WHEN MY SON WAS FOURTEEN YEARS OLD, he wanted me to take him to see the movie Bohemian Rhapsody, which tells the story of Freddie Mercury, the lead singer of the rock band Queen. I hesitated because the film is rated PG-13 and contains a message about sexuality that concerns me. Yet after some thought and research on the film, I came up with a compromise: I would bring him and a friend if they would talk with me about the movie afterward.
We went to the movie and then came home and discussed it at the dining room table for about thirty minutes. I didn’t lecture them but simply asked questions about their impressions and insights and how we can think about the movie Christianly. It was a memorable and fun conversation. Since we have had these kinds of conversations before, my son was able to pick up on the worldview behind the film and recognize certain moral ideas being promoted to viewers. This is my goal for you in this chapter too.
Does Media Really Affect Us?
It is natural to think that entertainment doesn’t affect us. Isn’t it just for fun? You might recall a question I asked in chapter 2: If television and other forms of entertainment don’t affect us, why would companies spend millions of dollars on ads? Companies have done their research, and they know something powerful: what we view shapes our thinking and our acting.
Even though we live in Southern California, not far from the beach, my oldest son rarely goes in the water. And when he does, it’s often not for long. Why? He’s afraid of sharks, even though he knows the chance of getting attacked is extremely low. I think his fear comes from the time I made the mistake of showing him the movie Jaws when he was only eight years old. The film has haunted him since. Though it may not be as obvious for us as it is to my son, all of us have been shaped more deeply than we realize by the movies and television shows we have seen.
Movies can be an especially powerful means of persuasion because we often let down our guards when watching them. Consider how differently you watch a sermon and a movie. When you hear a sermon, you know the pastor is trying to persuade you, right? That’s his job. Yet what is your mindset when watching a movie? My guess is that you view it only as entertainment. We tend to view movies entirely through this lens and, as a result, open ourselves to being influenced by the ideas and worldviews embedded within them. Again, this is why Paul said not to be conformed (passively) to this world but to be transformed (actively) by renewing our minds through the power of the Holy Spirit (see Romans 12:2).
Watching Movies with Wisdom
One of my favorite activities is to show my high school students one of the most famous scenes from the film The Matrix. The character Morpheus is trapped in an office building, so Neo and Trinity have to defeat dozens of guards in the lobby before they can free him. Because of the video game–like background music, the use of martial arts, and their stylish black sunglasses, students tend to think it’s pretty cool.
And then I show my students the opening scene from another R-rated film, Saving Private Ryan. This scene depicts the landing of troops at Omaha Beach on D-Day in World War II. Because of its realism and attention to detail, the scene is harrowing. In the scene, director Steven Spielberg graphically portrayed the violence so viewers would be horrified at the realities of war. And by all accounts, he succeeded.
Both of these movies are rated R for violence. But can you see the difference in how they portray it? The Matrix makes violence look cool and exciting. On the other hand, Saving Private Ryan makes violence look dreadful. In assessing movies, it is important that we consider how violence, sex, and vulgar language are portrayed. Does the movie praise violence? Does it portray sex outside of marriage as cool? Or does it show the consequences of certain behavior and discourage immorality?
The Bible contains all sorts of sex, violence, and immoral behavior. But have you ever wondered why? For instance, the book of Judges contains stories of a woman hammering a tent peg through someone’s skull (4:21), an assassin stabbing a king so deeply his insides come out (3:22), and a man cutting a prostitute into twelve pieces and sending her body parts to the tribes of Israel (19:29). Why does the Bible record these brutal, graphic events?
The Bible does not include these stories in an exploitive fashion but to show that sin has consequences—not to attract us but to appall us. Judges 21:25 captures the theme of Judges: “Everyone did what was right in his own eyes.” Gruesome evil reigns when people reject God. More like Saving Private Ryan than The Matrix, the Bible uses physical and graphic violence to teach a moral lesson about the horrors of sin.
Worldviews and Film
In chapter 4, we considered worldviews as mental maps of reality. But worldviews are also stories that answer three key questions: (1) How did we get here (origin)? (2) What went wrong (predicament)? (3) How do we fix it (resolution)?
Movies follow the same basic structure:
Every movie has these three acts. The reason worldviews and movies are so similar is because both are stories. Christianity is a story about reality. Buddhism is a story about reality. Atheism is a story about reality. And every movie (you guessed it) is a story about reality.
That brings us to an important question: What stories do Christianity and some other worldviews tell?
The Christian Story
In the Christian worldview, God has made us to be in relationship with him and others (origin), but we rebelled against him through sin (predicament), yet we can be saved through believing in Jesus Christ (resolution). This is the story of the Bible, but the Bible isn’t the only place the Christian worldview shows up. It shows up in movies, too.
Consider the Marvel Avengers movies Infinity War and Endgame. At the heart of these movies is the question of the value of human life. Thanos sacrifices innocent life in order to restore balance to the universe. But according to Captain America, the Avengers are not in the business of exchanging lives, until the only way to save the universe is through the willing sacrifice of Iron Man.
Does this remind you of the Christian story? In John 15:13, Jesus said, “Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends.” The greatest sacrifice is to give your own life for the sake of another. This is the heart of the gospel! Jesus willingly laid down his own life for our salvation. First Peter 3:18 says, “Christ also suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, that he might bring us to God.”
It is remarkable that the creators of Infinity War and Endgame, who wanted to tell the most epic story possible, relied upon the power of sacrificial love to do it, which is at the heart of the gospel.
The Naturalistic Story
Naturalism tells a different story about reality. In the naturalistic worldview, the world is a cosmic accident (origin), humans have messed things up (predicament), and we must solve our own problems (resolution). Along with the show Stranger Things (as we saw in chapter 4), naturalism can be seen in the 2009 movie Sherlock Holmes, in which scientific analysis is used to explain away every seemingly supernatural phenomenon, including an apparent resurrection. In this movie, there is no God or supernatural realm; everything has a natural explanation (even if the characters don’t know it yet).
The Pantheistic Story
Pantheism also tells a story about reality. In the pantheistic worldview, humans are eternally part of the divine (origin), but we forgot our godhood (predicament) and need to be reminded so we can become one with the universe (resolution). In terms of film, the pantheistic worldview is portrayed in the Star Wars franchise as well as in movies like Moana, Avatar, and Pocahontas.
Thinking Christianly about Movies
Not all movies have a theme that fits nicely into the box of a particular worldview, though. Some promote derivative values like consumerism or individualism. Some highlight the power of forgiveness. Science fiction films usually wrestle with questions of human value, free will, and responsibility. Horror movies often raise questions about justice. Comedies often grapple with questions of happiness, the nature of relationships, and the meaning of life. But all movies tell a story about how people should or should not live. All movies have a “moral of the story” they want us to adopt.
This is why we must think Christianly about them. We must learn to filter the ideas in our entertainment through a Christian lens.
Here are a few questions to ask when watching movies:
The apostle Paul encourages believers not to be conformed to the patterns of this world but to be transformed by the renewing of their minds (see Romans 12:2). In other words, rather than passively adopting the ideas of the world we live in, we must actively learn how to think Christianly about all of life. It is only when we see everything through a Christian lens that we can escape the snares of this world and live in the power of the truth.
A Final Thought: Jesus Told Stories
By most accounts, Jesus is the most influential person who has ever lived. Even though he only lived into his thirties and held no military or government position, his teachings turned the world upside down.
One reason for his influence is that he told powerful stories like the Prodigal Son, the Good Samaritan, and the Parable of the Sower. Jesus told stories because they are relatable, they are memorable, and they encourage us to live differently. Jesus knew that the stories we believe and tell shape our lives.
Movies can capture our hearts and shape the way we live. This is also true for TV shows, songs, and other forms of entertainment. I love watching movies, and my guess is that you do too. But let’s watch them with wisdom and discernment.