In Theaters Now (if your theater happens to be open): Let Him Go

If you’ve ever been on a long car trip, you know the frustration of trying to find something decent to listen to on the radio. With all due respect to the music on Spanish language stations, it is not my jam -- but sometimes it's all I can find. Also not a fan of Country/Western music ( aka “both kinds of music” #BluesBrothers), which can also be omnipresent. At times while driving, I could only find one radio station, and it was broadcasting “Coast to Coast with George Noory” with discussions of the oddest of conspiracy theories (but maybe it’s true we don’t see Sasquatch much because they're being hunted by alien invaders).

At least we have the satellite option if we're willing to pay for it. This wasn't the case back in the day. 

In the 1960s setting of Let Him Go, a long-married couple, George and Margaret Blackledge (Kevin Costner and Diane Lane) are on a road trip to see their grandson. AM was the only option in those days. The only thing they can find on the radio is a preacher who says, “You may think you’re a believer but you will find yourself in the Lake of Fire!” 

Margaret shuts off the radio saying, “That Bible thumper sounds like your father!” 

George responds, “He didn’t just thump Bibles.” 

This drama doesn't have much church, except the radio preacher, who only gets a few moments in the film. Talking about Hell has its place -- Jesus certainly talked about it -- and there's even a place for discussing brimstone and lakes of fire. But radio preachers need to remind themselves that people tend to remember only a small portion of their sermons, and context is everything.

There is another mention of faith in the film. George says to Margaret, “You only believe in this world, yet you believe that horses have souls.” One of the things that seem to bind them is a lack of traditional faith. And with George, that lack comes as a reaction to his father, whether that father was a clergyman or a layman (which isn't clear).

So we can only give that radio preacher a Two Steeple Movie Churches rating, and we're being generous.

In Theaters Now! Just Mercy

Just Mercy (2019)
What would you choose as the very last song you’d ever hear?

Probably most of us would rather not need to answer that question, but in Just Mercy, Herbert Richardson (Rob Morgan) chooses Ella Fitzgerald’s version of “The Old Rugged Cross” before being executed in the electric chair by the state of Alabama.

This isn’t an isolated moment of religiosity in the film. It's based on the true story of Bryan Stevenson (Michael B. Jordan) and his career as founder of the Equal Justice Initiative, an organization founded to provide legal assistance for those convicted of crimes without adequate legal representation. The film particularly focuses on the case of Walter McMillian (Jamie Foxx), a man unjustly convicted of murder in 1988 in Monroeville, Alabama (rather ironically the home of Harper Lee, author of To Kill a Mockingbird).

Throughout the film, it seems that many of the best traits of its characters (faith, hope, compassion) are rooted in by their upbringing in the church. We see Stevenson as an intern during law school meeting with a death row inmate for the first time. The two men bond over their background in music -- one playing the piano, the other singing in a choir -- in AME churches.

McMillian should have been able to escape charges immediately. A church fish fry provided an alibi, but the local law enforcement and the legal system took the word of one white criminal over the word of a score of African American churchgoers willing to testify to his innocence.

But this site is all about clergy and churches, so how are they portrayed? Both make a brief appearance in the film. At Richardson's execution, we see a white clergyman in a collar (possibly a Roman Catholic priest?), but we never hear him speak. He seems to be an odd choice of clergy, but possibly Herbert has no other connection to a church or clergyman. (He also has no family; he asked Stevenson -- his lawyer -- to be there for him at his executions.)

We do see one glimpse of a church. Stevenson attends a joyous service at the McMillian’s home church. The service is full of joy and celebration during one of the darker times of the McMillian family journey.

Therefore, we are giving the McMillian’s church in the film, and the depiction of Christ’s Church, our highest Movie Church rating of Four Steeples.

In Theaters Now: The Farewell

The Farewell (2019)

This film doesn’t have any clergy, and it doesn’t have a church. So what is The Farewell doing here at Movie Churches? 

Someone tells a story about a church in the film, and in this case, that's enough.

Writer/director Lulu Wang created a film “based on an actual lie.” It tells the story of an extended family separated by the countries where they choose to live. Awkwafina plays Billi, whose parents left China and brought her to New York City when she was six. Her paternal grandmother -- still in China -- is diagnosed with terminal cancer, and the family decides to keep the information from her. But the family finds another way to gather to say goodbye -- Billi's cousin, who lives in Japan, will marry his girlfriend in China. All the family can gather at the wedding banquet and other festivities surrounding the wedding.

As the family gathers around Grandma’s dining table, Billi’s father, Haiyan (Tzi Ma) talks about what he appreciates about America. Not long after they immigrated, he says, they visited an American church. Billi wandered toward the piano, but her father shooed her away. The pastor of the church asked why. Haiyan explained that since they moved to America, Billi hadn’t played the piano as she had in China. In the U.S., they couldn’t afford such an instrument. The pastor turned and left. She returned shortly and gave Haiyan a key to the church. “Please, let her come in whenever she wants to play.”

That’s all we know about the church, but we were reminded of a real-life church we visited in Hawaii. Their membership class consisted of a barbeque for people interested in joining. During the barbecue, church leaders discussed their doctrine and opportunities for people to serve in the church. At the end of the barbeque, anyone who wanted to join the church was given a key to the building.

If key gifting is the only thing we have to go on, we’re giving the church mentioned in The Farewell Four Steeples.

In Theaters Now

Amazing Grace (2018)
Recently we were talking with a friend who sings in our church choir. She wishes people wouldn’t applaud at the conclusion of an anthem in church because it's worship rather than performance.

I have sympathy with this view. Mindy mentioned that she appreciated a church in Nashville where the musicians played off to the side of the sanctuary, where they couldn’t be seen. But this week we saw a movie that wouldn't exist if you ruled out performance in churches altogether -- a wonderful “new” concert film called Amazing Grace.

I put the quotes around the word "new" because this film now in theaters was filmed back in 1972. At that time, Aretha Franklin decided to make an album of Gospel music and to record it in a church. Director Sydney Pollack was brought in to record the event, apparently for television, but mistakes were made. 

The film crew didn’t use clapper boards to mark sequences in the film, so they lost track of which audio tracks went with the film. The Queen of Soul's performance at New Temple Missionary Baptist Church was released as an album, but the film never was. Computer technology allowed the film to finally be put together and released.

And what a performance it was.

Franklin possesses one of the greatest voices to ever sing blues, rock, pop, and soul. She was featured in the best Blues (and car crash) movie ever made. And she has an amazing voice for Gospel music. She sings classic songs such as the title tune and “What a Friend We Have in Jesus,” but she also sings James Taylor’s “You’ve Got a Friend” as Gospel. She gives her all, sweat glistening on her brow. She is backed up by a full choir.

The choir's leader, the Rev. James Cleveland, makes it clear that this is a “religious service,” not just a performance. The name of Jesus is continually raised and praised. Aretha’s father, the Rev. Carl Franklin, came to the event as well. He mentioned how a woman had told him she hoped Aretha would come back to the church, and Franklin assured her, “Aretha has never left the church.”

The music is wonderful, and for that alone I’d urge you to see this film. But there is one more bonus to watching Amazing Grace. The choir's assistant director is named Alexander Hamilton. I don’t know if he was named after the founding father, but I do know you that Amazing Grace affords you the opportunity to tell people, honestly, “I’m going to see Hamilton at the theater” without spending $1000 for a ticket.

This is a church service I (like Mick Jagger) would very much like to have attended. This movie church earns our highest rating of 4 Steeples.

In Theaters Now: Unplanned

Unplanned (2019)

This film was birthed, as it were, in controversy. Unplanned tells the story of Abby Johnson, the director of a Planned Parenthood clinic who became a pro-life activist. Produced by Pure Flix, a company known for Christian, family entertainment, this was their first R-rated film -- which is part of the controversy. Pure Flix hadn't expected the R rating. Radio and television stations wouldn't accept advertising for the film. Twitter temporarily suspended the film's account. TV talk show host Samantha Bee urged her viewers not to see the film.

Unplanned is based on the true story of Abby Johnson, a Planned Parenthood clinic director who was won over to the pro-life movement -- which explains the controversy. Abortion continues to be on of the most contentious issue in American society and politics, and in its opening minutes, the film portrays a very graphic depiction of abortion (the reason for the R rating and why many choose to keep a distance from this film.) I suspect that the rating and this graphic scene are why this Christian film, unlike most these days, features no fading TV or movie stars. No Lee Majors or Faye Dunaway. Not even Corbin Bernsen. There don't seem to be many Christian films these days without Bernsen.

LIke most Pure Flix products, this is not a subtle film. Johnson’s boss in the film, Cheryl (Robia Scott, who played Jenny Calendar on Buffy the Vampire Slayer and is the closest thing to a star in the film), would be twisting her mustache if she had one -- she's completely cruel and heartless. The directors of the local branch of Coalition for Life, Doug (Brooks Ryan) and Marilisa (Emma Elle Roberts), are compassionate and without guile. 

I was impressed with the depiction of Abby (Ashley Bratcher). She joins Planned Parenthood out of a concern for the good of women, and the film, based on her book, show her flaws along with strengths. She lies to her child about her work. She makes compromises when she shouldn’t and takes a hard line when it isn’t wise. And this may seem like a small thing, but we see Abby having a glass of wine with her husband and talking about seeing an R rated films. Not typical behavior in a Christian film. The film has the weaknesses inherent in most Christian films (especially from Pure Flix), but Johnson’s story is compelling and worth telling.

But we aren’t here to make a political statement at Movie Churches. We’re here to look at how churches and clergy are depicted in films. 

The film isn't a story of Abby Johnson who becomes a Christian. Johnson was raised in a Christian home and remained true to her faith. Though her first marriage (the wedding was in a church) was to a jerk who wasn't a Christian (not that Christians aren't sometimes jerks), her second husband is a Christian and a good guy. And throughout her time working in Planned Parenthood, they attend what seems to be an evangelical church where she feels comfortable. (In one church scene, though, Johnson seems uncomfortable. The pastor reads from Psalm 139 “For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb. I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made.”) 

Abby's not the only person at the clinic who goes to church. Another woman who works there was angered when the priest at her Catholic Church preached about the evil of abortion. Both churches seem to be willing to take difficult cultural stands, and yet show compassion to those who disagree.

There is another tragic reference to a church in the film. While still a director at Planned Parenthood, Abby hears the news of the murder of Dr. George Tiller. One of the few practitioners of late-term abortions, the doctor was shot and killed while serving as an usher at Reformation Lutheran Church.

So the actual churches come across quite well in the film. And Coalition for Life, as a parachurch organization, comes across quite well too, particularly in their dedication to prayer at the gates of the clinic. But some of the pro-life protestors at Johnson’s clinic aren't in the least admirable as they yell at women who enter the clinic that they “should have kept their knees together.” Their awfulness brings our Movie Churches rating from 4 steeples down to 3.

In Theaters Now! Run the Race

Run the Race (2019)

Years before Colin Kaepernick created controversy by kneeling on the football field, Tim Tebow was creating controversy by kneeling on the football field. Tebow won the Heisman during his college career, but his stay in the NFL was rather short. He’s currently playing outfield for a Mets farm team, and now he has a new role: movie producer.

Not surprisingly, the movie he produced, Run the Race, is about football. And faith.

Tebow was a controversial figure because he was outspoken about his Christian faith -- and this is a Christian film. Tebow has said it's the kind of Christian film he’s always wanted to see, where everything isn’t easy and bad things happen. Turns out, it’s not a horrible film. 

Likable actors were cast in the lead roles of two brothers who lose their mother to cancer and are estranged from their alcoholic father. Tanner Stine plays Zach, a football star who has lost his faith. Evan Hofer plays his brother, Dave, who was knocked out of football by injury but has a strong Christian faith. The boys are supported by their godmother, Nanny, played by Francis Fisher (Unforgiven). Kelsey Reinhardt plays the girlfriend who faces conflict with Zach over issues of faith.

The boys face dramatic challenges and not everything is resolved on the football field.

Most importantly (for this blog anyway), the boys are supported by Pastor Baker played by Mario Van Peebles (director of New Jack City). The pastor is a casual guy, preaching in khaki pants and a plaid flannel shirt. Though Dave usually attends church alone or with his Nanny, both boys attend a Christmas service together. The sermon is theologically sound -- about a “moment” that changes everything, the moment God entered the world. We hear bits of two other sermons which are fine, but I don’t remember any specific Scripture.

He serves a small country church in Bessemer, Alabama*. The building is worn but respectable, which is more than can be said for the town as a whole. Bessemer just seems worn, but it does seem real. You can understand why the brothers want to escape the place.

Finally, the film does convey a tangential, but important message: the superiority of Dr Pepper over Coca Cola.

As for our Movie Church ratings, the little church and its pastor show no flaws, so they earn the full four steeples.

*Bessemer, Alabama is a real town, by the way. During our Alabama week in 2016, we camped at Tannehill State Park outside McCalla, the next town south. 

In Theaters Now! Bad Times at the El Royale

Bad Times at the El Royale (2018)
SPOILER! SPOILER! SPOILER!

I think technically I have to do that thing above to avoid an internet lawsuit, at least since the death of net neutrality, or something like that. Anyway, you’ve been warned.

I’m sorry to have to give anything about this film away, because I really enjoyed seeing Bad Times at the El Royale, written and directed by Drew Goddard, without knowing what was going to happen in the film. Too often trailers before a film give everything away, and there are no surprises. So if you want to be surprised as I was, quit reading now, go to a theater near you, and get back to this post once you’ve seen the movie.

Anyway, to write about the clergy, as we do here at Movie Churches, in Bad Times at the El Royale, I have to give a divulge a key plot point up front by saying that the “priest,” Father Flynn (Jeff Bridges), is not really a priest. (You might figure this out by looking at the film’s IMDb page which lists two names for the character.) He’s a crook disguised at a priest. It’s part of his plan to recover stolen loot hidden at withering resort on the California/Nevada border, the El Royale.

We at Movie Churches always ponder whether we should write about phony clergy when they appear in films (though, admittedly, we devoted a month to fraudulent clergy in August of last year). But there are interesting things to observe about how people react to clergy, even if it isn’t real clergy.

The film is set in the 1970s at a seedy hotel, right on the border. Some rooms are in California while others are in Nevada. A vacuum cleaner salesman (or is he really something else?), Laramie Sullivan (Jon Hamm), asks him, “Are you lost, Father?”

Everyone seems concerned about the presence of a priest in such notorious establishment. Especially the bellman, Miles (Lewis Pullman), the only employee on the grounds (he also acts as desk clerk, maintenance, and other, um, more unsavory responsibilities). Miles tells Father Flynn, “Father, you shouldn’t be in a place like this.”

The phony priest has a great response to this, “If this is not a place for a priest, then this is where the Lord wants me to be.” I think that is a great attitude for a real person in the clergy, showing that God’s presence is needed everywhere.

Miles grew up in the Catholic faith, but events in his life have taken him far from his faith. Though he first discourages Flynn from staying around, he also hopes the priest might help him by hearing his confession. This becomes a key theme of the film, the search for redemption in the least likely of locations and circumstances. The film suggests that even a fraudulent representation of God’s Kingdom reminds people of their sin and need for forgiveness.

Darlene Sweet (Cynthia Erivo), another guest at the El Royale, begins to suspect the identity of Flynn. She’s a lounge singer, but she had her start singing in church choirs. When the priest doesn’t seem to recognize any of the hymns or spirituals she mentions, she becomes suspicious.

Okay, so Father Flynn isn’t really a Catholic priest, as he eventually comes to admit. But even this fraudulent father, compared to Billy Lee (Chris Hemsworth), the sadistic cult leader we meet later in the film, seems pretty orthodox. Perhaps it’s this comparison that allows Father Flynn to avoid our lowest Movie Church ranking, giving him Two Steeples.

In Theaters Now: Mission Impossible: Fallout

Mission Impossible: Fallout (2018)
Mission Impossible: Fallout, the sixth film in Tom Cruise’s popular series (based on the over fifty-year-old TV show), has been #1 at the box office the last two weeks and may be again next week. There’s not a lot of church in the film, and the little that’s there has nothing to do with the star’s church of choice, Scientology. No clergy are featured in the film.

I’d wager most film goers wouldn’t recall that an important theme of the film is religion -- one scene takes place in one of the world’s most iconic sanctuaries. That’s fine. Reminding people of such things is one of the reasons Movie Churches is here.

The film begins, as these stories do, with a mission that IMF (Impossible MIssions Force, not the International Monetary Fund) leader, Ethan Hunt (Cruise) must decide whether to accept. As often is the case, he’s asked to stop a terrorist plot. The terrorist is described as an anti-religious zealot whose first targets are the Vatican, Jerusalem, and Mecca; the gang of terrorists call themselves “the Apostles.” Not much is made of this motive as the film goes on, as the terrorist seems to become more fixated on a personal vendetta against Ethan Hunt.

I wondered what the filmmakers thought of the terrorists’ cause. Is being “anti-religious” like this terrorist a bad thing? Is his cause just, but his methods are bad? The film never really wrestles with issue.

A thanksgiving service at St Paul's Cathedral CREDIT: PA

As for the scene in the church… Sorry about this spoiler, but there’s a scene where Hunt is chasing a bad guy through the streets of London while being chased himself by other bad guys. (Hope I didn’t give too much away there.) Hunt runs into St. Paul’s Cathedral while a service of some kind is in progress. Maybe it’s a state funeral, since all the seats of vast sanctuary are filled with an elegantly dressed crowd that includes representatives of the military and perhaps some of the royal family. When Hunt barges into the proceedings, followed by armed thugs, everyone remains politely seated. Hunt apologizes to the congregants before dashing off.

One of the selling points of these films, like Bond films before them, is the opportunity to see some of the world’s most beautiful sights. St. Paul’s is certainly a gorgeous edifice, and it’s a cute little scene, if not at all realistic. I know, it’s shocking there would be something in these films that doesn’t achieve perfect verisimilitude, but here it is: in one of England’s great national landmarks, no one has given a thought to security.

In the wake of church shootings in the United States, most congregations have paid some attention to plans in case of a shooter scenario. Surely, in one of the most famous churches in the world, the leadership has given this some thought, and their plan would not be to have everyone sit quietly, looking polite but perplexed when a group of threatening men enter the building and go to the altar. Even aside from security plans, surely the military officers in the congregation would instinctively take action.

The film is a great summer action ride, with marvelous stunts and set pieces. As for the church in the film, until the cinematic St. Paul’s improves its security, the best we can give it is Two Steeples.

In Theaters Now: Won't You Be My Neighbor?

Won't You Be My Neighbor? (2018)
There is no shortage of silly things said online, but the other day I noticed someone referring to Fred Rogers as a “secular saint.” It seems quite bizarre to me that a man who was an ordained Presbyterian minister would be called “secular.”

The star of a children’s television show is in the public conversation again, fifteen years after his death, because of the documentary about him that's in theaters now.

Movie Churches was created to examine the presentation of churches and clergy in the world of fictional films, but every once in a while it's okay to stray from our mission statements. Occasionally, we’ve posted about television, and on occasion, we’ve featured documentaries, especially when we want to recommend one. That's the case here.

There are some who may say that Rogers left the ministry for public television. Others would say, Fred Rogers made public television his ministry. He couldn’t talk about the love of Jesus on the government sponsored public air, but he could show the love of Jesus. He let preschoolers know that they were special and that people cared about them, that he cared about them. He exemplified the alledged quote from St. Francis of Assisi: “Preach the Gospel at all times, and if necessary, use words.”

This film frankly downplays the faith of Fred Rogers. Not much is said about his love of theology and study of great Christian intellectuals. But mention is made about Rogers concern in his last days that he would be numbered among the “sheep” in a reference to Jesus’ parable of the last judgement from Matthew 25. I think it’s safe to say, Fred Rogers loved Jesus, loved his neighbor, and is listed with those who say “Baa.” If we could give our steeple ratings to real people, not just fictional characters and churches, Fred Rogers -- and Mr. Rogers -- would rate Four Steeples.

In Theaters Now: Ant-Man and the Wasp

As our first movie outing since moving to Seattle, today we went to see the latest Marvel film, Ant Man and the Wasp. It was playing at The Admiral, a theater with a nautical theme (our film was at "Pier 3").

This film didn't have for Movie Churches. The lead character, Scott Lang/Ant-Man (Paul Rudd), is a thief rather than a clergyman (not that the two professions are always mutually exclusive). But Lang has recently been in trouble with the law after breaking a number of federal and international statutes (as those who saw Captain America: Civil War may recall).  Placed under house arrest, Lang must answer to a Federal Agent, Jimmy Woo (played by Randall Park of TV's Fresh Off the Boat).

At one point in the film, Woo tries to explain to Lang's daughter, Cassie, why her father was in trouble with the law. In doing so, he uses a great deal of bureaucratic terminology. Lang sarcastically says to Woo, "You sure have a way with kids," and Woo replies, "I am a youth pastor." This clerical reference goes no further in the film, but we do see Woo acting with integrity and kindness. He avoids foul language. He wants to be friendly, even with Lang, his supposed adversary. I find it quite impressive he finds time for youth ministry along with his demanding job with the FBI, so I'm giving Youth Pastor Jimmy Woo our highest Movie Churches rating of Four Steeples.

In Theaters Now: First Reformed

First Reformed (2018)
Let’s start off with a reminder of the purpose of this blog. I’ve said it here lots of times before, but I’m saying it again: this blog doesn’t exist to critique films, it exists to rate the churches and clergy in films. In other words, we’re not here to discuss Paul Schrader, the writer and director of this film, even though he has some interesting tidbits in his autobiography. He was raised in the Calvinist Christian Reformed Church and, because of the strict nature of his upbringing, didn’t see a movie until he snuck out to see one at the age of 17. (He saw The Absent Minded Professor. He was not impressed.) He earned his B.A. from Calvin College with a minor in theology. He first achieved acclaim as a writer for his screenplay for Taxi Driver. He wrote and directed a film about a character with a midwest Calvinist Reformed background, Hardcore, with George C. Scott.

First Reformed seems a return to those early religious roots, but that’s not what we’re here to talk about.

I'm also not here to write about the acclaim First Reformed has received on the film festival circuit or the relative financial success the film has received for a low budget film (dwarfed, or course, by your average superhero film). Nor am I here to write about the film’s 96% rating at Rotten Tomatoes or its 85% rating at Metacritic (those are good numbers, but the way).

Nope, we’re just here to talk about the churches and the clergy in the film, and the film has both. First, the churches. There are two in the film: First Reformed, of course, and another church called Abundant Life.

Rev. Ernst Toller (Ethan Hawke), the pastor of First Reformed, calls it the souvenir shop. We’re told it’s the oldest church in the state of New York. Though weekly worship services are still held as the church prepares to celebrate its 250th anniversary, fewer than a dozen people attend. The building seems to be a historical marker and tourist attraction rather than a vibrant place of worship. It has a noble history, including being a stop on the Underground Railroad with a secret hiding place. Its current status as a showcase for small t-shirts (they’re out of other sizes) and baseball caps with the church logo, is less impressive.

The other church in the film is Abundant Life. It has an African American pastor with a racially diverse congregation. It’s hard to tell what kind of church it is; it might be evangelical, might be charismatic. They seem to be theologically conservative and they sing traditional hymns. The church seems to be prospering, with a worship center that seats 5000 and a multi-person staff. The church even has its own cafeteria (with a mural with the text of Acts 2). It is puzzling that the “church choir” consists of 5 teenagers led by a director who’s on the church staff (not a volunteer).

It’s also puzzling that this church, which again seems to be theologically conservative and probably is an independent congregation, provides the financial support for First Reformed -- which seems to be part of a theologically liberal mainline denomination. It’s surprisingly ecumenical of them.

Pastor Joel Jeffers (played by Cedric the Entertainer) is the senior pastor at Abundant Life. He seems to be a good guy. The church receives money from an industrialist, which Rev. Toller seems to disapprove. Taking money from questionable sources can be a difficult question for a church, especially if the money might have been obtained illegally, but the industrialist in the film has dealt been cleared by the government of violating environmental laws. Who can judge everyone who puts money in the offering plate?

Jeffers is very concerned about the welfare of the pastor of First Reformed, and his concern is well founded. He doesn’t just work with the rich industrialist; Jeffers also has influence with the mayor and the governor. He also seems to be available to his church staff and congregation.

Reverend Toller is a much more complex man of ministry. His job description seems to be part pastor but also part tour guide. He does a good job with the tours -- we see him showing a family around, patiently putting up with the children and the father’s crude joke in order to teach them about the history of the church.

We also see Toller in the pulpit, but pretty much reading Scripture and then serving communion. We never really hear him preach. Considering the small number of attendees, we can guess that his ministry isn’t too dynamic.

We also see him help lead a “youth group” at Abundant Life. Pastor Jeffers says the kids love him, which is a baffling thing judging from what we see at the one meeting. A dozen or so teenagers sit in a circle and talk off the top of their heads. When one girl tells how her father, a godly man, lost his job, Toller says that Jesus never promised prosperity. This sets off a kid who is the embodiment of cartoonish right wing talking points saying he doesn’t want to hear that garbage of Jesus telling us to turn the other cheek. The discussion seems to fall apart from there.

We also see Toller as a counselor. Mary (Amanda Seyfried), asks him to meet with her husband who is dealing with depression. We discover that her husband, Michael, is obsessed with environmental issues. Mary is pregnant, and Michael asks Toller whether it is right to bring children into this world, arguing that 97% of scientists agree that climate change will make the world uninhabitable by the year 2050. Their conversations remind Toller of Jacob’s wrestling with God, and he enjoys them.

After Michael kills himself, Toller also becomes obsessed with environmental issues. He argues with Jeffers that it is their duty to speak for “God’s side,” defending His creation. (Many toward the conservative end of the political spectrum would say that defending the unborn is “God’s side” as well.) Toller seems to sink into Michael’s despair, though his favorite writer, Thomas Merton, would not approve. (Merton wrote, “Despair is the absolute extreme of self-love” because despair is a belief that one’s problems are beyond God’s capacity to handle.)

Toller seems to have other problems as well. He drinks to excess. He had an affair with Esther, the choir director at Abundant Life, then treats her with contempt. He puts himself in a morally compromising situation with Mary when she’s emotionally fragile. Finally, I have to say that any pastor who seriously considers being a suicide bomber probably isn’t thinking, “What would Jesus do?”

So I’m giving Pastor Jeffers and Abundant LIfe three steeples out of four, but only two steeples to Pastor Toller and First Reformed (and one of those is just a legacy steeple from the Underground Railroad days).

In Theaters Now: Miracle Season

The Miracle Season (2018)
There are two kinds of sports stories that Hollywood seems to love above all others. One is the underdog story of competitors that overcome great odds to win the championship. Hoosiers (a basketball story) is probably the best story of this kind. The other is a tearjerker about the death of a beloved athlete, perhaps best exemplified by Brian’s Song (a football story) or maybe Bang the Drum Slowly (a baseball story).

The Miracle Season combines both a championship chase and the death of a beloved sports star. Featuring two Oscar winners (William Hurt as Ernie Found and Helen Hunt as the volleyball coach), the film tells the true story of the Iowa City West High School that won the 2010 state volleyball championship. The winning team was led by their center, a charismatic young woman named Caroline Found (generally called “Line” and played by Danika Yarosh). This story isn’t as much about that championship, though. Found died at the beginning of the 2011 season, leaving the team to play on in spite of their grief.

In 2016, my wife and I visited a movie theater, a bar, and a church in every state. In Hawaii, we met the pastor featured Soul Surfer, the film about Bethany Hamilton, who lost her arm to a shark but kept on surfing. It was fascinating to hear how the filmmakers tried to limit explicitly Christian elements of Hamilton’s story. (We heard that Carrie Underwood, as the youth pastor, read scripture during a scene. The director asked her to do the scene again, without the scripture. Underwood refused, saying, “If I do that, you’ll just use the take without the scripture.” The scripture reading is in the film.)

As I watched The Miracle Season, I couldn’t help wondering whether there were faith elements from real life that were cut from the script. For instance, Caroline’s father, Ernie, had been a church goer. Caroline’s memorial is held in a church, and in a movie scene taken from real life, Caroline’s cancer stricken mother, Ellyn, refuses to use her wheelchair, but instead walks down the church aisle for the memorial service. Ellyn died the day after the funeral.

We see one of Ernie’s friends, a fellow doctor who works in the same hospital, invite Ernie back to church. Ernie refuses saying, “God hasn’t exactly shown up for me lately.” Later, though, Ernie meets with this same friend, Dr. Paul Vetre (Cedric De Souza), at the church -- which is a bit of a strange scene, these two doctors alone in a church sanctuary. Ernie says, “I think it’s time for me to express some overdue thanks. I was so angry.” He thanks God for the years he had his wife and daughter.

It’s a good scene, but thinking of Soul Surfer, I kept wondering if there was more to Ernie’s faith story that the film was holding back.

One of the things that touched me about the film was when the coach and players realized that they didn’t need to “Win for Line,” but that instead they needed to play for the joy of it and “Live Like Line.” This hit me a little more, because it reminded me of a young friend who died much too early. His family took the opportunity to encourage people to “Live Like Drew.” Both young athletes inspired charitable institutions, so I’d encourage you to consider giving to the Live Like Line Foundation or the Live Like Drew Scholarship.

We aren’t reviewing movies here, but rather churches and clergy, so while we don’t see much of the church in the film, what we see is good, earning it our highest rating of 4 Steeples.

Christian Film Month: In Theaters Now! Paul, Apostle of Christ

Paul, Apostle of Christ (2018)
We don’t often do Biblical films at Movie Churches. The only film of that genre I remember writing about is Risen, the story of a Roman soldier charged by Pilate with finding the body of Christ, one of the films we saw in 2016 when we went to the movies (along with going to bars and churches) in a different state every week. For the most part, the films thought of as “religious” or “Christian” have no place on this blog.

You might think that doesn’t make sense, but here’s why. As a rule, this blog is about films that have Christian churches and/or Christian clergy. Internet lists of the best religious films tend to include movies like The Ten Commandments or The Prince of Egypt (both of which I loved), and those will probably never be featured here at Movie Churches because Moses was not a Christian clergyman (neither was his brother, Aaron). The many films about the life of Jesus, from 1927’s King of Kings to 2004’s The Passion of the Christ, don’t feature churches. Jesus’ disciples, the Apostles, are generally part of those movies; they’d go on to be church leaders, but they weren’t yet.

In the case of Paul, Apostle of Christ  (I think you can guess which Biblical character it’s about), we see an unquestionably Christian clergyman who founded Christian churches. The film also features a Christian church. A portion of the Bible (everything after the Gospels in the New Testament) is about the Christian Church, so this film -- a Bible-era story with Biblical characters -- works for Movie Churches. Yay!

Andrew Hyatt, the writer and director of Paul, Apostle of Christ, decided to tell a fictional story using historical characters. I think it was a good choice. Sometimes, when Biblical text is used for a script, arguments about whether the film accurately depicts the text, distracting from the film itself. It’s not a problem if you start with a fictional episode.

The film is set in Rome in 67 AD, during the final years of Paul’s life when he was imprisoned in the Mamertine Prison awaiting execution. In this historical setting, Hyatt sets his fictional story. The Gospel writer Luke (Jim Caviezel) comes to visit Paul (James Faulkner) in prison. The film depicts Luke writing the Acts of the Apostles while with Paul. (Luke is the author of Acts, but we have no idea when he wrote it.)

Luke is greeted by Priscilla and Aquila, portrayed as the current leaders of the church of Rome. Priscilla (Joanne Whalley) and Aquila (John Lynch) were, according to what we know from Scripture, a married couple who were co-workers with Paul in Corinth, where they, along with other Christians, lived after being exiled from Rome by Emperor Claudius. The film posits that the couple returned to Rome. It’s possible P & A were in Rome at the time, but we don’t know. (Contrary evidence; Paul wrote II Timothy while he was in Rome, and he sends greetings to the couple in that epistle.)

In the film, the church of Rome is under assault from Emperor Nero, who accuses the Roman church of burning the city at Paul’s instigation. The fires killed thousands and left thousands more homeless. Historically, it’s likely the fires were probably set by Nero’s orders, but he made Christians the scapegoats. So part of the film’s story focused on whether P & A should stay in Rome or find a way to flee the city.

Led by a young man named Cassius, some in the church want a violent rebellion against the Romans as a result of the persecution. They eventually storm the prison to rescue Paul (and Luke, who is also imprisoned at the time). They kill a guard, but Paul and Luke refuse to leave the prison, wishing to honor authorities appointed by God. Priscilla denounces the rebellion, “We do not wage war as the world does…. Love is the only way.”

There’s another subplot in the prison. The prison warden, Prefect Mauritius (Olivier Martinez), has a sick daughter, and his wife is convinced the illness continues because husband treats the Christians kindly, offending the Roman gods. Instead, Mauritius comes to believe that perhaps Paul and Luke are actually his daughter’s only hope. (A tangent: following a long-standing Hollywood tradition, most of the Roman officials have British accents, except Mauritius. He has a French accent.)

Throughout the film, Paul quotes from his own many epistles, especially his greatest hits -- like the Love Passage of I Corinthians (also used in a many a wedding). At one point Paul says, “To live is Christ and to die is gain,” and Luke lauds the phrase. Paul urges him to write it down.

The film portrays a time of great persecution for the Church. Christians are thrown to the lions in Nero’s Circus. Christians are burned in the streets as “Roman Candles” (depicted in the film). We see a young woman bloodied with her own child’s blood, killed by a Roman soldier. And yet, in spite of Cassius, the church treats the Romans with love, taking in Roman women and orphans suffering from the fires. (Mauritius mocks them for caring for the “ugly.”)

Priscilla proclaims that as the Romans devolve into depravity, the Christian Church is the “only light in the city.” So how does the Church come out in the film? I’m giving the church and church leadership 4 Steeples, Movie Churches’ highest rating. (To be honest, if the Apostle Paul couldn’t get our highest rating, the whole system would have to re-evaluated.)

Christian Film Month: In Theaters Now: God's Not Dead 3

God’s Not Dead 3: A Light in the Darkness (2018)
The bizarre thing about this film, the third in the God’s Not Dead franchise, is that it seems like an apology for the first two films. God’s Not Dead 3: A Light in the Darkness has a new writer and director, Michael Mason, who takes a whole new approach to the series. The first film was about a college student whose faith was attacked by a philosophy professor; the second film was about a teacher attacked by her school administration. Both films had villains that were a little more evil than a combination of Snidely Whiplash, Bill Sikes, and Dracula -- with just a tad more sinister mustache twirling.

The first two films in the series depicted Christians in America under assault from government and the media. To put it lightly, not everyone agrees with this assertion.

Some will point to certain issues that seem to defend the claim: universities have set policies that seemed to target Christian clubs and institutions. Government requires Christian bakers to make cakes for gay weddings and nuns to provide birth control. There are complex issues of the separation of church and state at play here.

On the other hand, some believe that Christians are still recipients of privilege in this country. They argue that our institutions are biassed toward Christianity, giving people Christmas day off and including “In God We Trust” on our money.

As a nation, we’re certainly somewhere between theocracy and pagan dictatorship. We should recognize that both kinds of government have existed in history and exist today. European countries still have state churches, but in the past, those state churches were considered the only legitimate system of worship. Inquisitions during the Middle Ages -- targeting Jews and Christians with dissenting views -- were government-run, while the Church (at times) provided a moderating influence. On the other hand, some Islamic and Communist governments still persecute Christians, throwing people in jail and even putting people to death.

Contemporary America is certainly somewhere between these extremes. The first two films presented Christians in the crosshairs of authorities who hated them for their faith, with the freedom of religion and expression at stake. This film is about eminent domain, a controversial but not necessarily a religious issue.

David A. R. White returns as the Reverend Dave Hill. In the first two films, he was a supporting player, supporting the persecuted. In this film, he’s the focus, as Hayden University tries to take his church through eminent domain.

The legal case seemed a bit fuzzy to me. Apparently, the university had been a Christian school which was given to the state of Arkansas. The church was located on university grounds, but the church is said to own its property.

Rev. Hill decides that he is going to fight. He says, “Maybe it’s time Christians stopped rolling over, turning the other cheek.” Since a key to Christianity is following Jesus -- who told us to turn the other cheek -- perhaps this isn’t a great idea. The Reverend goes to see his brother, Pearce, a Chicago lawyer, for help. Pearce agrees to defend St. James church, where their father had been the pastor. (There is a weird thing in movies where pastorates pass down from father to son that I’ve never seen much of in real life.)

There are, of course, other plot complications. A young Christian student, Keaton (Samantha Boscarino), argues with her boyfriend, Adam (Mike Manning) about issues of faith. Adam, in a funk, vandalizes St. James, accidentally setting it aflame and killing a man. When Rev. Hill learns Adam was responsible, the Reverend yells at him and shoves him. This confrontation is described as an attack in the newspapers (which isn’t too far off).

As the eminent domain case heads toward court, the community takes sides in the controversy. Those who wish to see a clearer separation of church and state protest against the church. Many of these people are quite upset by the exclusive claims of Christianity. On the other side are those who believe that the state is attacking the Church, attacking the Christian faith. Cable talk shows bitterly debate the issues.

But Rev. Dave eventually comes to see that perhaps he was in the wrong. He says God spoke to him saying, “This building is not my Church.” At the film’s climatic protest, the Reverend tells crowds protesting on both sides that he is giving up the case, and people need to learn to be tolerant and understanding of each other. The crowds immediately go all Kumbaya, hugging and forgiving each other. (Which seems rather unlike the protest culture we see in the news today.)

In the previous films, all Christians wore white hats, and many of the non-Christians wore black hats (figuratively if not literally). In this one, some of the most attractive characters aren’t believers, particularly the Rev’s brother, Pearce (played by John Corbett). He left the faith of his family during his law school years, then felt abandoned by his family. Dave doesn’t seem to have kept in contact with Pearce until he needs his help, but Pearce immediately came to his brother’s aid. Even so, Pearce doesn’t come to Christ and “pray the prayer” at the end of the film as one might expect.

In the previous two films, there are dramatic conversions to Christianity, but this film settles for people reconciling with one another and Christians becoming more clear about their own faith.

Reverend Dave and St. James Church earned its two Steeples out of four because most of the film the Rev. isn’t doing much for the Kingdom of God; he’s just fighting the power. At one point, college student Keaton says, “Everyone knows what the church is against, but not what it’s for.” Still, the church is building a house for Habitat for Humanity and supports a soup kitchen, so it doesn’t deserve our lowest rating, and at the end of the film, we see hope that the church will earn more steeples (if there’s ever a God’s Not Dead IV).