Other films and TV series are in the works that seem likely to treat American troops and counter-terrorism agents respectfully, which has long been a plea of cultural conservatives. These include Jerry Bruckheimer’s new Navy SEALs TV series for ABC, Tom Clancy and Mike Ovitz’s Tom Clancy’s Homeland Security for TNT, Universal’s film Lone Survivor, Relativity’s upcoming Navy SEAL action filmAct of Valor, as well as recently announced film projects based on Vince Flynn’s American Assassin and Brad Thor’s Takedown. Such projects would seem to indicate that Hollywood has not completely abandoned the patriotism and respect for the military that conservatives value. As director Peter Berg told Deadline Hollywood about his Afghanistan-set Navy SEAL drama Lone Survivor, “Bin Laden’s death has cleared the way for this, a movie that will be an unapologetically patriotic film that honors and pays homage to an incredible group of badass guys who do this.”

In fairness, some conservative media figures seem aware of these changes in Hollywood. Nationally syndicated talk-radio host Lars Larson now regularly features segments on his show in which he promotes conservative-friendly films. When I asked him why he thought such movies were important, he replied, “They’re one of the ways that people communicate messages about what America is.” Michael Medved also reviews movies weekly on his radio show and has praised films like Four Lions and The Devil’s Double. And a younger generation of writers and bloggers are making the effort to take contemporary film and TV more seriously.

Such instances are rare, however, and today’s conservative movement appears unwilling to adapt to the fluid, dynamic nature of popular culture—even when it turns in its favor. Conservatives have a timely opportunity to engage with the film industry and achieve a rapprochement with American popular culture. The future growth of the conservative movement may rest on its ability to embrace the arts and participate in the culture that brings joy to the mainstream of American society. The question is, will conservatives be willing to re-think their fraught relationship with Hollywood to do so?