So I watched Signs last night, and I couldn't help but think "dang this is a better God's Not Dead than well God's Not Dead!" Now you may be asking, what does a film about aliens have in common with a Christian propaganda film? Well I'm glad you asked! I would like to present to you that the film Signs by M. Knight Shyamalan presents the same message better than the "film" God's Not Dead. So buckle in and let's start by talking about Signs. In Signs we follow a man and his family during an impending alien invasion. We learn that this man used to be a preacher but he lost his faith because he lost his wife in a car accident. He no longer believes in a divine purpose or in miracles but believes everything is up to chance or luck. He can't believe in a God who would take his wife away. This turns him into a cold man, and during this time of fear of the unknown he can't be the strong man that his family needs. As the invasion takes place, his son has an asthma attack and begins to pass out. As he's trying to help his son he cries out to God, "I hate you!!" As things begin to settle, they look around the house to see if the coast is clear but find one last alien in their home. Thinking back to the last conversation he had with his wife, he remembers her words "Swing away." He tells his brother to grab the baseball bat on the wall and swing away. (Spoilers). Of course the aliens hate water and of course the little girl has been leaving glasses of water around the house for seemingly no reason. These moments that seem like coincidences look like miracles to this man and they restore his faith and save his family's lives. A little cheesy? Maybe, but very effective story telling. Now let's look at God's Not Dead. A professor who is an atheist tries to get his class to say that God is dead just to pass by a section of the curriculum. One student says no, and they decide to have a series of debates whether God is real or not. Through these debates we learn that this professor used to be a Christian until he lost his mother of cancer while he was young. He then proceeds to say he hates God because He took everything away from him. The student then asks "How can you hate God, if He doesn't exist?" (Boom Roasted? Eh.) The professor then go's for a walk during a Newsboys concert (I don't know why that's relevant either). (Spoilers). Then he gets hit by a car. RIP. Now a pastor who happens to be driving by, comes over to him to try and save him (his soul that is!) He then becomes a Christian and dies. And everyone enjoys the Newsboys concert happily ever after. The End. Now these are essentially the same story. Man loses faith due to a loss, but after a miracle they regain their faith. Now what makes Signs much more effective is the fact we see the before and after. We see what this man is like without his faith, one who's struggling to be a good father, and what he is like with his faith, a man who cares for his family and one who believes that God will provide for them in the future like He did during the alien invasion. God's Not Dead has nothing like this. Yes the professor is a jerk without faith, but I have no reason to believe that he regained his faith because of the car accident. The film is so bogged down by all of its side characters and trying to convince you that God is real (unconvincingly of course) that it doesn't fully flesh out its main characters, so during the conversion scene you don't believe that it's genuine, whereas Signs fleshes out it's characters well enough that when he regains his faith, you believe it's genuine and that it is for the better. Christian films often get so caught up in their own propaganda that they fail to tell a compelling and convincing story, which is sad because I think there are some great stories that can be told through a Christian lens, but unfortunately Christian filmmakers are too caught up in pushing a moral agenda that they lose sight of what makes a good film. Thankfully we still have movies like Signs and Hacksaw Ridge that tell compelling stories centered around faith that are enjoyable and not overly preachy. Signs isn't a perfect film, but it's an enjoyable experience with a great tale of faith. It's also just a thrilling monster movie as well. That's how you do it right there. That's 3 out of 30.
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Austin VincentJust a guy with a passion for film and Jesus who's trying to show that He can be found in our creative endeavors. Archives
November 2018
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