boxofficeIn 1991, when Dove was “born” there weren’t very many profitable family friendly movies and, with the exception of few Bible epics, virtually no faith friendly films in theaters. At that time, VHS was the prevailing technology of the day. This new concept challenged the box office with the advent of Home Entertainment. Video rental stores began popping up around the country offering a wide selection of movies for rent.

About half of the titles in video stores were rated by the MPAA (G, PG, PG-13, R) because they had been released in theaters. The other 50% were released direct to video, and had no rating at all, leaving it up to the customer to decipher the content by reading the copy on the sleeve.  Christian bookstores at that time had fewer than a dozen independent, micro-budget religious stories available on VHS tapes.

The huge number of movie choices available on video increased the risk that bringing home a film could conflict with a family’s values.  Dove’s was launched with the goal of helping caring parents determine which movies were “safe for family viewing.” In those days, it was difficult to find many box office hits that Dove could endorse, except for the occasional Disney animated movie.  Twenty-five years ago fewer than 10% of the major releases met Dove standards.

Over the years, Hollywood began to appreciate our message. “Movies that do good, also do well.” A recent study confirmed that the average Dove-Approved movie was nearly 3 times more profitable than the average film that couldn’t be endorsed by Dove.

Times have changed and things have improved. There are many indicators pointing to the fact that Hollywood and the entire film industry are listening to Dove and other voices that demand more aspirational and inspirational stories. Faith friendly movies are also seeing a dramatic increase in numbers and quality.

Here is the current April 1-3 weekend report from Box Office Mojo. Many conclusions can be drawn from these data, including 5 out of the top 6 movies in theaters over the weekend are DOVE APPROVED! 

    Rank                    Title                                                             Studio             Weekend Box Office

1 Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice
Not Dove Approved
Warner Bros $52,385,000
2 Zootopia
Family Approved All Ages
Buena Vista $20,000,000
  3 My Big Fat Greek Wedding 2
Family Approved Ages 12+
Universal $11,130,000
  4 God’s Not Dead 2
Faith Friendly Ages 12+
Pure Flix $8,104,321
  5 Miracles from Heaven
Faith Friendly Ages 12+
Tri Star $7,550,000
  6 The Divergent Series: Allegiant
Family Approved Ages 12+
LionsGate $5,725,000

This is only the beginning.  More uplifting movies are on the horizon. Be on the lookout for some wonderful faith and family stories coming to your local theaters.

Be sure and check The Dove Foundation reviews before making your movie choices.  Each Friday by 5pm EST, you’ll find a complete Dove review of every theatrical release opening that weekend. Remember, forewarned is forearmed!