Released in 2007, Evan Almighty is one of many films where religion plays a prominent role. The main character, Evan Baxter (played by Steve Carell), has just been elected to Congress as the film starts out. Shortly after his election, Evan Baxter’s life is turned around by a less-than-expected visit from God (played by Morgan Freeman). During this visit, God explains to Baxter that he wants him to build an ark, just as he commanded Noah to do in the Old Testament.
The film continues to show how Baxter deals with such a bizarre request in a modern setting. The remainder of the film is saturated with religious references and jokes (see YouTube clip). Baxter is faced with convincing his wife and family to support his crazy idea, and they help accomplish the task. The filmmakers even go as far so transforming Baxter’s physical appearance to a man significantly our depiction (long, white hair, beard, etc).
So my question to you all is this: are films like this (comedic spoofs on religious events) detrimental to the world’s view on religion, or are they beneficial? My first thought was that it’s an exploitation of certain people’s beliefs to joke and make light of an important Biblical story. The whole plot seemed nothing more than a mockery of something I believed in. They show God and Evan dancing together, and even Baxter yelling at God for making him look like a fool! But in reality, could this light-hearted version of a story some might find difficult to relate to actually help them see more clearly what the true story tried to convey?
The more I considered the idea, the more I shifted from my original opinion. I think now that, although some who do not share in Christian beliefs might take offense to the film, in general it was a harmless and even somewhat educational. Regardless of the fact that the story is not 100% accurate (according to our beliefs), it isn’t necessarily something we should discredit. There could be some who were positively affected by the film’s message; and if so, all the better!
A great article was published by Christians in Cinema. The author of the article, Angela Walker, addresses the question I earlier asked, and she cites sources that are both for and against the film. I find her point of view to be fairly accurate. She feels that this is a great way for Christian faiths to promote their message, even if it is a watered-down, Hollywood version. She also argues that she finds it refreshing to see something with moral values being released to the public. I think these are two very valid points.
So what are your thoughts? Are you personally a supporter or an opponent to this film and others that tackle religious beliefs?
I thought Evan Almighty was a good movie, especially compared to it's predecessor Bruce Almighty. I thought the movie did a good job of teaching true principles, even though it drastically strayed from the traditional story it's based on. One of these truths is taught when Evan is frustrated and "God" appears to Evan and tells him, "Whatever I do, I do because I love you." Those kind of one liners throughout the movie stuck with me and left me with a good feeling about the show. While based on the Bible, I didn't feel like the movie was pushing christianity at any point. Instead, I thought it was simply a faith promoting story based on a Biblical events. I think many people, including myself, walked away with a better understanding of perhaps some of the truths taught through the story of Noah simply because the majority of the population has failed to take the time to think and ponder about them. I hope movies like Evan Almighty springboard people into taking a different and deeper look into the spiritual meanings of those simple biblical stories.
ReplyDeleteMy tendency in confronting this issue is to side with both kyle and doug (and I presume to side with Angela Walker, though I did not read her post). I do not think of this film as a parody--though films with similar premises may fall into the parody category--as much as a comedic, modern portrayal of an ancient classic. Evan and those around him show us what kind of corruption can exist in the hearts of greedy men, what kind of opposition one may face when they choose to confront this opposition, and especially what kind of opposition one may face when claiming to be on a mission from God. I suspect that many of the issues which confront Evan are similar to issues that Noah, himself, had to deal with. Even the humorous way that Evan uncontrollably grows hair illicits a type of reaction from those around him to what Noah may have received from others had he attempted to go about his normal life while continuing to preach repentence and to build an ark in the wilderness.
ReplyDeleteI think there are probably quite a few people in the world who would say “Evan Almighty? A comedy based on a Bible story? Blasphemy!” I'm not one of those people. Of course there should be a certain degree of reverence in most religions, but that doesn’t mean comedy and religion are mutually exclusive.
ReplyDeleteI think the fact that movies like Evan Almighty do so well at the box office shows how much the national audience has progressed in tolerance of other religious beliefs. Religion isn’t universal, but humor is.
Films like Evan Almighty, or even kid’s movies like Veggie Tales, are approachable attention-getters. I would say Evan Almighty’s main purpose was to entertain rather than convert or even educate, but I don’t think any harm is done.
Oh, and this is a completely personal opinion, but I like to think God has a sense of humor.
I also feel that Evan Almighty was an uplifting, and informative movie. Although the movie plot was not exactly the same as the bible story we have read since we were young children, certain themes were still seen by the movie's audience. The idea of faith in God, no matter what trials we go through, is shown throughout. And the idea of our own personal missions within God's plan is also seen. I thought it was an interesting, modern twist on a bible classic. And by putting the story in such a modern setting, I feel that more people can relate to its themes and lessons. It shows how things would have played out, if this really happened in our world today. Although the movie was light and full of humor, I don't think this deems it as irreverant. In fact, it reminds us that humor has been around forever, even during Noah's time.
ReplyDeleteI haven't seen Evan Almighty but I did see Bruce Almighty. However, I have read the posts and I feel I can say strictly from personal opinion that I don't have a problem with these types of movies. I do feel that many biblical (especially Old Testament stories) are overlooked, even within the LDS religion. Unless we are a BYU religion professor how often do we really dive into the stories of the Old Testament. These modern renditions of biblical stories through the medium of film are a great way for us to experience them. I acknowledge the historical inaccuracies of the the film, yet I don't dwell on them because I don't feel that is the purpose of the film. It has the purpose of entertaining us, being a feel good movie, and familiarizing us with a beloved biblical story. From reading the above posts I get the impression that the movie does just that. My last thought is in the irony of Morgan Freeman portraying God. These Hollywood directors don't know how doctrinally correct they are by showing God as a man. It's just funny to me considering the most of modern Christendom doesn't believe God has a body.
ReplyDeleteYou stated- "I think now that, although some who do not share in Christian beliefs might take offense to the film, in general it was a harmless and even somewhat educational"- I both agree and disagree with this statement. I think if anyone is going to be offended it is going to be Christians who hold their teachings as sacred. They would be offended because of the light this Bible story is presented. In fact, I have met members of the LDS faith who express their annoyances with these types of films (because of the irreverence of sacred topics). Those who don't believe in the Bible don't take these stories as holy and important, so all they see is humor and fiction. I think the movie is fun and harmless- one must remember that when all is said and done, it is a movie.
ReplyDeleteI have to say that even though I found the film funny my mom didn't feel the same way. She as a christian felt offended. There is a tendecy in films like this to take religion lightly. It might be to some degree educational, but I think that the way they frame the story could be very offensive to lot of people
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