Our college class at church is trying something new this summer. We are calling it simply, "movie nights". The concept is simple. Gather together, plunk in a DVD, watch it, talk about it.
To guide the discussion, Aaron (the leader) prints off viewer comments about the movie. It takes about two seconds to launch into a great worldview discussion.
Last week, we watched Robin Williams in the Academy award winning production, What Dreams May Come.
Briefly, here are my reflections.
The movie is a good worldview discussion starter. Ninety percent of the film takes place after Christy's (Robin Williams) death. Christy experiences the afterlife and goes on an adventure in heaven and hell.
The story features a syncretistic neo-Eastern worldview (reincarnation etc), so there is no danger of mistaking this for a Biblical worldview. Not a problem for me (in the sense that a movie does not have to get everything right in order to be a useful tool). It bothered other viewers to see a film about "heaven" say so little about God. God is a distant speck in this film ... at one point in heaven, Christy asks "where is God?" To which, Albert (Cuba Gooding) replies, "he is somewhere way up there shouting at us that he loves us, but we just have trouble hearing him" (may not be an exact quote).
Short aside: the view of heaven in this film is comical, in my opinion. If that is all that heaven is, no thanks (in my opinion). Heaven can wait.
I try to focus on where peices of film can be used to wade into deeper water. This film deals with issues of regret, guilt, forgiveness, and self sacrifice. Those are concepts that lead easily into a redemptive discussion about worldview concepts. In other words, how do we truly experience forgiveness? What is the ultimate expression of self-sacrificial love etc.
One thing the film got right. It bashes reductive physicalism. Albert asks Christy, "so what did you think your mind was, your brain or something?" I enjoyed the take down on physicalism. Christy replies, "well, yeah". Christy plays a neurologist, so it was an amusing moment for me -- only because I spend way too much time debating the mind / body problem.
Another movie I recently saw (and really enjoyed) was Batman Begins. I hope to write a short review on the Dawn Treader.
Jeff,
Wasn't it crazy when he is walking across those peoples heads? Certainly a visually rich film. I think I would like to watch it again.
Perhaps I will write a review as well.
Cheers,
Brian
Posted by: Brian | June 30, 2005 at 15:00
Brian,
Yep. That scene reminded me of the title of the Kutlass song ... "Sea of Faces" ... very creepy.
Incidentally, I picture hell as a very dark place versus the a fiery burning place (which seemingly would be very bright). The film depicted it as a mostly dark place (there were some flames briefly shown).
The picture of headless bodies was a sticky image ... I don't think I can ever forget that. I can still picture Robin Williams apologizing for stepping on people's faces.
Incidentally, I hope you write more movie reviews. Your review of The Hours was quite good.
Posted by: Jeff | June 30, 2005 at 16:16
I enjoyed the movie and thought its depiction of Hell was especially powerful and surprising for a modern/postmodern movie. In some ways I saw Christy's(Robin) story almost as if he were a character out of C. S. Lewis' Great Divorce, but instead of the souls journeying from the outskirts of hell to the outskirts of heaven, this is an example of a deep penetration into hell for the same purpose. In the end, his wife still had to choose, which was consistent with Lewis' allegory.
Posted by: William Meisheid | June 30, 2005 at 23:47
Hubby hosted a weekly "American Film Club" when we were in Ukraine. It served many purposes, but one key one was introducing worldview ideas for discussion. And some of the discussions were. . . simply amazing.
If you e-mail me some films y'all may be showing, I'll see if we already have vocab words/questions you may be interested in modifying for your use. And, of course, there are several websites that provide that as well. (Hmmmm. . . can't find those bookmarks when I want them. . .)
Using film is a great tool when reaching out to foreign exchange students. It's a low-key relationship building opportunity, along with English skills opportunity. Now with dvds and subtitles, it's even more effective.
Posted by: TulipGirl | July 16, 2005 at 16:24
T.G.
The next film on the list is To End All Wars by Brian Godawa.
CT reviewed it here:
http://www.christianitytoday.com/movies/reviews/toendallwars.html
Is that one of the films you showed?
Posted by: Dawn Treader | July 17, 2005 at 15:52