{"id":44014,"date":"2024-12-06T16:12:11","date_gmt":"2024-12-06T21:12:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/faithmediaandculture\/?p=44014"},"modified":"2024-12-06T16:57:28","modified_gmt":"2024-12-06T21:57:28","slug":"spirit-of-fox-nations-patriot-awards-offers-a-positive-roadmap-for-future-media-review-netflixs-mary-misses-the-mark","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/faithmediaandculture\/2024\/12\/spirit-of-fox-nations-patriot-awards-offers-a-positive-roadmap-for-future-media-review-netflixs-mary-misses-the-mark.html","title":{"rendered":"Spirit of Fox Nation&#8217;s Patriot Awards offers a positive roadmap for future media + Review: Netflix&#8217;s &#8220;Mary&#8221; misses the mark"},"content":{"rendered":"<h3><strong>Here&#8217;s the latest from the crossroads of faith, media &amp; culture: 12\/06\/24<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p><strong>Fox Nation rolls out the red, white and blue carpet for America&#8217;s Heroes with the sixth annual Patriot Awards. <\/strong>The Oscars for people who don&#8217;t just play heroes was held on Long Island last night. Here are some highlights. My thoughts follow.<\/p>\n<p><iframe title=\"Retired general recognized for heroic hurricane relief efforts\" width=\"500\" height=\"281\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/wZT_QMyVlzc?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p><iframe title=\"Veterans Affairs whistleblowers recognized for courage\" width=\"500\" height=\"281\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/ck13QZBZE2o?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p><iframe title=\"UNC fraternity brothers awarded for defending American flag against mob\" width=\"500\" height=\"281\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/Kq2LYemuAcg?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p><iframe title=\"Indiana teen awarded for proudly flying flag on truck, even when told to stand down\" width=\"500\" height=\"281\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/D-zu4RRsIMU?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p><iframe title=\"Donald Trump wins &#039;Patriot of the Year&#039;\" width=\"500\" height=\"281\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/Vtqrd3qLP_k?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p><strong>IMHO:<\/strong> Americans have thankfully gotten their sense of confidence and gratitude back. It&#8217;s time for the media to catch on. My suggestion is that next year the Patriot Awards air on the <strong>Fox Broadcast Network<\/strong> as both a means to promote Fox Nation and, more importantly, the positive American stories the event highlights. I would go further to say that Fox Broadcasting should align its brand more with the ethos (and success) of <strong>Fox News<\/strong> and Fox Nation because right now the entertainment channel basically indistinguishable from the other broadcast networks. There&#8217;s a huge market for patriotic faith and family-friendly <a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Four-quadrant_movie\">four-quadrant<\/a> programming such as broadcasters used to offer in the form of shows like <em><strong>Everybody Loves Raymond<\/strong><\/em>, <strong><em>JAG<\/em><\/strong> and <em><strong>Touched by an Angel<\/strong><\/em>. Unlike its competitors, Fox Broadcasting is prepositioned to do that. I say go for it!<\/p>\n<p><strong>Turning the page.<\/strong> As further proof of the audience out there for this sort of fare, in its debut week <strong>Fox News<\/strong> <strong>host<\/strong> <strong>Emily Compagno&#8217;s new book<\/strong> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.foxnews.com\/books\/under-his-wings\"><em><strong>Under His Wings: How Faith on the Front Lines Has Protected American Troops\u00a0<\/strong><\/em><\/a> has shot to #1 on the <strong>New York Times Bestsellers List<\/strong>. You can read my interview with Emily <a href=\"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/faithmediaandculture\/2024\/11\/fox-news-emily-compagno-proclaims-god-has-american-troops-under-his-wings-fox-friends-christmas-concert-lineup.html\">here<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>With tomorrow being the 83rd anniversary of the attack on Pearl Harber, it&#8217;s worth noting that it&#8217;s been exactly a year since I posted my <a href=\"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/faithmediaandculture\/2023\/12\/wounded-tiger-author-on-the-flight-from-pearl-harbor-to-redemption-george-clooney-helms-inspirational-boys-in-the-boat-tbn-special-celebrates-hanukkah.html\">conversation with author <strong>T. Martin Bennett<\/strong><\/a> about <a href=\"https:\/\/www.amazon.com\/Wounded-Tiger-T-Martin-Bennett\/dp\/0991229045\">his historical novel<strong><em> Wounded Tiger<\/em><\/strong><\/a> which, BTW, is <a href=\"https:\/\/tmartinbennett-my.sharepoint.com\/personal\/martin_tmartinbennett_com\/_layouts\/15\/stream.aspx?id=%2Fpersonal%2Fmartin%5Ftmartinbennett%5Fcom%2FDocuments%2F1%20Dynamis%20Books%2FBooks%2FWounded%20Tiger%20%2D%20English%2FAUDIOBOOK%2FAudiobook%20excerpts%20to%20share%2FFuchida%20Prelude%20excerpt%205%20min%2032%20sec%2Emp3&amp;ga=1&amp;referrer=StreamWebApp%2EWeb&amp;referrerScenario=AddressBarCopied%2Eview%2Ef7bb410d%2D621d%2D4854%2D9656%2D354d05f7811e\">also available as an audio book<\/a> and, <strong>IMHO<\/strong>, has great movie potential.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Note: The Patriot Awards will re-air on Fox News Channel Sunday night at 10:00 PM ET.<\/strong><br \/>\n_____<strong><br \/>\n<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><iframe title=\"MARY | Official Trailer | Netflix\" width=\"500\" height=\"281\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/d74vHvsACSs?start=36&#038;feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p><strong>The Book was better.<\/strong> That&#8217;s probably the most succinct way I can sum up my thoughts on Netflix&#8217;s Mary which, if nothing else, offers an original take on the story of the Nativity. Unfortunately, it&#8217;s a bit too original for me. While filling in the blanks in the biblical narrative is certainly understandable this movie, IMHO, takes its dramatic license a bit too far. For instance, a scene that turns <strong>Joseph<\/strong> into action hero fighting off Roman pursuers comes dangerously close to turning the story into the sort of comic book action adventure that I think most believers totally rejected in <strong>Darren Aronofsky<\/strong>&#8216;s 2014 disrespectful misfire <em>Noah<\/em>. If Mary is aimed at believer, I&#8217;d suggest that director <a href=\"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/faithmediaandculture\/2024\/12\/trump-to-receive-patriot-of-the-year-award-director-d-j-caruso-addresses-theological-concerns-over-mary-streaming-on-netflix.html\"><strong>D.J. Caruso <\/strong>who I interviewed recently<\/a> and, while a Catholic, is known for his work on horror films and action-oriented TV series has misread his audience and, unfortunately, seems to apply the tricks of those genres to a genre that calls for more humility and respect for the source. Aside from the aforementioned action sequence, it seemed to me that much of the story is even lit in a way more appropriate to a horror film than a biblical story meant intended to inspire an audience. Even if <em>Mary<\/em> is aimed at a so-called mainstream audience that may not be particularly in biblical fidelity, the film lacks a compelling through line. It&#8217;s simply dark and boring.<\/p>\n<p><strong>The Bottom Line: A movie that is apt to please almost nobody. <\/strong><\/p>\n<p><em>John W. Kennedy is a writer, producer and media development consultant specializing in television and movie projects that uphold positive timeless values, including trust in God. <\/em><\/p>\n<div>\n<p><strong><em><span class=\"st\">Encourage one another and build each other up &#8211; <\/span><\/em><span class=\"st\">1 Thessalonians 5:11<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Here&#8217;s the latest from the crossroads of faith, media &amp; culture: 12\/06\/24 Fox Nation rolls out the red, white and blue carpet for America&#8217;s Heroes with the sixth annual Patriot Awards. The Oscars for people who don&#8217;t just play heroes was held on Long Island last night. Here are some highlights. My thoughts follow. IMHO:&hellip;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":225,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[9,3632,10,1085,9247,24,26,14910,31],"tags":[17602,17605],"class_list":["post-44014","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-christianity","category-christmas","category-current-events","category-forgiveness","category-miracles","category-movies","category-politics","category-streaming","category-television","tag-fox-nations-patriot-awards","tag-netflixs-mary"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v23.9 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>Spirit of Fox Nation&#039;s Patriot Awards offers a positive roadmap for future media + Review: Netflix&#039;s &quot;Mary&quot; misses the mark<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/faithmediaandculture\/2024\/12\/spirit-of-fox-nations-patriot-awards-offers-a-positive-roadmap-for-future-media-review-netflixs-mary-misses-the-mark.html\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Spirit of Fox Nation&#039;s Patriot Awards offers a positive roadmap for future media + Review: Netflix&#039;s &quot;Mary&quot; misses the mark\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Here&#8217;s the latest from the crossroads of faith, media &amp; culture: 12\/06\/24 Fox Nation rolls out the red, white and blue carpet for America&#8217;s Heroes with the sixth annual Patriot Awards. 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Kennedy","potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/faithmediaandculture\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/faithmediaandculture\/#\/schema\/person\/e5d5ef9caeb6b01bcbf08ca6de6591c2","name":"John W. Kennedy","description":"John W. Kennedy is the founder and Dir. of Development of The Creative Universe Entertainment\u2122, a media consultation and development company focusing on the creation, development and support of high-quality mainstream entertainment that upholds positive timeless values, including trust in God. Current projects include \"Bryant Park\" (an uplifting romantic-comedy) and \"Photo Finish\" (an award-winning sci-fi TV pilot). He has written over 100 children's novels based on episodes of the Cartoon Network series \"Ben 10\", \"Ben 10: Alien Force\", \"Ben 10: Ultimate Alien\", \"Ben 10: Omniverse\" and \"Generator Rex\" among others. He also writes Beliefnet\u2019s \"Faith, Media &amp; Culture\" blog. Previously, he has produced successful news and talk programming for CNN, Fox News, Pax TV and SiriusXM. Specialties: Script Writing, Movie\/TV Novelizations &amp; Adaptations, TV Content Creation and Development, Creative Consultation, Producing and Booking News and Talk shows. He can be reached for writing, producing and consulting services at 516-640-1182.","url":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/faithmediaandculture\/author\/jkennedy"}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/faithmediaandculture\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/44014","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/faithmediaandculture\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/faithmediaandculture\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/faithmediaandculture\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/225"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/faithmediaandculture\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=44014"}],"version-history":[{"count":11,"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/faithmediaandculture\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/44014\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":44068,"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/faithmediaandculture\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/44014\/revisions\/44068"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/faithmediaandculture\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=44014"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/faithmediaandculture\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=44014"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/faithmediaandculture\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=44014"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}