Listen up, Hollyweird!

How do you turn $7 million into $38 million?

For family night, we went and saw indie film "I Can Only Imagine" and were blown away. (It's an indie film only because none of the major studios would touch it.) I had never heard of this MercyMe hit, or even the group MercyMe, but I found myself searching out their stuff on Pandora when I got in the car afterwards. I like rock, and I am Christian, but Christian Rock has never been my thing . . . not sure why. But this movie was Rudy meets The Great Santini, and its box office traction shows that. If my dollars are important to Hollow-wood, then I will support films like this. Often. But the evidence suggests otherwise.

Last year's numbers are pretty compelling with where we want to spend our money:

R: 184 movies, $15.5 million average
PG-13: 139 movies, $39.5 million average
PG: 65 movies, $37.4 million average
G: 16 movies, $11 million average

I am not sure why there are so few G-rated movies, but it is worth noting that these include 10 documentaries such as "A Beautiful Planet," two re-released versions of "The Polar Express," and one stage film of "Irving Berlin's Holiday Inn on Broadway."  "Cars 3" was responsible for 86% of the total G-rated take.

Of the top 20 grossing films for 2017, only three are R-rated, and 34 of the top 100.

What gives, Hollywood? You don't like money from the silent majority? When considering that the G through PG-13 movies make three times the money, it makes little sense to produce garbage like "The Shape of Water," and having it win Best Picture at the Oscars further illustrates the idiocy of Hollywood. But then, what do I know? It did rocket to #117 last year. (Heck, among R-rated films, it only ranks #42.)

Keeping it real from a creative standpoint is great, but geez, keep it good and decent too.  Sexy fish man?

This is not to say R-rated movies shouldn't be made. Is it reasonable that Schindler's List, Hacksaw Ridge or 12 Years a Slave could have effectively been made as PG-13 movies?

Below is a list of the 100 top grossing films of all time, and if my eyes are correct, the first R-rated flick is #93.  So, Hollywood, what gives?

1 Avatar
2 Titanic
3 Star Wars: The Force Awakens
4 Jurassic World
5 Marvel's The Avengers
6 Furious 7
7 Avengers: Age of Ultron
8 Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2
9 Star Wars: The Last Jedi
10 Frozen
11 Beauty and the Beast (2017)
12 Black Panther
13 The Fate of the Furious
14 Iron Man 3
15 Minions
16 Captain America: Civil War
17 Transformers: Dark of the Moon
18 The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King
19 Skyfall
20 Transformers: Age of Extinction
21 The Dark Knight Rises
22 Toy Story 3
23 Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest
24 Rogue One: A Star Wars Story
25 Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides
26 Despicable Me 3
27 Jurassic Park
28 Finding Dory
29 Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace
30 Alice in Wonderland (2010)
31 Zootopia
32 The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey
33 The Dark Knight
34 Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone
35 Despicable Me 2
36 The Lion King
37 The Jungle Book (2016)
38 Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End
39 Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1
40 The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug
41 The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies
42 Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle
43 Finding Nemo
44 Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix
45 Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince
46 The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers
47 Shrek 2
48 Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire
49 Spider-Man 3
50 Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs
51 Spectre
52 Spider-Man: Homecoming
53 Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets
54 Ice Age: Continental Drift
55 The Secret Life of Pets
56 Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice
57 The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring
58 Wolf Warrior 2
59 The Hunger Games: Catching Fire
60 Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2
61 Inside Out
62 Thor: Ragnarok
63 Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith
64 Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen
65 The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn Part 2
66 Inception
67 Wonder Woman
68 Spider-Man
69 Independence Day
70 Fantastic Beasts and Where To Find Them
71 Shrek the Third
72 Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban
73 Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales
74 E.T.: The Extra-Terrestrial
75 Fast & Furious 6
76 Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull
77 Spider-Man 2
78 Deadpool
79 Star Wars
80 Guardians of the Galaxy
81 2012
82 Coco
83 Maleficent
84 The Da Vinci Code
85 The Amazing Spider-Man
86 The Hunger Games: Mockingjay - Part 1
87 Shrek Forever After
88 X-Men: Days of Future Past
89 Madagascar 3: Europe's Most Wanted
90 Suicide Squad
91 The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe
92 Monsters University
93 The Matrix Reloaded
94 Up
95 Gravity
96 Captain America: The Winter Soldier
97 The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn Part 1
98 Dawn of the Planet of the Apes
99 The Twilight Saga: New Moon
100 Transformers