Religion in the movies

It's the day after Mardi Gras, which must mean it's Lent! In (dis)honour of this event, I thought I'd share my somewhat random ruminations about how religion - specifically Christianity - is portrayed in the movies. While the conventional wisdom seems to be that Hollywood is run by godless, sex-crazed heathens and/or Jews, the truth is that Hollywood movies are and have always been very dedicated to a positive portrayal of religion. Even when dealing with religious fanaticism run amok, the problem is never the religion itself but the fanatics who have misunderstood the religion. 


In general, there tend to be two major themes in movies dealing with religion. Well, that's not precisely true - there's one theme, with two variations.


Theme: Non-believer, through a series of phenomenal events, becomes a believer. 
Variation 1: A genial god seeks to convert the non-believer through friendly/passive-aggressive baiting. 
Variation 2: Evil takes some kind of form, and only through believing can the protagonist stop/come to terms with it. 


As you would expect, the first variation is usually found in comedies, while the second is usually in full-on dramas - shrieking choirs, ominous intonations, fire probably, at least one person slowly crossing him- or herself...that kind of thing. 


In comedies, the god is usually played by someone about as controversial and divisive as a fluffy pillow. After all, how could you associate negative thoughts or emotions with Morgan Freeman, or George Burns? They're so sweet and approachable, but they're also old, which makes them wise and knowledgeable. So, in this case, the god = the perfect grandfather. He also seems to have an opt-out plan regarding his own alleged omnipotence - if he wants to, he can give Bruce 7 fingers or make him walk on water; but he can also choose to let Bruce get the shit kicked out of him by a gang of bullies, a few moments after he gets fired. I assume these movies don't intend to make the god out to be a casual sadist, but it's the sense I usually get. 

Awww, but how can I stay mad at that face?

The dramas, on the other hand, very rarely show any god, but are happy to show numerous versions of evil/the devil. There will be heavy Biblical references. There will be grotesque physicality. More often than not, there will be some creepy kid, who is either a) a small demon; b) hosting a demon; c) the Antichrist. The creepy kid drama will also likely have a female protagonist, who is always - ALWAYS - punished for her lack of religious beliefs by pregnancy. (In the case of The Exorcist, Ellen Burstyn is punished by watching her child become host to several demons.) Men in these religious dramas often die, because they got mixed up with the female protagonist, and because the female protagonist does not deserve a happy and healthy romantic relationship.

Should've found Jesus sooner, crone!

Both variations trouble me, for different reasons. The comedy promotes the most palatable version of Christianity, while completely avoiding anything that's identifiably Christian. The audience doesn't have to think about religion at all, but just accept the vague warm fuzzies lobbed at it. Meanwhile, the drama promotes the most misogynist and regressive parts of Christianity with a creepily reverent tone, trying to scare the audience into believing. Either way, they are insulting, thoughtless, and unchallenging.