebuttal from CFTVC advisory board member Jane Chastain in
World Net Daily countered that the
Christianity Today article was a slanderous "hatchet job," noting that the Protestant Film Office, the ideological predecessor to Baehr's organizations, was routinely paid for consultations by Hollywood Studios that needed its stamp of approval. Other rebuttals followed, including one from Pat Boone, published in
Christianity Today, lamenting that publication's decision to attack rather than aid a fellow Christian organization in light of a perceived problem.
Christianity Today did not officially retract its criticisms, but it removed the allegedly biased article from its website and published a reply by Dr. Baehr about his organization's misconduct.