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Christmas weekend brought three films with characters who become new people—a Fed Ex manager becomes an isolated islander in Cast Away, a wealthy businessman becomes a suburban father in The Family Man, and a tomboy FBI agent becomes a beauty-pageant contestant in Miss Congeniality. Christian critics mostly approved of the transformations, but questioned the manner in which they were achieved.

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Christian reviewers were divided on the spiritual conclusions in Cast Away, which finds harried Federal Express manager Chuck Noland (Tom Hanks) stranded on a desert island where his only goal becomes survival—which involves not just food and water but hope. "A very important message is revealed in the film," says Movie Reporter Phil Boatwright. "No matter how futile our existence may seem, life has the remarkable ability of suddenly bringing design to light, giving us not just hope, but purpose." Boatwright also praises the film for it's "commanding photography, a compassionate script and an inspiring performance by the film's star. And with only one profanity and two obscenities, it prefers to tell its story without bombarding us with objectionable content." The U.S. Catholic Conference calls it a "finely crafted drama," and says that "with Hanks' superb performance at its center, director Robert Zemeckis movingly probes what matters most when someone is stripped of his everyday life and possessions." Preview also lauds Hanks, who "turns in another strong performance in this largely one-man show," and found it reassuring that "Chuck draws spiritual strength from a package painted with angel wings."

However, other critics believed that Chuck's spiritual survival was more humanistic in nature. Jim Mhoon, a contributing analyst to Focus on the Family, says "the story suggests that Chuck's near death and isolated struggle leads him to an epiphany of what is truly important. Unfortunately, the movie doesn't reveal what those important things are." Where Robinson Crusoe "turned to a Bible and found God in the midst of nothingness ... Chuck Noland befriends a volleyball." Michael Elliott of Crosswalk.com wonders if the corporate work ethic isn't lifted up as Chuck's savior. "The FedEx mystique of 'absolutely positively' getting the job done is an unspoken, but observable, element to the film. The mindset and habits Chuck developed in his role as a Fed Ex employee become his tools to survival." Holly McClure of Crosswalk.com says, "I would have expected [director Robert] Zemeckis to take us through sort of a spiritual journey of a man who washes on shore and has no hope of ever escaping other than a miracle. ... Even if his character doesn't believe in God, then let's see him get angry, rationalize, cry out, grow with a deeper insight about himself and what his life was." Screenwriter William Boyles Jr. says in an interview at Beliefnet that "We wanted this thing to be a message of hope, ultimately. That you don't live by coconuts alone." But Movieguide didn't find much hope in the film, saying it has "an existential fatalistic" tone.

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The Family Man is riff on It's a Wonderful Life and A Christmas Carol formula; ruthless businessman Jack Campbell (Nicolas Cage) is shown what his life would have been like had he married his college sweetheart and settled in the suburbs. "This movie embraces and elevates marriage, family and true love, placing everything of importance in perspective," raves Holly McClure of Crosswalk.com. "This is one of those movies that has hilarious, touching, poignant moments ... all are woven into a story full of humanity and hope." Movieguide agrees: "Very well written, it makes you laugh and cry. Better yet, it's an intentionally moral movie. It wants to prove that everyone needs love, marriage, children, and that these things are much more important than fame or fortune." However, other Christian critics found a few chinks in the armor. Movie Reporter Phil Boatwright calls the film "the season's best holiday treat," but laments that it's "dominated by a humanistic view [that's] bent on separating God from entertainment. ... The film's angel seems more a representative of Rod Serling than the Lord Jehovah." Focus on the Family's Bob Smithouser says, "This could've been a wonderful family film if not for profanity, sexual situations, alcohol use and fairly explicit nudity." Peter T. Chattaway, a freelance Christian reviewer, writes at Beliefnet that "movies about the evils of greed should always be taken with a grain of salt, not least when they are produced by major studios owned by multinational corporations." He adds that the movie is too unrealistic to be taking seriously: "The audience is given the impression that Married Jack has led a basically blissful life, while Single Jack is a smug, hollow fellow who desperately needs a spiritual tune-up. Married Jack, in other words, feels too good to be true." The U.S. Catholic Conference flat-out didn't like it, calling the film a "flawed romantic comedy ... with its routine plot, obvious jokes and cliched characters." Michael Elliott of Crosswalk.com acknowledges that "director Brett Ratner lets the schmaltz run a bit thickly at times, but as this is a holiday story about love and second chances, he can be forgiven. Overall, it is a warm and funny romantic comedy, which leaves the audience glowing in appreciation."

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December (Web-only) 2000, Vol. 44