Why Candace Cameron Bure Refuses to Promote ‘Follow Your Heart’ in Her Films
Actress and filmmaker Candace Cameron Bure says one of Hollywood's most iconic cliché lines offers not only bad advice but is also unbiblical. The queen of Christmas movies made the remarks during a podcast conversation with fellow filmmaker Andy Erwin this month as they discussed their craft, their inspiration and their upcoming projects. Bure is starring in two Great American Family movies this holiday season: A Christmas Less Traveled and Home Sweet Christmas. Neither, she said, includes a popular line found in countless Hollywood movies.
The line that is a no-no for Bure: Follow your heart.
"One of [the lines] that's always been a really big theme in Christmas movies is to follow your heart -- [it's also] in a lot of rom-coms," Bure said on her Candace Cameron Bure Podcast. "But the Bible says that the heart is wicked and deceitful above all things. That's Jeremiah 17:9. So we're actually not to follow our heart, but to follow the wisdom that God gives us."
When that line is in the script, she said, she asks the filmmaker to tweak it.
"I don't ever want to lead someone in something that I know is deceitful, that is not biblically sound," she added.
Bure is chief creative officer at Great American Family, which she joined following a successful career at Hallmark. Her role as an executive, she said, has given her more creative control over the movies.
"As I've shifted my career and been able to insert more of a faith-focus narrative in some of the movies …I always want to nod to what the real reason for the season is," she said. "...That has been very important to me. And it doesn't have to be over the top, but let's at least -- while we're finding love on the farm -- let's recognize that we celebrate Christmas because Jesus came to the world and was the Savior of the world.
"[He was] born a baby on Earth and lived this perfect life only to willingly sacrifice Himself so that we can all be reconciled to God," she said. "Now, it might not say all of that in the movie, but I want to just recognize what Christmas is all about."
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Photo Credit: ©YouTube/Candace Cameron Bure
Michael Foust has covered the intersection of faith and news for 20 years. His stories have appeared in Baptist Press, Christianity Today, The Christian Post, the Leaf-Chronicle, the Toronto Star and the Knoxville News-Sentinel.
Listen to Michael's Podcast! He is the host of Crosswalk Talk, a podcast where he talks with Christian movie stars, musicians, directors, and more. Hear how famous Christian figures keep their faith a priority in Hollywood and discover the best Christian movies, books, television, and other entertainment. You can find Crosswalk Talk on LifeAudio.com, or subscribe on Apple or Spotify so you never miss an interview that will be sure to encourage your faith.
Originally published November 19, 2024.
