'Noah’ and ‘God’s Not Dead’: Graceless and clueless

Washington Post ^ | 04/02/2014 | Michael Gerson

[SeekAndFind]

Part of this year’s Lenten discipline for many religious people has been to see two bad religious movies, “Noah” and “God’s Not Dead.” Both left me longing for the comparative moral simplicity and integrity of “The Wolf of Wall Street.”

In “Noah,” the main character is a brooding, misanthropic vegan. One hopes that Russell Crowe, a fine actor, does not end up being typecast a la Charlton Heston. There just aren’t many parts for brooding, misanthropic vegans. The movie itself consists of tedium punctuated by anachronism, sanctimony and animated rock people. It contains just enough spiritual pretention to make you wonder afterward if you have missed something important. You haven’t. The movie’s guiding philosophy — civilization bad, nature good — is as complex as the one in Disney’s “Pocahontas.” With worse music and more cannibalism.

[SNIP]

The main problem with “God’s Not Dead” is not its cosmology or ethics but its anthropology. It assumes that human beings are made out of cardboard. Academics are arrogant and cruel. Liberal bloggers are preening and snarky (well, maybe the movie has a point here). Unbelievers disbelieve because of personal demons. It is characterization by caricature.

And it raises a sobering question: Do evangelicals actually view their neighbors this way, as moral types and apologetic tools? Not in my experience. Most evangelical leaders and laymen I know would recognize that the line between good and evil (to paraphrase Solzhenitsyn) runs not between groups but within every heart — and that grace often moves in subversive and unpredictable ways. In general, evangelical lives are better than their art.

[bray]

Saw them both and God’s not dead is a very uplifting movie while Noah is extremely dark garbage.

Pray America wakes up

[GeronL]

They were fallen angels or as we call them demons

[GeronL]

7 pairs of the clean animals

[Biggirl]

Waiting for “Heaven Is For Real” to come out.

[Resolute Conservative]

His best movie was The Big Country with Gregory Peck, Burl Ives, Chuck Connors, Carol Baker, and Jean Simmons. My favorite and one of the best movies ever. He also was in El Cid with Sophia Loren (another great flick) and the two 70’s sci-fi things Soyleny Green and Omega Man.

[MosesKnows]

Both left me longing for the comparative moral simplicity and integrity of “The Wolf of Wall Street.”

What a great way to introduce the author.

Does anyone really need to know more about the author?

[grania]

"God's Not Dead" is a good movie. The only character who's shown as totally villianous is an accurate portrayal of some of the know-it-all academic elite. The movie gives his views a cause and a not expected resolution.

Everything about the movie....the settings, the plot, the direction, the acting, the music, the professional qualities is superior. It's not just a pep rally for Christians. It provides a thought provoking and intelligent defense of God.

It's really, really nice that "God's Not Dead" is doing so well that it's being acknowledged, even if negatively, by mainstream media.

(I'm more philosophical than religious, so my critique is not one that's just looking at it as a "Christian" film)