The Fighting Temptations

New York-based ad executive Darrin Hill (Cuba Gooding, Jr.) returns to his southern hometown after his Aunt Sally dies, leaving him an inheritance with a condition: In order to collect it, Darrin must revive the local church choir in time for the annual Gospel Explosion competition. At first, the task seems easy enough-before Darrin realizes he's got to assemble the choir from a less-than-promising talent pool, fight a legalistic member's attempts to foil him, and convince an attractive nightclub singer-his childhood crush Lilly (Beyoncé Knowles)—to join.

This pleasant but predictable comedy (think Sister Act or Sister Act II in a different setting and with less suspense) features a cast of well-known gospel and R&B artists, including Shirley Caesar, Ann Nesby, Angie Stone, Eddie Levert, the O'Jays, and rapper T-Bone. (Special features on the DVD include extended musical performances and extended/deleted scenes.)

The lead performances here are less than convincing, with Gooding's exaggerated facial expressions and Tae-Bo-styled choir directing becoming a bit wearing at points. Still, his comedic timing and innocent, deadpan delivery are enjoyable. Knowles is soft but moderately believable as the burned-woman single parent who opens her heart to Gooding's lovable liar.

The major problem with The Fighting Temptations is that it's not completely clear what writer Elizabeth Hunter and director Jonathan Lynn want the viewer to take away from the film. There are several potential messages here—about telling the truth, about having faith, about the value of church, family and community, about redemption—but none of them are fleshed out well enough to provide more than a warm, agreeable feeling about … good gospel music and whatever the movie's trying to say. Unlike The Preacher's Wife (1996, with Whitney Houston and Denzel Washington), this film lacks a sense of moral conflict or the idea that people should do right because there's a higher standard-rather than to tell the truth because "it feels better" or to resist sexual temptation "because it makes you strong."

Even more disappointing, the movie raises relevant issues, then backs away so quickly the casual viewer might miss them altogether. For example, a group of choir members (including several R&B singers who began singing in church) talk about whether musicians can sing both gospel and R&B music—the very reason Darrin's mother (Faith Evans) was forced to leave the church choir. Here's an opportunity to drop some insight or advance the discussion on one of the most divisive questions in gospel music. But the discussion fades out with no new light.

Then there's the question raised by the conflict between the legalistic Paulina (LaTanya Richardson) and the unwed mother Lilly. The fact is, both Paulina and Lilly have something to say about the balance between grace and truth. But the conflict is missing nuance. Paulina's message is lost because her character is a bitter, power-hungry trustee who is seen as old and uptight compared to doe-eyed, courageous, enlightened Lilly. Both have wisdom to offer, but neither has enough balance to be credible.

Finally, the film's portrayal of the black church blurs the line between comedy and critique to the point where the viewer can't tell whether the film mocks faith and the church or simply hints at an important question about its relevance. For example, the pastor is a weak, stammering milquetoast man who dispenses a few platitudes and bows to the slightest pressure from his sister Paulina. Unfortunately, she's the only person who seems interested in church involvement, Bible study or questions of morality—and bitterly so. The only redemption in the film takes place when someone is shamed into it—when Darrin is outed as a liar, or when the pastor reveals that Paulina's husband left her (and her change of heart is just an afterthought).

The rendering of church services—with their celebratory "shouting" and expressiveness—is more entertaining than meaningful. And these scenes aren't accompanied by the spiritual breakthrough of Disney's Polly (1989, featuring the flamboyant choreography of Debbie Allen). One almost expects the Blues Brothers to come tumbling down the aisle; at least that film was clearly comedy. Unfortunately—and arguably, dangerously—the feeling is that church is an element of African-American culture valued more for its past relevance or good memories than for any current meaning.

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?
   
   

1. 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?
   
   
2. 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?
   
   
3. 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.

What Other Critics Are Saying

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.

None of these things come about. In fact, the film's loudest message is that we should not only stop judging wrongdoers, but we should accept and even embrace all manner of sinners and ignore their misbehavior. The person who is most severely punished by the film is the pompous and judgmental church legalist, Paulina. She may be arrogant. She may be a liar herself. But she is also the only person in the movie who seems to care at all about teaching the churchgoers right from wrong. Indeed, the only "gospel" in this film is in the music. The filmmakers seem oblivious to the lyrics of their own soundtrack.

Steven D. Greydanus (Decent Films) agrees. He says the film is "so woefully misconceived, so completely devoid of even generic, safely banal Hollywood spiritual uplift, that it made me long for the spiritual depth and religious meaning of Sister Act and Bruce Almighty."

He concludes, "The Fighting Temptations never manages even the most generic sort of pro-faith cliché. [It's] a redemption story without the redemption. This film is rife with barely veiled contempt for Christians and Christianity, and the fact that the studio apparently thinks they can market and sell this movie to Christians may just be the apex of that contempt. What an indictment of the churchgoing world if they turn out to be right."

Peter T. Chattaway (Canadian Christianity) backs up the point: "Temptations affirms the notion that we are all sinners, but rather than suggest ways to overcome that, it just asks us to wink at the sin and possibly even revel in it a little; people are welcomed into the church not to have a life-transforming experience, but to make church more entertaining. And perhaps that's to be expected when a church choir's whole raison d'etre is not worship, but winning a talent contest." He adds, "Some of the songs in this film are pretty good, but just as the choir should be about more than the music, so too should the film. Likewise, as moviegoers, our Christian witness should be about more than proving our demographic clout."

Michael Elliott (Movie Parables) says the film "just isn't spiritually edifying. The Christians depicted on screen are not 'walking the talk.' It is not Christ or God which gets them in line … It is the music. And that in and of itself can send a wrong message. Don't get me wrong. Music can be a beautiful expression of love and worship. Yet, we should never so focus upon the tool that we forget the reason we are using it. Spiritual music is intended to glorify God, not the singers."

Jon Hanna, editor of Connection Magazine, was asked to run an ad for Temptations in his publication. He went to see the movie and then printed an explanation of why he would not run the ad. He calls the movie "a shameful parody of black Christians. Both MTV and Paramount validate lawlessness in their make-believe church." He accuses it of suggesting "that blanket toleration and acceptance of unrepentant and lawless worship leaders is the loving thing to do. Unfortunately, no godly repentance ever happens in the movie. Here's a 'Revelation' for MTV: God chastens and rebukes those He loves, (Revelation 3:19)."

Nevertheless, a few Christian film critics claim the movie is reason for rejoicing.

Bill Osmun (Relevant) avoids any discussion of the film's relevance, quickly declaring it "a perfect movie for anybody looking to laugh at a fun, feel-good family film." (Relevant also made a splashy cover story about the film in a previous issue.)

Anne Navarro (CNS) faults it for "a predictable story line, some canned humor and a few needless sexual references." But she rules in its favor, crediting it with "an endearing charm that is peppered with lessons of redemption, forgiveness and looking beyond outward appearances to see the goodness in people."

Jenn Wright (Hollywood Jesus) says, "Temptations offers unique (and uplifting) insight into the poignant power of 'home.' We leave the film asking ourselves: What is home? What drives some people to escape from home, while others endure all kinds of pain rather than risk leaving?"

Chris Monroe (Christian Spotlight) says that if you see the film "you will be encouraged, exhorted, uplifted and, of course, edified when it is over."

Mainstream critics are impressed with the music, but they point out some of the same fallacies highlighted by Greydanus, Hanna, and Elliott. Ed Gonzalez (Slant) calls the movie "TV-grade material", and he observes that the real lesson learned by Darrin is "the meaning of trust and snagging 'Southern booty.'" He concludes, "Too bad the film is never as soulful as the songs the character's sing."

While critics continue to praising the riveting gospel music performances in The Fighting Temptations, they still find the film's craftsmanship shoddy.

Cliff Vaughn (EthicsDaily) says the movie "has no rhythm. [It] will have you tapping your toes during the musical sets, but also scratching your head as to why Cuba Gooding, Jr. isn't half as engaging here as he was in Jerry Maguire. It's almost as if the movie is split in two: good musical sets, bad almost everything else."

Michael Medved (Crosswalk) says the movie "deserves credit for its warm-hearted, affectionate portrayal of a religious community, and for the soul-stirring gospel music featured on the sound track, but the feeble story line and cardboard performances undermine its entertainment value."

J. Robert Parks (Phantom Tollbooth) writes, "The narrative might be formula, but at least the music is great. [Gooding's] over-the-top style reeks of a desperate need to please, and it's none too flattering. The final 20 minutes … is an appalling display of screenwriting laziness. The script inconsistencies … would be mind-boggling if anyone was actually using that part of their anatomy."

The School of Rock vs. The Fighting Temptations

Steven D. Greydanus (Decent Films) is not turning cartwheels over Linklater's School of Rock, but in an e-mail he offered me a revealing comparison between this reckless, high-spirited comedy and another recent music-oriented flick: The Fighting Temptations. Which film would you guess is richer, the one about the rock band or the one about the gospel choir? Guess again.

(Warning: Some spoilers are included in these comparisons.)

Both movies feature a charlatan protagonist, a man who, having lost his main gig in life, finds an unexpected opportunity to profit if he pretends to have credentials he doesn't have. [Further, he] winds up cobbling together an unlikely musical act from inauspicious beginnings, intending to lead it to competition glory and potential financial reward. Both films also pit the hero against a suspicious, uptight woman in a position of authority who is a stickler for rules and is intimidating to others.

In both films, the protagonist is exposed for the fraud he is, and departs in disgrace. However, there are no real-world consequences for his criminal acts in either film, as both films find ridiculously contrived ways of glossing over the whole subject. More importantly, despite his having been exposed and disgraced, the bond between the hero and the musicians ultimately wins out, and in the third act they are triumphantly reunited, and go on to the climactic concert showdown.

Having said all that, here are some interesting differences:

The School of Rock makes it abundantly clear that the music is about something more than itself, and that the climactic concert is about something other than potentially winning and making a lot of money. In The Fighting Temptations, on the other hand, there is never any suggestion that gospel music is about anything other than the music itself, or that there is any point to playing at the final competition other than to win.

By the end of School of Rock, we have a good bit of understanding and sympathy for Joan Cusack's character, and she shows herself capable of sympathetic behavior as well as human weakness. In Temptations, … the uptight female figure becomes more and more an antagonist and is finally shamed and disgraced with stunningly unchristian glee by her pastor brother, and sent ignominiously away.

He also writes about the gospel-music-filled flick The Fighting Temptations, released this week on DVD, saying that it "wasn't the film it should have been. This story … just didn't make the grade when the music stopped. Had the acting been as rhythmic as the music, Temptations would have been a lot of fun. While the DVD … sadly doesn't contain a new cut of the film, it does at least contain some extended musical numbers. The DVD gives more of everything—but in this case, less of the dialogue would actually be more in terms of quality."

T-Bone: Gospelalphamegafunkyboogiediscomusic

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