There seems to be a bit of a disconnect between what the producers of "End of the Spear" are telling Newsweek and what the movies star, Chad Allen (Dr. Quinn Medicine Woman), is telling The Advocate. The discrepancy is in regard to the openly gay Allen's staring role in a Christian movie targeted at "Passion of the Christ" fans.

From Newsweek:

Chad Allen: former drug-using teen heartthrob, lapsed Roman Catholic, gay activist and ... Christian missionary. The choice of the openly gay Allen as the lead actor in "End of the Spear," a new Christian-made movie about the real-life story of a son who makes peace with an Amazon tribe that killed his missionary father, has created a dilemma for moviegoers who want to support the movie's message, but not its messenger. "This story is perhaps one of the most precious, well-known mission stories of the last century," says Jason Janz, an assistant pastor in Colorado who brought attention to the issue on his fundamentalist blog, SharperIron.org. "I believe it was bad judgment to cast one of Hollywood's foremost gay activists in the leading role." But, at the same time, other religious leaders--including Jerry Falwell, who has publicly preached against homosexuals--are encouraging their congregations to see the movie.

The schizophrenic response from the Christian community is a blow to the movie's producers, who were hoping for a unified "Passion of the Christ"-type turnout. "It's disappointing," says Jim Hanon, the film's director and co-writer. "Especially because the message of the story is that you should reach out in love to people you disagree with."

When the movie's producers offered the part to Allen, who currently attends a Christian congregation, they didn't know he was gay. (The producers aren't exactly the target audience for The Advocate, which put Allen on the cover when he came out in 2001.) Ultimately, the decision to leave Allen in the role was left up to the man the movie is based on, Steve Saint, since Allen was set to play Steve--and his slain father--in the film. "My dad was my hero, and the thought of someone playing him that advocates that lifestyle made me very uncomfortable," says Saint. "But I realized it wasn't for me to condone or to condemn what Chad does or doesn't do. That is God's prerogative. And I feel that God had his hand in setting up this complex scenario for Chad to play this part."

From The Advocate:

He is working with all three gay cable channels-Here TV, Viacom's Logo, and Q Television-in one capacity or another, and Mythgarden is developing feature-film projects with Robert Gant, Judith Light, David Mixner, and David Duchovny. And then there are Allen's recent-and, he says, profound-experiences in Panama making the film End of the Spear and in the Ecuadoran Amazon after shooting wrapped. Scheduled for a January release, Spear is a $20 million indie based on the true story of a Christian missionary played by the gay Allen, a role that he confides he landed in part thanks to The Advocate.

With the Oscars poised to honor a gaggle of straight men and women (though Ang Lee's sexual orientation may be debatable) for portraying gay cowboys, it's refreshing to see an confirmed gay leading man playing a straight character.