The Spirit of Independence

Part 2 of an exclusive 3-part series on the Sundance Film Festival and the increasing popularity of "indie" movies at the multiplex.

"What did you think?" I asked my wife as we walked out of a Sundance venue after seeing The Squid and the Whale.

"That was a hard film."

I agreed. It was a drama about a middle-age couple's divorce, and it pulled no punches. The family's two adolescent boys reacted to their parents' poor choices in ways that left us squirming, but this picture of divorce also gave us greater empathy for families who've suffered through that tragedy. Its unvarnished take on divorce gave us a lot to talk about.

Such is the growing influence of independent filmmakers.

Independents Rising
Independent film was once the sole province of "art houses," theaters specializing in the eclectic and obscure. No more. In the last decade, independent movies have stepped into the spotlight. Last year especially, a host of "indies" earned critical praise and financial reward, including Sideways, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, Kinsey, Open Water and Super-Size Me. Many of these films broke cover at film festivals, moved to art houses, then landed at the local multiplex.

Independently produced films are garnering more of Hollywood's (and theater chains') attention because moviegoers seem more willing to experience them. Last year, two indies smashed the coveted $100 million barrier at the box office: The Passion of the Christ ($370 million) and Fahrenheit 9/11 ($119 million). Others, most notably Napoleon Dynamite and Garden State, also posted huge returns on miniscule investments ($44.5 million and $26.8 million, respectively). Driven by these hits, indie titles grabbed 17% of the nation's total box office: $1.4 billion out of $8.8 billion.

One of the major differences between independent films and those financed by major studios from the get-go is the freedom that independent directors enjoy to examine ideas that the "big boys" don't believe are marketable. Both Mel Gibson's and Michael Moore's films, for example, generated a considerable amount of skittishness among mainstream Hollywood power brokers. The major studio decision-makers were skeptical that such narrowly focused political and spiritual movies could possibly appeal to a wide audience. Yet both men believed fiercely in the ideas and ideals that their films represented, and the movie-going public vindicated that passion.

A Hefty Dose of Realism
Where mainstream films might sugarcoat problems and offer unbelievable, clichéd endings to please focus groups, indie flicks often ask viewers to wrestle with the messy business of unresolved issues. This year's domestic drama winner at Sundance, Forty Shades of Blue, is a good example of that. It is about a Russian woman in a relationship with a celebrated country music producer almost twice her age. The unrelenting relational darkness of the film is anything but encouraging. But it does prompt hard questions about what it means to love someone and how to deal with soul-sapping disappointments.

At times, however, that quest for realism is used to try to justify pornographic or near-pornographic content (in both the violence and sexual categories). So what you end up with are images that seem to exist only to shock. A new Sundance film called Hard Candy, for instance, depicts a 14-year-old girl taking revenge on a man who (perhaps) preyed upon underage girls by tying him up and castrating him. And in The Ballad of Jack and Rose, a 16-year-old girl deliberately loses her virginity as a statement of rebellion against her father—then displays a bloody bed sheet to drive home her point.

One industry reporter for Variety magazine wrote, "Precocity among minors jumped out as the most frequent element found in independent films this year. ... Whether this is a sign of something or merely evidence of young filmmakers' latest notion about a good way to titillate and shock remains to be seen."

Making a Mark
It's clear, then, that indie artists have honed the ability to influence our culture in profoundly positive—and negative—ways. That's why godly wisdom is essential as we evaluate today's independent offerings. Some of them offer real opportunities to explore important questions and subjects that mainstream Hollywood frequently ignores. Others, however, seek only to "titillate and shock."

One thing is sure: As independent films make bigger and bigger waves in the movie world, you can expect to see more from directors who aren't just interested in making a buck. They're intent upon leaving their mark on the culture—for better or worse.