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God & Country
Film poster
Directed byDan Partland
Based onThe Power Worshippers (2020) by Katherine Stewart
Produced by
Starring
CinematographyStefanos Kafatos
Production
companies
Distributed byOscilloscope Laboratories
Running time
90 minutes
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
Box office$108,385[2]

God & Country is a 2024 American documentary film directed by Dan Partland and produced by Rob Reiner. The film discusses the emergence of Christian nationalism and its close relationship with far-right politics in the United States, exploring its perceived threat to democracy and the politicization of Christianity. The documentary is based on Katherine Stewart's book The Power Worshippers (2020).[3][4] It is distributed by Oscilloscope Laboratories.[5]

Development

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The film is based on the work of author and journalist Katherine Stewart. Her nonfiction book, The Power Worshippers: Inside the Dangerous Rise of Religious Nationalism (2019)[α] concerns the rise of Christian nationalism in the United States and its close connection with right wing politics which supports the politics of Donald Trump.[3] Katherine Stewart signed with Anonymous Content. Steve Okin, who worked in the Christian film industry sector for Sony, whose brother, Jeff Okin, is a manager at Anonymous Content, brought it to the attention of Rob Reiner. Reiner read the book and brought Dan Partland on board.[6]

Before coming on board as director, Dan Partland worked on similar themes in his previous film, Unfit: The Psychology of Donald Trump (2020).[5] Partland chose to work on the film because he believed that Christian nationalism threatened both democracy and Christianity. "The problem is the intertwining of a Christian identity with a political identity such that it can be hard to tell where one ends and the other begins. The danger to democracy led me to explore this topic, but what I learned in the process is that the threat may be even greater to the Church itself."[1] Oscilloscope Laboratories acquired the domestic rights to the film in September 2023.[1]

Release

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God & Country was shown at a private screening organized by the Baptist Joint Committee for Religious Liberty at the United States Capitol Visitor Center on January 11, 2024,[3] followed by its world premiere at the 39th Santa Barbara International Film Festival on February 10,[7] and its theatrical release on February 16.[3]

Reception

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On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, 89% of 27 critics' reviews are positive, with an average rating of 7.2/10. The website's consensus reads: "God & Country offers a chilling and bracingly effective look at political forces aligning in an effort to erase the barrier between church and state."[8]

Frank Scheck of The Hollywood Reporter wrote, "It's not surprising that Dan Partland's documentary about the increasing influence of Christian Nationalism begins and ends with footage from Jan. 6., 2021. Christian Nationalists were among the principal organizers of the insurrection that occurred that day, which featured a trespasser carrying a Christian flag onto the Senate floor. God & Country, which counts Rob Reiner among its producers, delivers a bracing primer on the rise of this political movement that should thoroughly scare the large majority of American adults who don't embrace it."[9]

The film opened on the weekend of February 16, 2024, in 85 theaters and brought in $38,415 over an extended four-day weekend.[10][11]

Notes and references

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Notes

  1. ^ Stewart, Katherine (2019). The Power Worshippers: Inside the Dangerous Rise of Religious Nationalism. New York: Bloomsbury Publishing. ISBN 9781635573435. OCLC 1141734279.

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p Lang, Brent (September 21, 2023). "Oscilloscope Laboratories Buys Dan Partland’s ‘God & Country: The Rise of Christian Nationalism,’ Rob Reiner Producing (EXCLUSIVE) ". Variety. Retrieved February 15, 2024.
  2. ^ "God & Country". Box Office Mojo. IMDb. Retrieved May 10, 2024.
  3. ^ a b c d Boorstein, Michelle (January 11, 2024). 'God & Country' film spotlights Christian nationalism’s threat to democracy". The Washington Post. Retrieved February 15, 2024.
  4. ^ Scheck, Frank (February 15, 2024). "'God & Country' Review: A Bracing, Rob Reiner-Produced Primer on the Dangers of Christian Nationalism". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved February 26, 2024.
  5. ^ a b Hibberd, James (December 8, 2023). "Rob Reiner Takes on Christian Nationalism Threat in ‘God & Country’ Trailer". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved February 15, 2024.
  6. ^ Raushenbush, Paul (February 10, 2024). "Rob Reiner and Dan Partland: 'God & Country'". The State of Belief. Event occurs from 04:13–05:36. Retrieved January 17, 2024.
  7. ^ Davidson, Douglas (February 15, 2024). "Documentarian Dan Partland’s “God & Country” deftly lays out the historical evidence that explains the current rise of Christian Nationalism". Elements of Madness. Retrieved February 17, 2024.
  8. ^ "God & Country". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved July 5, 2024.
  9. ^ Scheck, Frank (February 15, 2024). "'God & Country' Review: A Bracing, Rob Reiner-Produced Primer on the Dangers of Christian Nationalism". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved February 16, 2024.
  10. ^ "God & Country: The Rise Of Christian Nationalism (2024)". The Numbers. Nash Information Services, LLC. Retrieved February 24, 2024.
  11. ^ "God & Country". Box Office Mojo. IMDb.com, Inc. Retrieved February 25, 2024.

Further reading

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