Films For Discussion

The following is a list of films that I show in my high school classes for reflection and analysis in the areas of theology, worldview, philosophy, and ethics. They may or may not advocate for a biblical position, but they are both entertaining and useful for stimulating penetrating discussion. Some of the films do contain morally objectionable material, which you may choose to edit out. I have attached links to the very thorough content advisories on the International Movie Database (IMDB) for each film.

• [added 9/18/2014] Bruce Almighty (PG-13, 2003, directed by Tom Shadyac, starring Jim Carrey, Jennifer Aniston, and Morgan Freeman)

• This film has been both vilified and glorified by thoughtful Christians, and it is loaded with theological claims and implications. Therefore, if edited with wisdom and discretion for younger viewers, this film makes an excellent introduction to important topics, particularly the nature of God and God's sovereignty. (Below is a link to objectionable portions that I recommend editing out.) Bruce Nolan is a local news reporter who believes his life is in the dumps. After a long string of terrible events (some of them hilarious), he curses God and blames God for being a bully who wants to ruin his (Bruce's) life. God then confronts Bruce directly and endows Bruce with all of his powers. While scared at first, Bruce eventually embraces the power, leading him down a path of even greater selfishness and destruction. In reality, if these powers were given to a real person, the outcome would not be so comedic. Some helpful questions to discuss: Do you consider this to be a "Christian" film? What Christian elements did you see in the film? Is God generic enough to be taken as an old theistic God or is it specifically a Christian view of God? What are the attributes of God (Morgan Freeman) in this film? How do the attributes of God in the film compare/contrast with the attributes of God as found in the Scriptures? Does the world prefer the Morgan Freeman God or the biblical God? Why? Why is his girlfriend's name "Grace"? What role does blood play in the story? What is the overall point of the film? (Content advisory here.) Another helpful analysis of the film may be found online here, hosted by Union Presbyterian Seminary.

• Groundhog Day (PG, 1993, directed by Harold Raims, starring Bill Murray)

• Phil Connors (played by Bill Murray) is a pompous network meteorologist who is assigned to cover the Groundhog Festival in Punxsutawney, PA. Believing this role to be beneath him, he despises the assignment and can't wait to leave Punxsutawney. However, unexpected even by him (a weatherman), he is snowed in by a blizzard and must return to his hotel. The next morning, he awakens to the same song on the radio. As it turns out, it is the exact same day, repeated. He quickly learns that he is stuck in the same day for an indefinite number of cycles. This alludes to Nietzsche's "eternal recurrence" and raises a number of ethical questions. If there is no tomorrow (no consequences), is anything really wrong? The use of this film for a teacher is primarily as a springboard to discuss ethics. One major question is: Is ethics teleological (based on consequences) or deontological (based on duty)? What handles does this film provide to help the viewer understand teleology and deontology? Is this film in line with a Christian (deontological) view of ethics? (content advisory here.)

•  Jurassic Park (PG-13, 1993, directed by Steven Spielberg, written by Michael Crichton)

• The main contention in this film is a battle between two different conceptions of the natural realm. One conception is the secular view, which sees nature as a means to an end, which may be manipulated by scientists at will to serve human ends--in this case to start an amusement park. The other view (the protagonist in a sense) is a cosmic humanist (or "New Age") view, which personifies Life itself. This view is best represented by the Chaos mathematician, Ian Malcolm (played by Jeff Goldblum). In the plot, the scientists and park planners find themselves unable to control the personified force of Nature, implying that Nature has fought back and won. A Christian perspective is no part of this film but it is still highly entertaining and useful for discussion about secular and New Age views of Nature. Which view does the author hold? How does a biblical view of nature differ from both?  (content advisory here.) Also, you may read an excellent analysis of Jurassic Park by Ray Bohlin of Summit Ministries here.

• Expelled: No Intelligence Allowed (PG, 2008, starring Ben Stein)

• Expelled is a documentary meant to expose the lack of academic freedom on college campuses and in research institutions when it comes to the theory of Intelligent Design (ID). While Stein does not personally weigh in on the issue of guided design vs. unguided Darwinian evolution, he does believe that it is a worthy discussion to be had by academics. Unfortunately, many academics are not even permitting the discussion to be had on the "free" market of ideas. The climax of the film is a confrontation between Ben Stein and the prominent atheist, Richard Dawkins, an evolutionary biologists who believes that "creationists" and ID advocates are beneath his academic consideration. In general the documentary is well made, engaging, and provocative. It does not advocate for a particularly Christian "creationist" position. Rather, it focuses its attention more broadly on the issue of apparent design in the natural order. What or Who might have designed it is beyond the scope of the film and arguably of science. (content advisory here.)

• The Village (PG-13, 2004, directed and written by M. Night Shyamalan)

• The setting is a small somewhat-utopian village of a few dozen people set deep in the American forest, apparently in the 19th century. In the woods surrounding the village, there are mysterious and terrifying creatures, with whom the citizens of the village have an uneasy truce. The monster-infested woods have cut off the village completely from the outside world ("the towns"); however, due to tragic events, one of the residents finds it necessary to go to "the towns." The ending of the film (which will not be spoiled here) offers a profound plot twist, which raises many questions about the origin of evil. A secular worldview might argue that people become evil due to the influence of society. A Christian worldview, on the other hand, argues that evil is a principle that lies in each individual since the fall of Adam and Eve. After watching this film, ask yourself, "Where does evil come from?" Shyamalan clearly seems to guide the viewer toward one conclusion. (content advisory here.)

• The Truman Show (PG, 1998, starring Jim Carrey)

• Unbeknownst to him, Truman Burbank's entire life has been a reality show and has been lived on an enormous sound stage for the pleasure of the entire world. Everything from his friends to his wife to the weather has been controlled by the show's producer Christof (Ed Harris) from the day that Truman was born. The story takes place in Truman's late 20s(-ish) and is the gradual realization that his world is not all that it appears to be. The film raises Platonic questions about reality and perception and provocatively uses the suggestive names "Truman" (True Man?) and "Christof" (Christ?). The last two or three minutes are especially penetrating when Truman asks a series of philosophical and theological questions, "Who are you?" and "Who am I?" and "Was nothing real?" Is this film a critique of religion? Also, if Truman's life is controlled but otherwise picture-perfect, why is it evil? Would the real world, with its pain and suffering from which Truman has been spared, be better? (content advisory here)

• The Lion King (G, 1994, Disney)

• This animated Disney blockbuster tells the story of the young lion Simba, from his birth to his self-imposed exile from the pride after the death of his father Mufasa to his eventual restoration to leadership of the pride. In the time of his exile, his uncle Scar takes control of the pride, ruining it and the land on which the pride lives. Simba is the pure protagonist and Scar, the antagonist. It is a classic Disney tale of good vs. evil. What makes the film a good candidate for discussion and worldview analysis is that it is a hodge-podge of many worldviews. Which elements of the film reflect a Christian worldview (rejection of vengeance, forgiveness, etc...) and which elements of the film are decidedly non-Christian (ancestor worship, reincarnation, prayer to the dead, etc...)? Also, why is it that the producers wrote a film with such an ambiguous worldview? Does that quality make it more appealing to the masses? (content advisory here)

• El Angel Exterminador (Spanish language, 1962, by Luis Buñuel) 

• This Spanish language film is a strange one. Its creator, Luis Buñuel, is something of a Spanish Alfred Hitchcock, and El Angel Exterminador (The Exterminating Angel) has a Hitchcock feel to it. It is the account of a posh, upper-class dinner party from which the attendees find themselves mysteriously unable (or unwilling?) to leave. Nothing restrains the revelers externally and yet none of them leaves. After several days this leads to hysteria and at least two accounts of suicide. What restrains them? The film calls into question the concept of free will and is useful for discussion in light of Romans 8 and 9. The film is in black and white and, unless you speak Spanish, must be viewed with subtitles, so it takes a bit of patience on the part of viewers. But, the patience is well worth it. (content advisory here)

• The NeverEnding Story (PG, 1984, based on the book Die Unendliche Geschichte)

• This is a wildly imaginative film based on the popular German-language book by the same title. In this supposedly never-ending story, which is only about 92 minutes long, 10-year-old Bastian Belthazar Bux opens an ornate book that he stole from a book store and begins to read. He doesn't realize it at first, but he is being drawn into the story of the book, blurring the lines between his real world and the fictional world of Fantasia. By the end of the film, the fate of Fantasia and its fantastic residents (rockbiters, luckdragons, giant bats, talking turtles, etc...) lies in the hands of young Bastian who has become part of the story. The land of Fantasia is a universe whose existence depends upon the imagination of boys and girls reading the book, as Bastian is doing. In the modern world children have stopped reading and being imaginative, leading, therefore, to the consumption of Fantasia by a force known simply as the "Nothing." On the surface this seems to be a morality tale about reading and imagination, which only becomes more relevant with the advent of digital media and 140-character Tweets. Are literacy and the human imagination becoming emaciated in our "Google it" culture? On a deeper philosophical level, it may be a conflict between realist and idealist views of reality, as the real world and the imagined world of Fantasia are interpenetrating universes. What is really real? (content advisory here)

• [added 11/19/2013] Ferngully (G, 1992)
  
  
• Ferngully is a beautiful, untouched rainforest that is inhabited by a race of tiny fairies who live in perfect harmony with the forest. None has ever seen a human until a logging team shows up to cut down the forest. One of the fairies, Crysta, accidentally shrinks down a logger, Zak, to fairie size. From this point, Zach begins to awaken to the reality of the living forest and cosmic life that permeates all living things. Zach (eventually a protagonist) must realize he is a cosmic murderer. The main antagonist is Hexus, a force of evil, previously locked away inside a magical tree, who was set free by Zach's logging crew. Hexus now feeds on pollution, poison, and destruction of nature. Will he achieve his goal of destroying Ferngully? This is a straightforwardly New Age (or cosmic humanist) film, which is packaged in the usual Disney fantasy and imagination. Ferngully provides an easy opportunity for worldview analysis and is fun to watch, thanks largely to the comedic relief of Batty, who is voiced by Robin Williams. (content advisory here)

Please leave a comment to recommend films that you have found useful for analysis and discussion by Christians.