| The Cross | |
| Director: | Matthew Crouch |
| Producer: | Matthew Crouch Laurie Crouch Richard J. Cook Stephan Blinn |
| Starring: | Arthur Blessitt |
| Music: | Matthew R. Long (original score) |
| Editing: | Stephan Blinn |
| Studio: | Gener8Xion Entertainment |
| Distributor: | Gener8Xion Entertainment |
| Runtime: | 90 minutes |
| Country: | United States |
| Language: | English |
| Gross: | $741,557 |
The Cross (also known as The Cross: The Arthur Blessitt Story) is a 2009 documentary film directed by Matthew Crouch, in his directorial debut. The film chronicles Arthur Blessitt's Guinness World Record-setting[1] journey of 38,102 miles of forty years "into every nation and major island group of the world"[2] while carrying a twelve-foot wooden cross.
Twenty years earlier Crouch had made a documentary about Blessitt. Then, in the summer of 2008, Crouch and Blessitt "ran into each other" on the cusp of Blessitt's final trip to Zanzibar, an island off the coast of the continent of Africa, which gave them the idea to create a brand new documentary that would finish telling the story of Blessitt's journey.[3]
The Cross opened on March 27, 2009 in 221 theaters, and grossed approximately $300,000.[4] It made $741,557 total.[5]
Most reviews of the film criticized it for not offering a balanced, unbiased insight into both Blessitt's journey or the effects of it on his life and family. As an example, Annie Young Frisbie, writing for Christianity Today, wrote:
Because Crouch avoids any deep questioning of Blessitt, and fails to bring in any other voices, The Cross lacks structure. While Blessitt is appealing, once the novelty of his walk wears off, there's nothing left for audiences to sink their teeth into.[6]
The soundtrack features original songs by Javen and The Katinas that are inspired by the film as well as an original score from first-time composer Matthew R. Long.[7]