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The Fighting Temptations has some very funny moments, and the film celebrates the power of gospel music to bring people together—a good reason to get the soundtrack. Although there are plenty of positive, feel-good elements to this movie, they are outweighed by missed opportunities to do something more valuable.

Talk About It

1. How should a church member respond when disapproving of another's behavior? What is the goal of confronting another person? How should this be done?
   
   
2. Darrin convinces his bosses to market booze to African-Americans. Do Christians have a responsibility to avoid supporting or working for companies which exploit communities or promote harmful products? Why or why not?
   
   
3. What are some biblical ways of dealing with fellow Christians who have been caught in sin? How can churches balance grace and truth? How should they deal with judgmental members?
   
   
4. What is the purpose of Christian/gospel music? Should "Christian" artists sing "secular" music, and vice versa? If so, are there "guidelines" should they follow? If not, why?

The Family Corner

The film includes a few sexual references, most notably country cousin Lucious' extended treatise on Southern "Bootyology" and Lilly's steamy nightclub performances.

In Jonathan Lynn's new comedy The Fighting Temptations, a movie resonating with sensational gospel music, a prodigal son returns to his small town church from the big city and falls for the local nightclub singer. He also gets into a whole mess of trouble, and has to work fast to pry himself free.

According to several religious press critics, Christians who buy into the idea that this is a pro-church movie are in a lot of trouble themselves.

Cuba Gooding Jr. plays Darrin, a successful advertising executive who lied his way to the top, and who quickly plunges back down when his lies are exposed. Fortunately, he discovers he has inherited a good deal of money from his late Aunt Sally. That is, he'll receive the cash if he goes back to Montecarlo, Georgia, and lead the Beulah Baptist Church's choir all the way to the grand prize of the Gospel Explosion choir competition.

Within minutes of his homecoming, Darrin is smitten with Lilly, the local beauty (pop singer Beyoncé Knowles), and begins lying his way toward winning her heart. But before long, his life has become complicated. His attempts to train the choir are disrupted by a tyrannical church legalist named Paulina (LaTanya Richardson), the pastor's sister, who wants to control the choir herself, and who insists that Lilly keep her secular-music-singing vocal chords far away from the house of God. As the police pick up Darrin's criminal trail, he grapples with the moralist and hurries his makeshift choir toward the big competition, hoping he comes out of it with Lily on his arm.

The movie is bound to win rave reviews for fantastic gospel music performances. The impressive musical guest stars include Montell Jordan, Angie Stone, Shirley Caesar, the Blind Boys of Alabama, Faith Evans, the O'Jays, Melba Moore, and rapper T-Bone. That sanctuary looks likely to explode when the choir gets rocking, and Cuba Gooding, Jr. seems to be re-enacting his hyperactive Oscar acceptance speech as he leaps, cavorts, and breakdances his way across the platform directing them.

But the storyline is sharply dissonant with the messages of the songs. You might think this prodigal would learn to take responsibility for his lies. You might think he would humbly accept the consequences of his crimes and change. You might also expect Lilly, a single mom, to see the error of her ways as she works as a sultry seductress at the local tavern. The church's pastor might also learn to exhibit some real spiritual leadership instead of seesawing between cowardice and loud public humiliations of his sinful churchgoers. He might also reconsider his cooperation in baptizing criminals who do not understand what they're doing. Further, he might teach his choir to perform their music for God's glory instead of for worldly honors.

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Related Elsewhere:

From the Streets to the Screen	Printer view
Christian rapper T-Bone makes his film debut in The Fighting Temptations. His character mirrors T-Bone's real life—a former street druggie who finds faith and healing through the grace of God.