Posted on: Saturday, January 29, 2005

Show biz, religion can see eye to eye

By Mary Kaye Ritz
Advertiser Religion & Ethics Writer

When TV producer/Christian author and speaker Karen Covell addressed the 150 people at a breakfast sponsored by Hawaiian Islands Ministries, the topic could not be hotter: Christians in Hollywood.

On Tuesday, Oscar nominations were announced and the buzz has been about why "Passion of the Christ," the huge Mel Gibson moneymaker, earned just three nods.

The 46-year-old Christian wasn't surprised.

"He knows the community, and they wouldn't give him an Academy Award," said Covell, who added that Gibson also didn't promote it for the awards ceremony. "People would not like him getting that award. Why waste the money?"

The producer, who created "Changed Lives, Miracle of the Passion," a documentary on how Gibson's movie affected six people's lives, also has worked as associate producer on "Headliners & Legends" with Matt Lauer. She stopped briefly in Honolulu for the breakfast, then heads off Thursday to the 52nd annual presidential prayer breakfast in Washington.

Talking about Hollywood and Christianity is her passion.

"I tell people not to be afraid of it, it's not a pit of terrible people," she said in a phone interview yesterday. "Christians of faith who have talent should come to Hollywood. ... I also speak around the country to help people in the church understand that. My message is: God is in Hollywood — why don't you join it instead of hating it?"

"Bruce Almighty," "Joan of Arcadia" and even the message of a father's sacrifice in "Finding Nemo" all show there is hope for Hollywood, said the mother of two boys, ages 9 and 14.

But she does say the film industry can be a terrible environment, because there's so much pressure finding the next job or project. People find themselves desperate, and there's "nobody left to reach out to them, pass on some unconditional love," she said.

She recalls meeting a young Jewish researcher who had made many sacrifices to be in the business. As she was getting ready to leave the show, Covell talks about how, at the party, she gave her a Bible.

"When she opened it up, she gasped," Covell said. "She said, 'I'd never even opened one of these before.' I sat down with a grown woman and taught her to read it and got to share it with her. She was hungry for some hope. It was an incredible moment."