Hold the saccharine

The Christians behind Doonby hope it will be a different kind of 'faith-based film' | Rebecca Cusey

MJM Entertainment Group

Smithville, Texas, already baked with heat and buzzed with mosquitoes in late May. John Schneider, Bo Duke from The Dukes of Hazard and Jonathan Kent from Smallville, sat in a hot, empty house near the set of his upcoming movie Doonby, fielding calls from his young adult children, swatting at flies, and explaining why the movie is not a "Christian film" despite the professed faith of most of the cast.

"A lot of times when you work on 'faith-based films,' it's kind of squeaky clean and feels more like you're in a Bible study every day," he explained. "And while you're at a Bible study, you're making a movie. I don't get that vibe here at all. People are here to make a movie. There's certainly time for Bible study. That's why God made Wednesday. (He laughs.) But I don't think that's necessarily conducive to making a good movie."