c. 2008 Religion News Service

(UNDATED) On Friday (Jan. 11), “The Pirates Who Don’t Do Anything” _ the second feature-length film from the evangelical-inspired VeggieTales _ sails into theaters.

Phil Vischer, co-creator of VeggieTales and the voice behind many of the movie’s characters, says the movie is like a biblical parable. It teaches about the Kingdom of God through an entertaining story _ in this case, the tale of three bumbling vegetable friends who must band together and overcome their fears to save their friends.

Vischer talked about what makes a movie Christian, what kids need to know about being a hero, and why God appears in his new film as a bearded old man.

Q: Why would the movie appeal to non-Christian parents and kids?

A: This is a fun adventure that shows how everybody can be a hero, and how the hero isn’t the tallest or the strongest or the best looking. The hero is the one who does what’s right, no matter how hard.

Q: Is hard for a Christian movie to compete with mainstream movies that don’t have Christian themes?

A: Eight out of 10 Americans still identify as Christian, even if they haven’t gone to church since their parents made them when they were kids. But when they become parents, all of a sudden they look at their own kids and, “What values am I passing onto them?”

Q: What makes a movie religious? Is “Finding Nemo” a Christian film?

A: It’s not an un-Christian film. There are very strong Judeo-Christian values in most successful family films, though not all. It’s hard to tell a compelling story that goes against those values or disregards them. You’d have to be wildly cynical as a filmmaker to craft a kids movie that throws Judeo-Christian values out the window.

Q: So how is “The Pirates Who Don’t Do Anything” a biblical movie?

A: The movie is an allegory, like a parable. If you read the parables in the Bible, none of them mention God or Jesus explicitly, but there’s always a character that represents God. Parables are lessons about the Kingdom of Heaven wrapped into the vernacular of the day. With this movie, I said, “Let’s create a modern day parable about what it means to be a hero.”

Q: And what do you hope kids will learn about being a hero?

A: What we don’t say is, “Every one of you has such extraordinary capabilities that you can, under your own power, be a hero.” What we’re really saying is: Regardless of how you view yourself, God has created you to do something really cool. That’s why we’re here, and it involves helping others, and it has nothing to do with how big and brave and strong you are, and everything to do with trust in God to give you what you need to do what he’s asked you to do.

Q: Is it a theological problem that you can create a “biblical movie” without any overt references to God or Jesus?

A: Our movie is allegorical, but it is a fairly overt allegorical statement about God. I don’t know that a movie from a Christian filmmaker has to stand apart that much from a well-told film. There are so many films that have compelling messages with spiritual implications. When Christian filmmakers say, “Mine has to read like a tract,” you’re not making movies anymore, you’re making sermons with a camera.

Q: But you yourself exist in the Christian world …

A: So we’ll get some flack. But we always get flack; it goes with the territory.

Q: As an artist, do you sometimes feel suffocated by the Christian community?

A: Honestly, many do. I know Christian artists who just can’t take it; they walk away from the Christian world and get on with their art. I am more a teacher than an artist, which is why I have been so happy making VeggieTales, where a tomato gets down on his knees and says, “God made you special and loves you very much.” At the end of the day, I’ve got more Mr. Rogers in me than van Gogh.

Q: In the movie, the three pirate characters have a ball that guides them and tells them what to do. Does the ball represent the Bible?

A: No, it’s God’s call. It’s just a device of beckoning, the instrument through which God reaches out and says, “Pssst. I’ve got something for you.” The danger of allegory is that everyone starts trying to find biblical characters around every turn. It’s better to look at the allegory in a simple way; otherwise you’re making stuff up.

Q: And your simple message is that everyone can be a hero?

A: Yes, and the message is also: Stop being a consumer and be a producer, because our culture is all about consumption. If you reach adulthood under the impression that the world exists to entertain you, you are going to be on the couch your whole life.

That’s not what God is telling us to do. The world is on fire. He wants us to jump in, grab a bucket, and start putting out fires.

Q: In your movie, the character symbolizing God is a bearded old white man. Do you see that as problematic?

A: Actually, he’s green; he’s a zucchini. But yes, he’s an old bearded man. I think that may be an issue for 0.7 percent of the audience.

KRE/CM END USEEM850 words

Photos of Phil Vischer and a scene from the new VeggieTales film are available via https://religionnews.com.