Jesus Camp
Available at most retail stores that sell DVDs and videos for less than $20.
Directors: Heidi Ewing, Rachel Grady
Released by A&E Indiefilms
Running time of 87 minutes
Rated "PG-13" for discussions of mature subject matter.

Debuting at the 2006 Tribeca Film Festival and Oscar nominated for Best Documentary Feature, Jesus Camp is a film by Rachel Grady and Heidi Ewing that documents the experiences of children, particularly three, at Pentecostal minister Becky Fischer's "Kids on Fire" summer camp in Devil's Lake, North Dakota. On top of documenting life at the camp, the documentary also includes numerous segments involving the daily lives of Levi, Rachael, and Tory (the three children the film follows), and Becky Fischer. Needless to say, prior to seeing the film, I had already heard numerous reviews and criticisms; for the most part, the evaluations others had given me were more or less to the effect of: "It's crazy... insane... I can't believe what they are doing to those children. They are literally making Christian soldiers." As you might assume, I came into the film with somewhat of a bias, but I feel that I remained as objective as possible, though perhaps with some mild expectations of fanaticism, etc.

Bearing the reactions of others, I wasn't prepared for the first scene: a news broadcast on Samuel Alito's consideration for the Supreme Court in the wake of Sandra Day O'Connor's retirement. The documentary was intertwined with this event, as the Pentecostals in the film saw the issue as a matter of faith and not politics. Usually in conjunction with this are multiple segments of attorney and radio talk-show host Mike Papantonio's Ring of Fire program on Air America Radio. The segments heavily contrasted the "viewpoint" of the Christian Right to what is portrayed as the "views" of the Moderates and Leftists. By far my favorite scene of the documentary is a debate between the Papantonio and an Evangelical Christian. (Within the deleted scenes is yet another debate, this time between Papantonio and Fischer.) This scene is raw and in-your-face dogma going head-to-head.

Perhaps the most controversial aspect of this film is whether or not it accurately portrays evangelicals, particularly the "ultra-conservative" Pentecostals documented. Furthermore, if the documentary is sound, does it necessarily give a genuine representation of the entire "Christian Right?" This was the question I repeatedly asked myself. My conclusion was nothing astounding: this film (or any film, really) should not be the end-all-be-all on this subject. That being said, I do not believe that this was the intention of the filmmakers. More than anything, the film has an atmosphere of concern, and this sense of concern must be commended. For those with interest in this avenue of the film, I would highly suggest watching the deleted scenes available on the DVD.

This film is the perfect igniter for good group discussion, but only under the right circumstances. Groups going into the film to point out the errors of either conservatives or "non-conservatives" of the faith will find any discussion quickly becoming an "us versus them" issue. Keep an open mind on this one and prepare to be uncomfortable — this one's definitely worth its weight.