Posted on 03/30/2019 8:35:53 PM PDT by OddLane
I saw Unplanned last night and just thought I'd add add my 2 cents. First of all, this is unquestionably one of the most emotionally wrenching films I've ever seen. It's the only movie I can recall-with the exception of Dumbo as a young child-crying throughout. In fact, I was still pretty shaken when I was accosted on the Staten Island Ferry by one of those adorable schoolchildren you customarily see peddling snacks for their non-existent elementary school or urban explorer troop. That was rather embarrassing.
One of the most viscerally shocking moments is the scene where members of the Coalition for Life ask to pray over the fetal remains that are being trucked out of the abortion mill. Apparently, weekends were an incredibly lucrative time for Planned Parenthood to dismember unborn babies. It made me think of this verse from Leviticus 26:34 and 35:
"And I will scatter you among the heathen, and will draw out a sword after you: and your land shall be desolate, and your cities waste. Then shall the land enjoy her sabbaths, as long as it lieth desolate, and ye be in your enemies' land; even then shall the land rest, and enjoy her sabbaths. As long as it lieth desolate it shall rest; because it did not rest in your sabbaths, when ye dwelt upon it."
Thinking about how God punished the nation of Israel for its idolatry-which was intimately linked to the literal sacrifice of its children, makes me wonder what's in store for our nation if we don't repent. As for the criticism that it doesn't present the Gospel, I have to respectfully demur. This is the same criticism that James white made of Islamicize Me when it premiered-despite not actually having seen the series. It ignored the fact that Acts 17 Apologetics ministry has a dual mission of preaching the Gospel of Christ, i.e. saving people from (eternal) death, and saving people-including many Christians, as well as Muslims-from a temporal death at the hands of jihadists who do not understand that their religion is a false gospel and a lie. I don't think the former is exclusive of the latter, even if it is more important in the grand scheme of things.
Likewise, the makers of Unplanned-I'm sure-want people to be saved, but they also want people to recognize the fundamental inhumanity of abortion. Particularly people that are completely ignorant of what an abortion actually looks like. That's why I'm not upset that they included some agnostics/atheists-like the former abortionist turned pro-life activist Anthony Levintano-in their film. If someone can contribute some of their experience or knowledge to the cause of preventing the murder of babies, I think that person's contributions should be welcomed.
Finally, I don't think anyone can come away from this film and not make the logical connection that aborting your unborn child is a fundamental transgression of God's law, or that this sin can only be atoned for through a sinless savior. I don't object to using 1 Corinthians 15 or going through the Romans Road to salvation-if you can manage to do that organically within the context of a feature film-but I don't think that's the only means of presenting the Gospel of Christ or communicating the importance of salvation to a general audience.
The necessity of God's personal transformation of humanity is inescapable in every page of the Bible, even those books where it's not spelled out directly for the uninitiated, e.g. Ruth, Esther, the Song of Solomon. I think that the Body of Christ has many gifts, and that there are many good works being done by children of Christ, even if they don't fit a narrow definition of Christian apologetics. For me, this is a film that did something 90% of the movies I watch don't, i.e. engage my mind and heart and soul. It also (hopefully) has spurred people to actually go out and try to win over hearts and minds.
Beautifully stated. Thank you. I look forward to watching — Would you say this is more of a ‘preaching to the choir’ kind of a film or one that is compelling on its own merits in a way that can reach out to individuals with very hard hearts?
I cry
Well stated review.
I’m not sure I’m strong enough to see it. I watched the documentary “The First Blast of the Trumpet Against the Monstrous Regiment of Women” while holding my baby boy who had been born a month prematurely. In the movie they showed part of a late term abortion. The lifeless baby that was quickly wrapped up for disposal looked just like my son had 2 month earlier. I held him so tightly I was afraid I had squeezed him to hard. It was traumatic for me and I don’t care to repeat it.
That said, I’m so grateful for those who have a mission to shine light in the darkness of infanticide. I hope that many hearts and minds see the truth as a result of this movie.
That said, I think the great part of this film is that it humanizes an abstraction. It creates a picture of what it means to support abortion from a distance, which is what most abortion supporters are doing.
I saw this movie yesterday. It is a sincere honest film which reveals how a Christian woman who has had abortions herself still works in an abortion clinic for many years until she realized that the fetus is truly a baby, as opposed to simply tissue.
It took time before she discovered the truth for herself.
It did bring tears to my eyes at times.
I especially liked the victory over planned Parenthood’s lawsuit.
I intend to buy this movie and watch it again.
Life
Babies
Life
Adoption
I can’t go watch it. I already understand murder.
My beloved was stunned by how well done the movie was produced.
He said it did not have any of the cheesey-like acting that most Christian movies display.
I won’t print the 3 words he used when I initially asked him what he thought of the movie, as he ... reverted to his New York language.
In the 30+ years of marriage it was the FIRST time I’ve heard him use that language to describe a film.
The language he used was not good. The meaning, however, was clearly evident.
He said every Church Youth Group ought to be bused to that movie.
(Saw it tonight.)
My favorite part: the montage where she's selling abortion scheduling to one girl after another (faces change but narration continues as if she's talking to a single person).
Movie was very long but held my attention. The theater had those reclining seats, my behind was asleep but the rest of me was wide awake.
In the movie, the abortion clinic manager compared their clinic to a fast food restaurant. The restaurant does not make their money on the hamburgers, they make their money on the fries and drinks. The clinic does not make their money on the women’s health issues, they make their money on the abortions. They do ultrasounds on the baby in the womb to get the size of the scull development. The larger the scull, the more money they charge. The culture of death is a cancer needing the chemotherapy of Christ’s mercy.
I plan to see it today, after church.
At some level, I know what I will see....
Especially during the late 80’s ....early 90’s.....I was standing on my town’s sidewalks in front of the abortion clinic praying with my church group
(Praise God the abortuary was eventually torn down......because the main highway running parallel to it was being expanded.......but I know the prayers that counted toward this evil demise)
From 1988 to 1993 we faithfully prayed .....counseled......petitioned....those who were being led to slaughter their babies
Many......yes many ....of us risked arrest......
We also had our own ‘ crises pregnancy center’.......In town......
Pregnancy tests, counseling, hand’s on real help, compassionate hearts
After a few years my heart was still fully involved, but my faith grew small that we could overcome this abortion behemoth
But Prolife advocates persevered......all through these years they never gave up.......never gave in!
AND NOW I am witnessing a resurgence.....I believe in my lifetime Roe v Wade WILL BE OVERTURNED!!!!
And the sweetest test of time occurred when my daughter informed my granddaughter that I and her grandfather were very much Prolife and had been actively involved!
My heart rejoices with her answer and joy in expressing how much she loves us for this!
I don’t think I could watch it, either. Maybe buy tickets, though, to financially support it. On Fox And Friends the man who wrote and sang some of the music for it sang a song from the film. It was something about heartbeats. Even THAT made me cry, so the movie would be impossible to see.
That’s the problem: Those who will see it already “get it”. The ones who need to see it won’t.
Maybe but 10 tickets, and then go to a nearby mall and hand out free tickets to teenage girls.
Speaking for myself, I did find the movie’s production values to be inferior, of the self consciously “Christian” variety. Definitely not as good a film as Gosnell. But it packed a lot more punch, and shook me far more. There were scenes I just couldn’t watch. It’s not a masterpiece of film, but it’s important and needs to be widely viewed.
Bless you, what a lovely idea!
As we were going into the theatre last night, my daughter saw someone she knew. The couple had a ping lady with them.
We found out later the girl is pregnant and is considering aborting. The couple took her to see the movie
If you can’t bring yourself to see it do this. Go online and buy a ticket but don’t use it. Support it that way.
I can understand your perspective, Romulus. :)
Gosnell was produced for one set of viewers and Unplanned for the other.
I am fairly sure I could not set through either of those movies.
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