Searching for the Wrong-Eyed Jesus

Being an import into the South, I was mesmerized by the opening scenes of this movie, and was filled with a unique representation of the Gothic South. I was displeased though to read the comments here with a clear misunderstanding of the movie was trying to portray. The movie is about the South, not about a mindless devotion to Pentecostalism. Although that is portrayed in the movie, I feel it's important to understand that the South, unlike other parts of the country is a place full of the clash of religion and "hell-raising." The Church is only one element in this film as the other elements of ghoulish beauty, good-natured people, and a love for simplistic things seems to have been overlooked by other commentaries here on IMDb. I just felt inclined to mention the movie is more about THE South, than just a pocket of the Church, and it's notable that the comments have all come from Yankees, who after seeing this movie, might not still have a clue about the charming,haunting beauty of the South.