"Sophomores Stumble, Masters Make Good"
"What film critics in the religious media are saying about The Mexican, See Spot Run, Yi Yi, Pollock, and other new films. Also, a fuss about a phenomenon that looks like it's here to stay—end-times movies."
Jeffrey Overstreet | posted 3/01/2001 12:00AM
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Side Dishes
Peter T. Chattaway, who writes frequently for the B.C. Christian News, published a front-page article for The Vancouver Sun this month on the ever-popular genre of "end-times movies". From the famous Christian apocalyptic film The Late Great Planet Earth all the way to The Omega Code and now Left Behind, Chattaway examines the messages and techniques of infamous judgment-oriented movies and considers how these titles stem from thoroughly contemporary and strictly literal interpretations of the Book of Revelation. He writes, "These films are just the latest products of an evangelical subculture that has simmered beneath the surface of mainstream pop culture for at least the past three decades. Ironically, although these films are intended, in part, to give non-Christians an opportunity to learn more about the faith, they tend to dwell on a set of beliefs about biblical prophecies and the end of the world that is highly controversial even within conservative Christian circles."
Chattaway's article makes me wonder about the responsibilities of Christians in the arts. Is it our job to preach the Apocalypse when the spotlight falls on us? Are we doing the gospel proud by using the Big Screen to scare viewers with threats of judgment? Or should we, rather, be telling stories of God's grace, crafting art that reveals the design and meaning in the world around them, the possibility of a love that meets their needs, the wild mercy that God can bring about through his children?
Next week: We'll look at critical responses to Fifteen Minutes, starring Robert DeNiro and Edward Burns, and much more.
Jeffrey Overstreet is on the board of Promontory Artists Association, a non-profit organization based in Seattle, which provides community, resources, and encouragement for Christian artists. He edits an artists' magazine (The Crossing), publishes frequent film and music reviews on his Web site (Looking Closer), and is at work on a series of novels. His work has also appeared in Christianity and the Arts Magazine.
Copyright © 2001 Christianity Today. Click for reprint information.
Related Elsewhere
See earlier Film Forum postings for these other movies in the box-office top ten: Down to Earth, Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, Traffic, Chocolat, 3000 Miles to Graceland, Recess: School's Out, and Sweet November.
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