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Octavia Spencer

SF Radio 9.09: Getting Christmas SPIRITED

December 23, 2022 by Steve Norton Leave a Comment

Do people really change? In Apple’s rebooted Christmas Carol Spirited, The Ghost of Christmas Past certainly believes so. However, when he meets the impossibly awful Clint Briggs, his faith in humanity will be tested. This week, SF’er Heather Johnson drops by to talk about our favourite Christmas stories, translating Dickens and whether or not anyone is truly ‘forever irredeemable’.

You can stream on podomatic, Alexa (via Stitcher), Spotify, iHeart Radio or Amazon Podcasts! Or, you can downoad the ep on Apple Podcasts!

Want to continue to conversation at home?  Click the link below to download ‘Fishing for More’ — some small group questions for you to bring to those in your area.

9.09-SpiritedDownload

Filed Under: Featured, Film, Podcast Tagged With: A Christmas Carol, Apple, Christmas, musical, Octavia Spencer, Ryan Reynolds, Spirited, Will Ferrell

Spirited: Redemption Ain’t Easy

November 20, 2022 by Heather Johnson Leave a Comment

I am a self-proclaimed enthusiast of all things “A Christmas Carol.” I mean, one of my son’s names is Timothy – a purposeful reference to Tiny Tim from the Charles Dickens classic story of how a seemingly “unredeemable” Ebenezer Scrooge journeys through his past, present, and future in a ghostly attempt to change his ways. Since its publication in 1843, there have been over a hundred adaptations from radio to the stage to the screen and everything in between. One may even dare to ask the question, “why keep making new ones?”

To answer the question I ask another one, “should we ever stop seeking redemption?” Because if the answer is no (which I think is the correct one) then this story will always be relevant so by all means, let’s keep making them. And Apple+ showed up with their answer in Spirited, starring Will Ferrell, Ryan Reynolds, Octavia Spencer, and Patrick Page.

Before I tell you just where this version ranks in my list of top-rated adaptations of “A Christmas Carol,” I’d be remiss if I didn’t tell you that I was absolutely delighted with this movie. It was funny, it was charming, it was well-written, it was musical (yes, musical), and it was simply a joy to watch. Will Ferrell plays the Ghost of Christmas Present in the real-life-after-life job of haunting Scrooge-like humans out of their spiteful and malicious ways and into a life kindness and generosity. Of course no Christmas Carol dream team can work without the Ghost of Christmas Past (Sunita Mani), the Ghost of Christmas Yet-to-Come (voiced by Tracy Morgan and performed by Loren Woods), and of course Jacob Marley (Patrick Page). Together with some very musically and theatrically talented ghosts, Present and his team take one chosen “perp,” on the ride of their life every Christmas Eve through their past, present, and show how their future will unfold if they don’t change their ways.

I mean you know the plot. But this year, this year their “Scrooge,” is a hopeless cause. He’s calloused, he’s greedy, he’s a manipulator. He has created such a ripple of negativity that he has even been classified as “unredeemable.”

He’s Ryan Reynolds. Well he’s actually Clint Briggs (played by Ryan Reynolds), the kind of PR executive that doesn’t hesitate to twist the truth (or re-write it even) to win. So committed to his cut-throat approach, he even advises his niece Wren (Marlow Barkley) to dig up dirt on her student council opponent and destroy his reputation, ensuring her victory…you know, for a middle school election. Little does Clint know that his actions have caught Present’s attention and through a compelling musical number and heartfelt plea, he convinces Jacob to choose Clint this Christmas, in spite of the label on his file. Jacob’s deal? That if it doesn’t work, Present takes his retirement package after two centuries of service and returns to earth for his second chance at life.

Balancing an ELF like optimism with a Eurovision voice and a Ricky Bobby style of determination, Ferrell’s portrayal of the Ghost of Christmas Present is easily one of my new favorites. Sure he has the same optimism and exuberance of most Present portrayals, but there’s a deeply rooted reality to him. There is a story to uncover as to why he is so committed to Clint’s redemption – so much so that he invites Clint into it so that maybe Clint will quit trying to sweet talk his way out of the journey and instead pay attention to how pivotal this journey will be. And Reynolds matches Ferrell beat for beat, creating a natural character journey that starts with defiance and reluctance but then shifts into curiosity, openness, and finally understanding. But ultimately, will it be enough by the end?

I admit I thought I had this movie figured out after some well-placed clues and hints. And obviously there was only one way this movie could end. But I was shocked and then pleasantly surprised with the bow that wrapped up the gift that is this movie. Yes I loved the musical numbers. Yes the casting is fantastic (Octavia Spencer brings the internal struggle of how far is too far to the forefront as Clint’s right-hand exec Kimberly, Sunita Mani had me cracking up as Past, and of course Ferrell and Reynolds were playing the kinds of characters they play best), and yes the spirit of “A Christmas Carol” is in every scene, even if it isn’t always obvious.

But the biggest “yes,” for me is my answer to the other question…can a Clint…can a Scrooge…truly be redeemed…and then stay as such?

Yes.

(Oh to answer your other question – Spirited is now in my top three film adaptations – up there with Mickey’s Christmas Carol and the 1970 film Scrooge with Albert Finney and Alec Guinness. And no, I will not be entertaining arguments against such rankings.)

Filed Under: AppleTV+, Featured, Film, Reviews Tagged With: A Christmas Carol, Christmas, Octavia Spencer, Ryan Reynolds, Spirited, Will Ferrell

5.11 Problems and Praise in GREEN BOOK

March 3, 2019 by Steve Norton Leave a Comment

http://screenfish.net/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/5.11-Green-Book.mp3

When the name Green Book was read aloud as the winner of Best Picture at the 91st Oscars last week, it erupted a firestorm of controversy. While some pronounced the film as outdated and problematic in its portrayal of racial issues in today’s culture, others defended the film and authenticity. This week, we welcome back ScreenFish’rs Chris Utley and Shelley McVea to challenge the film’s arguments about stereotypes, the merit (or not) of its depiction of dignity and its responsibility to get the facts straight. 

You can also stream the episode above on podomatic, SoundCloud or on Spotify! Or, you can download the ep on Apple Podcasts, Google Play or more!

5.11 Green Book

Want to continue to conversation at home?  Click the link below to download ‘Fishing for More’ — some small group questions for you to bring to those in your area.

Thanks Chris and Shelley for joining us!

Filed Under: Film, Podcast Tagged With: BlackkKlansman, Green Book, Mahershala Ali, Nick Vallelonga, Octavia Spencer, Oscars, Peter Farrelly, Spike Lee, Tony Vallelonga, Viggo Mortensen

The Shape of Water – Fable with Biblical Commentary

January 3, 2018 by Darrel Manson Leave a Comment

“Decency is an export. We sell it because we don’t use it.”

Guillermo del Toro’s films are sometimes referred to as fairy tales, fables, or parables, but always much darker than we usually think of such things. Those characterizations are not just because of fantastic, mythical beings in the stories. It is also because these stories have a strong moral center that uses a fantasy world to challenge our understanding of our own world. All this is true of his newest film, The Shape of Water.

Sally Hawkins in the film THE SHAPE OF WATER. Photo by Kerry Hayes. © 2017 Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation All Rights Reserved

The film is set in the Cold War, a time that some saw as a great battle of good versus evil. (Of course, which side you were on would affect which side you viewed as good.) In a secret government facility, Elisa (Sally Hawkins), a mute janitor, discovers a strange creature (Doug Jones) being held captive. It is amphibian and resembles the Creature from the Black Lagoon. The creature is being held there by Richard Strickland (Michael Shannon), who brought the creature back from the Amazon because it might hold secrets to give the US an advantage over the Soviets in the space race. In time, Elisa secretly forms a relationship with the creature and enlists the help of a co-worker Zelda (Octavia Spencer) and neighbor Giles (Richard Jenkins) to free the creature from the lab to save its life.

Because of the setting, the film allows reflection on those “good old days” and how they may fall short of our golden memories of them. There are clear distinctions between classes, races, and men and women. But the story revolves around the differences between the marginalized and the entitled.

Michael Shannon in the film THE SHAPE OF WATER. Photo by Kerry Hayes. © 2017 Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation All Rights Reserved

Del Toro employs an interesting device to illuminate the issues: biblical stories. Strickland has a worldview that is informed by a particular understanding of scripture. That understanding revolves around power. He believes he can treat the creature as he does because humans are created in God’s image—and he sees himself more in God’s image than other people. When he learns Zelda’s middle name is Delilah, he brings up the story of Samson, which he also reads as a story about power and being the conduit of that power. As we watch we see that even though he knows scripture, he has a distorted view of its meaning.

But the key biblical story alluded to in the film is Ruth. Del Toro doesn’t tell us the story (as with Samson). He just gives us an allusion to the story and lets us find how to use that tool to read the film. Elisa lives above a movie theater that is currently showing The Story of Ruth. That biblical account is also about the marginalized. Ruth was a foreign widow (two forms of marginalization). Elisa has been abused as a child and is now mute. The creature is a prisoner and totally out of his element.

Doug Jones and Sally Hawkins in the film THE SHAPE OF WATER. Photo Courtesy of Fox Searchlight Pictures. © 2017 Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation All Rights Reserved

In the story of Ruth, Ruth is rescued from her dire situation through finding a relationship with Boaz, a distant well-to-do relative. There is a bit of seduction in Ruth’s story, and in this one as well. But as l look at this story through the lens of the book of Ruth, I’m not sure which character is in the role of Ruth and which is in the role of Boaz. Certainly, Elisa rescues the creature from his imprisonment, but he also rescues her from her loneliness and pain. I have come to the conclusion that they each serve as Boaz to the other. They both bring a kind of salvation that give life to each other through their love.

It is good to remember that the biblical account of Ruth arose during a time of marginalizing those whose Jewish lineage was in question (even though the story is set much earlier). As we look at today’s world, we see many who are on the margins of society because of poverty, race, immigration status, sexual identity, and many other reasons. The Shape of Water provides a fable that calls us to act with decency (something that the powerful in this story see as unimportant) towards those around us. Today’s world still needs to live out that story of Boaz and Ruth.

Sally Hawkins and Octavia Spencer in the film THE SHAPE OF WATER. Photo Courtesy of Fox Searchlight Pictures. © 2017 Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation All Rights Reserved

Filed Under: Film, Reviews Tagged With: Bible, cold war, fable, Guillermo del Toro, Michael Shannon, Octavia Spencer, Richard Jenkins, romance, Ruth, Sally Hawkins, sci-fi

1on1 with Wm. Paul Young (author, THE SHACK)

March 3, 2017 by Steve Norton 3 Comments

http://screenfish.net/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/Paul-Young-author-The-Shack.mp3

Have you heard of The Shack?  Spending an incredible 70 weeks on the New York Times Bestseller lists, Wm. Paul Young’s The Shack is nothing short of a cultural phenomenon.  Upon the release of the official film adaptation on Friday, March 3rd, 2017, we had the opportunity to speak with the book’s author, Wm. Paul Young, to discuss forgiveness, healing and, yes, the controversy over the symbolism.

A VERY special thanks to Wm. Paul Young for joining us on the show!

Starring Sam Worthington and Octavia Spencer, The Shack is in theatres now.

 

Filed Under: Film, Interviews, Podcast Tagged With: adaptation, author, controversy, New York Times, Octavia Spencer, Sam Worthington, The Shack, Trinity, Wm. Paul Young

How the Shack Wrestles with the Problem of Evil (and You Should, Too)

March 3, 2017 by Jacob Sahms 7 Comments

A decade ago, I read Paul Young’s novel The Shack, and became intrigued by what I might ask God if I were face-to-face with the Almighty Creator of the Universe. If we’re honest with ourselves, seeing loved ones suffer and die is often the greatest challenge to our faith. For Young, the story revolved around a middle-aged father of three, who loses his youngest daughter to murder and finds himself revisiting the crime scene at the invitation of God. While this story was fascinating to me in its exploration of the problem of evil and forgiveness on many levels, I filed it away as something akin to C.S. Lewis’ The Chronicles of Narnia or J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings, with less fantasy elements. But I walked away wrestling with how I could better to forgive, and how personal a relationship God longs for with us.

This week, as The Shack hits theaters (thanks to the backing of Lionsgate) and I find myself again standing in the middle of a conversation about Young’s ideas about God. For some, it’s an epic story of incarnational love; for others, it’s an inadequate picture of God that falls into the realm of heresy. And, while I first read the novel at the request of others, I find myself asked personally and professionally to weigh in on what I think about the cinematic version of The Shack.

So I did something I never do: I watched The Shack twice in three days, taking deliberate notes and mulling over the theology that the film proposes. (My initial review is here at ChristianCinema.com.) Here is my humble ‘take’ on the film for those who question its worth and for those seeking a pastoral, theological take. A disclaimer: this should be considered to contain spoilers about the plot of the film. I encourage you to see the movie (and/or read the novel) first.

The Introduction to the Story of Mack Phillips

Creatively rendered, the film starts with Willie (Tim McGraw) narrating the early childhood of Mack Phillips (Sam Worthington as an adult). We see that Mack’s father is an elder in his local church, but he’s also an alcoholic who is abusive to both Mack and his mother. Setting the stage for a later visual depiction of God as a large African American woman, Mack’s only ‘advocate’ in the early stages is a neighbor (played by Octavia Spencer, who also plays ‘Papa’) who shows him love, tells him to talk to God who is “always listening,” and comforts him by saying, “Daddy’s aren’t supposed to do that to their kids; it ain’t love.” This humble, patient faith is showed in opposition to Mack’s father, who beats his son outside while a storm rages, forcing him to repeat Colossians 3:20 (“Obey your parents in everything so that it pleases the Lord“) while his mother looks on.

As Mack loads his father’s alcohol with rat poison, penning a note asking that one day he be forgiven, Willie’s voice-over says, “Pain has a way of twisting us up inside and making us do the unthinkable. The secrets we keep have a way of clawing their way to the surface.” Ironically, this is an important plot point that I didn’t remember as I watched the film – and which I know many don’t recall in examining the story later.  Still, it’s an important idea to the main thrust of the film in that it set the stage for a lifetime of guilt and sadness over the way a worldview has been determined by Mack’s abusive father and the actions Mack takes to set that world right.

Fast-forward thirty years, and we find Mack on a camping trip with his children. We’re told that Mack’s wife knows God and calls him Papa; Mack relates better to an understanding of God reflected in the stain-glassed window depicting an old man with a big white beard. And then the Great Sadness falls on Mack’s family, as his daughter is kidnapped (and presumed murdered) by a serial killer. We don’t see Mack’s whole life fall apart, but we know he becomes partially estranged from his wife and kids before God sends him a note, inviting him to the place where his daughter Missy was killed.

Dealing with the Problem of Evil, Suffering, and Pain

In the shack, Mack meets Papa (Octavia Spenser), Jesus (Aviv Alush), and Sarayu (Sumire). Over the course of the next few days, Mack interacts with the three persons of the Trinity together and separately, each member of the Trinity conversing with Mack about the same thing but in different ways. All of them recognize that he is deeply wounded by the loss of his daughter; all of them recognize that he blames God for her murder. With that in mind, consider the conversations below – and recognize that cinematically, they are displayed against the movement of Mack’s exploration of the shack (especially the kitchen where Papa cooks), the lake where Jesus’ fishes and woodworks, and Sarayu’s garden.

The first remarkable comments occur when Mack and Papa bake together, as we might imagine that little Mack baked with the neighbor who taught him the goodness of God.

Mack: You’re wearing a dress. I always pictured you with a white beard.

Papa: I think that’s Santa. After what you’ve been through, I didn’t think you could handle a father right now.

Right away, the issues for some are raised because we’re addressing that God the Father appears as a woman. (Never mind that he will later appear as a Native American man!) For some, the endangerment to their understanding of God’s gender is problematic, and the rest of the film/novel is lost to them. [Please don’t be one of those people!] Instead of dwelling on the depiction of God the Father on screen – which doesn’t seem any less creative than the Sunday School posters we have hanging around our churches of Jesus as an Anglo-Saxon man – let’s focus on what comes next, as Mack and Papa discuss the problem of evil.

Papa: You may not believe it but I am especially fond of you. I want to heal that wound that has grown inside of you that is between us. There are no easy answers that will take your pain away. Life takes a bit of time and a lot of relationships.

Mack: You’re the almighty God, right? You know everything. You’re everywhere at once. You have limitless power. Yet, somehow, you let my little girl die when she needed you most. You abandoned her.

Papa: I never left her.

Suddenly, any misconceptions anyone had about the sheer ‘entertainment value’ of the film have been cleared up, right? But this isn’t a pop culture take on Trinitarian values and the problem of evil, there’s some thought out progression as it continues.

Mack: If you are who you say you are, where were you when I needed you?

Papa: When all you see is your pain, you lose sight of me.

Mack: Stop talking in riddles. How can you say you’ll help me when you couldn’t help her.

Papa: The truth sets everyone free. Truth has a name and he’s over in his woodshed right now covered in sawdust.

Mack: You left him too. Seems like you have a track record, turning your back on those you supposedly love. He said, My God, My God, why have you forsaken me?

Papa: You misunderstand the mystery [Papa shows Mack the nail mark in her/his wrist]. Don’t ever think that what my son chose to do didn’t cost us both differently. Love always leaves a mark. We were there together. I never left him, I never left you, I never left Missy.

The flashing lights and sirens you see and hear are the sounds of critics screaming that this is a brand new case of modalism (or Patripassianism if they can pronounce it). Modalism says that the three members of the Trinity (Father, Son, and Holy Spirit) aren’t really different persons but rather three different perceptions an individual has of God and there are no substantial differentiations one can make of the three. This is because of the mark God the Father/Papa has on one wrist – failing to recognize the differences between the persons Young and the film’s screenwriters present the Trinity with. They couldn’t be more individual if they tried!

What one might instead see is that the Father’s empathy – an aspect the film is carefully trying to boldly proclaim – is strong and that sending Jesus to die on the cross was not done lightly or without cost to Him. This further accents the efforts Papa makes to help Mack understand how Papa feels the pain of losing Missy. Rather than causing me consternation theologically, I hear echoes of the popular poem “Footprints in the Sand” where the author clearly goes out of her way to show how God is with us even when we can’t see it. Again, the script isn’t focused on explaining the mystery of the Trinity three-in-one but in showing us how God worked to “crawl into life” (an explanation from the book, or the Incarnation!) with us.

At this point in the film, Mack isn’t ready to accept or acknowledge what Papa is trying to communicate because his pain is still unresolved, understandably. But he joins the Trinity for dinner. There, he sees the way that the Trinity longs to be in conversation, and he recognizes that he is in community.

Investigating Sin and God’s Wrath

Mack asks Papa, “Is there anyone you’re not especially fond of?” and suddenly the two are knee-deep in a conversation about the “Old Testament God” that Mack is still wrapped around. Rather than trying extricate the two, the dialogue picks up where the dough-threading conversation left off: Papa doesn’t need to stress punishment when he’s still trying to explain grace.

Papa admits that he gets angry with his children (“because what parent doesn’t”) but downplays wrath. Instead, he sounds a lot like Romans 6:23 (“For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord”) when Papa says, “I don’t need to punish people. Sin is its own punishment. I’m in the middle of everything you see to be amiss, working for your good. That’s what I do.” [We just heard Romans 8:28, too, didn’t we? “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.”) Later on in the film, Papa will tell Mack that “no one gets away with anything,” answering another criticism – that The Shack doesn’t deal with sin in a traditional way, or allow for punishment for sin.

And then we get this gem from Papa in response to Mack’s claims that Papa can’t be working good while allowing suffering to occur, “You’re trying to make sense of your world based on a very incomplete picture. The real underlying flaw in your life is that you don’t think I’m good. I am, and if you knew me and how much I love you, even when you don’t understand, you would know that I’m at work in your life for your good, and you’d trust me.” But Mack’s response is straight pain: “My daughter’s dead. There’s nothing that you can say that will ever justify what happened to her.”

For someone who interacts with people wrestling with their grief, pain, shame, and anger on nearly a daily basis, I can assure you that their struggle is greater in dealing with the problem of evil and God’s grace than Patripassianism…

The Spirit Interlude

Immediately after this exchange, Sarayu leads Mack into her garden, showing that she’s connected with Papa but approaching Mack’s distrust from a different perspective: “Just to be clear, we’re not justifying anything, we’re trying to heal it.” She explains how some of the the things growing in the garden are harmful but balanced with something else growing in the garden, they provide healing. While we’re not shown a glorious metaphorical apple, we might hear inklings of Genesis 2:15-17: “The Lord God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to work it and take care of it. And the Lord God commanded the man, “You are free to eat from any tree in the garden; but you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for when you eat from it you will certainly die.” Not everything in the Garden is for Mack, but everything in the Garden has a purpose (or, some might say, is good).

Sarayu debates Mack over what “good” is – he’s very practical about his approach but not very nuanced. Sarayu tells Mack that his approach is many more people than he ever imagined. Sarayu pushes back, “So pretty much you’re the judge? Have you ever been wrong or changed your opinion over time? There are billions like you, [clashing and warring] determining what is good and evil because all insist on playing God. You weren’t meant to do that on your own. This was always meant to be a conversation between friends.” Sarayu’s ‘take’ is less aggressive but more soulful, more spiritual – not unintentionally. But then we get the follow-up to a discussion Mack had previously begun with Jesus.

Jesus & the Rowboat

Earlier that day – although time is fairly obtuse on screen – Mack and Jesus spend some time together near the lake. In one of the more informative dialogues, Mack admits he’s more comfortable with Jesus than the other two members of the Trinity even as he’s growing to realize they’re all connected. Jesus’ response: “I’m the best way to relate to Papa and Sarayu. When you see me, you see them. Sarayu is creativity, the breath of life, my Spirit. We want to be in relationship with you. You are in the center of our love and purpose.” He goes on to tell Mack that he wants everyone to have a relationship with Papa, that it’s his purpose to point toward Papa.

Later, as we revisit images that one can find in Matthew 14, as Peter tries to extend his faith in a physical way, Mack flees a sinking rowboat into the hands of Jesus, who tells him, “Trust me, none of this can hurt you. Keep your eyes on me.” Interspersed with powerful visuals involving walking (or running) on water, the two discuss how Jesus isn’t concerned with rules, working on being a good Christian, or religion. This is the ultimate debate not everyone will like because it’s the debate religious leaders haven’t liked since the time Jesus showed up teaching in the synagogue. It’s the argument Jesus presented for his gospel in John 3, about being born again and accepting God’s love for the world instead of focusing on law-following and sin-counting.

The Cave of Wisdom

Then the film gets really interesting, as Mack explores Young’s version of the Cave of Evil from Dagoba in The Empire Strikes Back. Instead of encountering some twisted version of himself, Mack meets Sophia, or Wisdom, personified. Sophia tells him that the day is full of serious consequences involving judgment; she accuses him of believing that God isn’t good.

Sophia: Today, you are the judge. Why are you surprised? You’ve spent your whole life judging everyone and everything, their actions and motivations, like you could really know them. You make snap judgments about them, from the color of their skin, their clothes, their body language. By all accounts, you are well-practiced expert. [Sophia then lists several types of people (murderers, drug dealers, terrorists, abusive spouses, etc.) and asks if they deserve hell.] What about the man who preys on innocent little girls? Is that man guilty? What about his father who twisted him? Doesn’t the legacy of brokenness go the whole way back to Adam? And what about God? Isn’t he at fault? He set this all in motion, especially if he knew the outcome?

Mack: Do you want me to say it? Absolutely. God is to blame.

Sophia: If it’s so easy for you to judge God, you must choose one of your children to spend eternity in heaven. The other will go to hell. I am only asking you to do something you believe God does.

Mack: It isn’t fair. I can’t. Take me. I’ll go instead of them. I’ll take their place. You take me. You leave my kids alone and you take me.

Sophia: Mackenzie, you’ve judged your children worthy of love even if it costs you everything. Now you know Papa’s heart.

Mack: I don’t understand how God could have loved Missy and put her through so much horror. She was innocent. Did he use her to punish me, because that’s not fair. She didn’t deserve it. Now I might, because…

Sophia: Is that how your God is? God’s not like that. This was not God’s doing. He doesn’t stop a lot of things that cause him pain. What happened to Missy was the work of evil and no one in your world is immune from it. You want the promise of a pain-free life. There isn’t one. As long as there’s free will … evil can find a way in.

Mack: There’s got to be a better way.

Sophia: There is, but the better way involves trust.

At this point in the film, as a father and a pastor, I am completely stunned. (Remember, it’s been a decade since I read the dialogue in the novel.) We humans spend the majority of our day judging others, from what they wear, to how they talk, to who they marry, to what they believe. And in this interplay between Sophia and Mack, all of our judgments of others are laid bare. Again, The Shack puts free will and the problem of evil at front and center of a fictional story, which in my mind, is a genius move blending fiction with the inner wrestling of the soul.

I could go on, and ruin the final fourth of the film. But I won’t do that. I will point out that the production team behind the film chose to focus on the theological change that takes place in the heart of Mack versus the blockbuster ending that wraps up the story of Missy’s killer in the book. But they are all plot points along Mack’s journey, not theological explorations that demand our attention if we’re going to “get” The Shack.

So What’s the Point?

The Shack has its root in Paul Young’s experience of abuse within a religious culture, and his wife’s recognition that writing down his story in fictional form would provide a powerful catharsis for Young and those who would read it. Ultimately, this is about recognizing the beauty and power of God even in the midst of our suffering, and about what forgiveness looks like when we extend it to ourselves. That’s the point of The Shack.

While we struggle with what it means to be human, and what it means for God to be omniscient, omnipotent, omni – everything and for us to have free will, The Shack shows up creatively and asks us to consider all of those ideas in the form of an Everyman. With the Everyman character in Mack, we’re able to see sin play out in his personal decisions and in what’s happened to him, and the way that God’s grace is absolutely overwhelming. It’s a parable, a fable, a metaphor for God’s unrelenting heart.

But if I’m going to push this point further, about what we can learn from The Shack and other narratives like it, it’s this: we must be aware that God’s grace and providence will strip our understanding of what God is in the world. If we are inclined to believing that we’re supposed to be seeking discussions that point people toward God, then The Shack is a decent place to start – especially if the person has questions about suffering, evil, pain, sin, forgiveness… Or to put it another way, John Wesley urged his hearers to “plunder the Egyptians,” and make use of any means possible to promote the gospel!

While critics have proposed The Shack lacks is a complete understanding of the Trinity or of salvation, they fail to understand the historical record of the Gospels (not to mention Jesus’ tangle with the Pharisees). Jesus forgave sins even if the person didn’t confess their sins (Luke 5:17-39), and healed without an acknowledgment of his Godhead (John 5:1-11); he told a story about God as a woman searching her house for a lost coin (Luke 15:8-10). Somehow, the power of the gospel exhibited in Jesus’ life exceeded a protracted dialogue about how the Trinity worked, or how repentance and atonement should be extricated from the story. It’s what made him butt heads with the Pharisees who wanted to say that they had a limited/exclusive take on how God worked! And yet, seeing the big picture through the lens of the cross, we can appreciate the power of God’s movement in each of those stories, and other incomplete/inadequate stories that still reflect the gospel’s light.

I’d propose we allow the same for The Shack. With discernment and grace, we might learn something about ourselves through the wonderful providence of God’s inspiration.

Filed Under: Current Events, Editorial, Featured, Film Tagged With: Christianity, CS Lewis, Faith, forgiveness, God, Jesus, Jesus Christ, JRR Tolkien, Octavia Spencer, parable, Paul Young, Sam Worthington, sin, suffering, The Shack

3.11 Discovering the HIDDEN FIGURES

February 12, 2017 by Steve Norton Leave a Comment

http://screenfish.net/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/2.11-Hidden-Figures.mp3

This week on the show, Chris Utley joins Steve to talk diversity in the Oscars and their response to last years #OscarsSoWhite controversy!  Plus, they also look at the Oscar-nominated film, HIDDEN FIGURES and the cultural impact of breaking barriers of  race and gender!

Want to continue to conversation at home?  Click the link below to download ‘Fishing for More’ — some small group questions for you to bring to those in your area.

3.11 Hidden Figures

Thanks to Chris Utley for being on the show this week!

Filed Under: Film, Podcast Tagged With: Academy Awards, America, Best Picture, Donald Trump, Grammys, Hidden Figures, Janelle Monáe, Octavia Spencer, Oscars, OscarsSoWhite, Pharrel, Taraji P Henson, Trump, women, women's rights

The Great Gilly Hopkins – Finding Family

October 6, 2016 by Darrel Manson Leave a Comment

For Gilly (short for Galadriel) Hopkins (Sophie Nélisse) family has always been a daydream. She has been through a load of foster homes. She has developed an attitude that serves as her armor. No one is going to get close to her. Yet she dreams of her mother coming to rescue her—even though her mother has never wanted anything to do with her. The Great Gilly Hopkins is a story about the meaning of family. Based on the long-popular YA book by Katherine Paterson (which won a National Book Award and a Newbery Honor), the film is adapted by Paterson’s son David, who also adapted her book Bridge to Terabithia for the screen.ggh-6-8-14-251

The film opens with Gilly being brought to what is a last chance for her, the very lower middle class home of Maime Trotter (Kathy Bates), a foster mother who has never found a child she cannot love. And through all Gilly’s tries to fight against that love, Trotter keeps right on loving. Her first day at school she gets in a fight (beating six boys). She writes a card with a racial slur to her teacher (Octavia Spencer). When a girl in the school seeks to befriend her, Gilly treats her miserably. She mildly bullies W.E., the younger foster child in the house, but won’t let anyone at school bother him. She steals from Mr. Randolph (Bill Cobbs) the blind neighbor across the street that Trotter has brought into the family was well. Let’s face it; most people would have given up on Gilly long ago. And she pushes everyone to the limit. Then, finding where her mother is living, she sends a letter full of exaggerations then tries to run away to her.

Trotter still refuses to admit defeat, and soon Gilly is beginning to find her place in the oddly put together family. But then, as a result of the letter to her mother, her grandmother (Glenn Close) (who never knew about her) shows up. Her grandmother is very well off and wants to take Gilly to live with her. Just as she has finally found happiness, is she to be uprooted yet again?

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While stories of children in foster care often show settings of abuse, this home is a place of love and acceptance. Gilly’s dream of being united with her mother has stood in the way of her seeing the people around her willing to love her and make her a part of their family. Dreams, of course, can help us find happiness as we follow those dreams, but for Gilly they have been a barrier to happiness. Just as her attitude has served to protect her from harm, it has also been a hindrance that has blocked any chance at love and happiness.

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Perhaps one of the reasons for the popularity of the book is that it focuses on the struggle of people of that age to feel as if there is a place for them—even those in loving families. It is certainly age appropriate for tweens to feel as if they don’t fit in anywhere. Gilly has given tween readers someone who gives voice to their feelings. That comes out well in the film. I think the kinds of feelings that Gilly exhibits at various stages of the film reflect the fears and hopes of many children of that age. The film also shows that even when there is great disappointment in life, if there are those around who love you and you love in return, happiness can still be found.

Photos courtesy of Lionsgate Premiere

 

Filed Under: Film, Reviews Tagged With: banned book, based on a novel, Bill Cobbs, foster care, Gleen Close, Katherine Paterson, Kathy Bates, Octavia Spencer, Sophie Nélisse, Stephen Herek, YA

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