LOS ANGELES, March 25 (UPI) -- Films with strong family and moral messages outperform movies steeped in R-rated themes at the U.S. box office, a new study indicates.
The Christian Film & Television Commission, which reviewed 250 films released in 2003, discovered films stressing "strong moral content" made six times the revenue of movies focused on "immoral, negative content," the Washington Times reported Thursday.
G- and PG-rated films with family themes earned an average $92.5 million versus $14.6 million for R-rated movies with strong sexual and violent messages, the study said.
"Clearly, sex does not sell as well as the mass media wants us to believe," said Ted Baehr, chairman of CFTVC, which provides movie reviews based on Christian and biblical perspectives.
Films earning CFTVC's praise included the 2003 releases "Finding Nemo," "The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King" and "Cheaper by the Dozen."
