Christian movies a good sign
By Mike Haynes
Because I’m
a church-attending, Bible-believing, Christ follower, I am confident that God’s
not dead and that heaven is for real. I include Noah on my list of biblical
heroes – but talking rock transformers, not so much.
If you’ve
kept up with recent movies, you know I just made reference to three – and
overall, I take them as a positive sign for believers.
In 2002, I noted in this newspaper
a slight sign of hope for the portrayal of people of faith in films and TV
shows. Back then, I wrote that for decades, when God-fearing
people had been included in stories, “they often were portrayed as lacking in
education, IQ and/or morals.”
But episodes
of “Judging Amy” and “Everybody Loves Raymond” had shown me that there must be
Hollywood writers who understood religion beyond the stereotypes of judgmental
Christians and pedophile priests. The programs presented church-going and
temple-attending characters in thoughtful, respectful ways.
Then in
2004, Mel Gibson’s “The Passion of the Christ” demonstrated that huge audiences
were to be had if the film industry would produce God-related material. Christian
churches began to build on the legacy of evangelistic movies that the Billy
Graham organization had started with such films as “Time to Run” (1972). In
2006, “Facing the Giants” began a trend, including 2008’s “Fireproof,” that
still draws large audiences – but primarily composed of church groups.
While
those movies effectively and sometimes movingly promote the Christian message,
the
production values aren’t always topnotch, also a weakness of some of the
Billy Graham productions. “The Hiding Place” (1975) was a notable exception,
and now we have some films in theaters that also give us better scripts and
first-rate acting.
“God’s
Not Dead” features possibly Kevin Sorbo’s best acting job as an atheist
professor challenged by a believing college freshman. The student, played by
Shane Harper, lays out a cogent argument for belief in God, and from a
Christian point of view, it’s a must-see movie for anyone contemplating that
great life question.
The
writers packed in too many individual stories, from a young Muslim woman to a
skeptical journalist to a pastor who wants to work “in the trenches.” Maybe a
couple of those life situations could have been saved for another movie. And
the resolutions to their problems come a little too easily.
Despite
the great value of “God’s Not Dead,” I’m afraid nonbelievers might consider it
too heavy-handed in making all the “God things” happen too conveniently and the
non-Christian characters too dark. It’s a little preachy, but yes, I was fired
up at the end.
“Heaven
Is For Real” is more understated, which I see as a plus. With the likable Greg
Kinnear playing the pastor father of a real-life boy who had a near-death
experience in heaven, the movie shows no
signs of amateurism. Kinnear, Margo
Martindale, Thomas Haden Church and Kelly Reilly give nuanced performances, and
Connor Corum is good as 4-year-old Colton Burpo.
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| Lane Styles, from left, Kelly Reilly and Connor Corum act in a scene from "Heaven Is For Real." (AP) |
“Heaven
Is For Real” could have been cheesy. It does show brief scenes of Colton with
Jesus in heaven, but the story spends more time on his parents trying to figure
out whether their boy really was with the angels than it does on exaggerated
special effects. Characters at a church board meeting reveal fears that
the
heaven story might make their church a laughingstock – a conversation I can see
happening at any church (and apparently it did at the real Burpos’ in
Nebraska).
The
writers and director took what could have been a sensationalistic production
and created a subtle, thought-provoking movie. It doesn’t force heaven down
your throat but sure makes you think about it.
“Noah,”
starring Russell Crowe, has a good lesson about dedication to God, but it also
throws in too many modern issues as it makes Noah’s family vegetarian and
focuses on environmentalism.
And the
inclusion of a certain group of rocky creatures takes “Noah” out of the realm
of serious discussion.
The first column I wrote for this section in
1997 quoted author Philip Yancey about the need for Christian writers and
artists to quit settling for good intentions and to strive for excellence. Yancey
said the highest cultural achievements should include a strong dose of
Judeo-Christian values as they did in the days of Michelangelo and Handel.
Recent
entertainment shows a smidgen of promise. The more effectively we present the
message, the more likely the world will listen.
