Thousands of movies come out every year. Some are incredible. Most are crap (or “garbage”, for those of you who don’t like the word “crap”). All of them are too expensive, we can agree.
Bearing that in mind, I have been working back through the “classics” lately, re-watching movies that I haven’t seen in years. The experience has been great, reminding me not only why I loved certain films, but of how many ways that a movie, even a secular one, can force me to go deeper in my faith. I asked my younger brother (also a movie buff) to work through some of the films with me.
These reviews are not meant to be in-depth film analysis or all-encompassing papers on the films’ hidden meanings. They are brief guides to a few of our favorite movies, that can serve as starting points for you and your LT group of friends to take a quick movie break and grow spiritually. These are not Bible Studies…more like “movie studies” with Bible verses sprinkled throughout. Once you’ve watched the film, work through each section, discussing them and reading the corresponding verses.
Here’s a breakdown of the sections for each film:
- Overview: a quick look at what the movie is about.
- Hidden Themes & Subplots: things you might have missed if you weren’t looking hard enough.
- Religious Imagery & Symbolism: discussions about we might have missed.
- The Paschal Mystery: find people and situations the film that reveal the Paschal Mystery, that “in order to rise, you must first die to yourself”.
- Character Overview: the good, the bad, the ugly.
- The Clip: find scenes that can be viewed as a group. This includes follow-up discussion questions are for the group.
- Apply It, a Call to Action: practical thoughts on how the truths within the film can be lived-out this week.
Let these reviews spark conversations and open eyes to new truths within classic films. We could have gone on for days on each one, but kept it to a few pages, hoping that you will use some of these basic thoughts as a starting point.
Jump in.
Have fun.
Turn off the phone.
Turn on the DVD player.
Crack open the WORD.
Let Jesus into your movie night.
We hope you have as much fun reading/watching as we did writing.
Until next time…we will now “pause” while you “play”.
(Wow – that was lame).
It’s movie time.
Be God’s
