The Visitation

Once in a while, a piece of art or entertainment comes along that causes us to consider our definitions of religious art. Think of music groups like U2 or Over the Rhine. Think of films like The Lord of the Rings trilogy, with its clear Christian themes, based on the works of a Catholic writer, and made by largely non-Christian filmmakers. What exactly makes a piece of art "Christian"?

The Visitation, based on the novel by Frank Peretti, doesn't give us any room to address these issues. Here's a "Christian movie" that's an embarrassment to a genre that doesn't exactly have a reputation for producing great art. Even if you're not familiar with the works of Peretti—a popular author in evangelical circles, whose books often deal with themes of spiritual warfare—the story itself is a clear product of the CCM/evangelical subculture. In the small town of Antioch (even the name of the setting is Christian!), a series of strange occurrences and miraculous healings lead up to the sudden appearance of a mysterious figure named Brandon (Edward Furlong)—a charismatic speaker who offers people healing and happiness, eventually claiming to be Jesus Christ himself. Most of the townspeople are immediately Brandon believers, with notable exceptions including former minister Travis (Martin Donovan) and new town veterinarian Morgan.

As the film prods us to ask questions about Brandon's true nature—is he really Jesus, or something else entirely?—it becomes clear that spiritual warfare is indeed the film's theme, begging the question: Can this film be called a work of true religious art?

Martin Donovan plays a former minister looking for some faith

Well, it may be religious, but art it ain't. A more appropriate label might be … well, propaganda. Indeed, for its entire 104-minute running time, there's not a single glimmer of good storytelling—or even okay storytelling—to be found. The entire film reeks of shoddy craftsmanship, one long lead-in to the inevitable altar call at its conclusion.

In other words, this isn't the stuff of great drama. For drama to work, there have to be actual characters—here, people are distinguished not by personality traits but by their physical and spiritual condition. Hey, it's Guy in a Wheelchair! Oh look—there's Pentecostal Woman Who Gets Slain in the Spirit! Say, is that The Former Minister Who Lost His Faith?

Kelly Lynch plays the town vet, in a film that's gone to the dogs

Good drama also requires good writing, also sadly absent from The Visitation. Brian Godawa, who did a nice piece of screenwriting with To End All Wars, drops the ball here, converting Peretti's book to a movie script. Every line here is either pure cheese or pure cliché. "Don't you know that you can hurt people with pointy objects?" chides one character when he's attacked by a woman wielding scissors. "The one thing we do know is that Brandon isn't being honest about his identity," says another, keenly grasping the blindingly obvious. "Your scars don't give you the right to kill people!" comes the moral lesson in a climactic scene, teaching us all a valuable lesson about what is and isn't grounds for murder.

The film also ultimately fails to live up to its billing as a "thriller"—not only because of the lack of characters, but also a lack of real suspense. The film's central mystery is the true nature of Brandon's identity, but there's never much doubt that the guy's up to no good. Just in case the scene of him kidnapping a neighbor's dog doesn't clue you in that he's no Messiah, the fact that he heals people by sending jolts of electricity through their bodies—and the ominous music that plays in the background while he's doing so—is probably a pretty clear indicator. And by the time he starts making sexual advances on a local teenage girl … um, mystery solved?

Travis (Martin Donovan) and Kyle (Randy Travis) look in a hole. Perhaps they're trying to find a good script.

When the big finale rolls around, we learn that the explanation for who Brandon is and what his motives are depend on our knowledge of a character who isn't even mentioned until the film's final third, and events that we aren't made aware of until Brandon himself reveals his true nature. Amateur sleuths looking to untangle a good cinematic yarn are out of luck; not even Scooby and the gang could make any sense out of this terrible mess.

By the time the end credits roll, we feel like we've just been preached at for the last hour and a half. That's what happens when you spend so much time with a bunch of cardboard cutouts, masquerading as characters and serving a piece of work that cares not for telling a meaningful story, but simply for teaching a simplistic lesson—a lesson that's conveyed so sloppily in the film's final act that I'm not even entirely sure I know what it was supposed to mean. Ever wonder why so many people just roll their eyes at the mention of religious art? Presenting Exhibit A.

Note: This film will be available on DVD on February 28, 2006.

Talk About It

1. In what light does the film present the church and Christians?
   
   
2. What are Brandon's motives for doing what he does? Do you think this is believable? Why or why not?
   
   

1. What does this film show us about the nature of spiritual warfare?
   
   
2. How does this film convey the idea of false prophets?
   
   
3. This review discusses the quality—or lack thereof—of the filmmaking as art. What responsibility do you think Christians have when it comes to making good art

The Family Corner

The Visitation is rated PG-13 for a few fleeting but grisly images of violence. There's some blood and gore, and some rather disturbing scenes of implied abuse, even crucifixion. There's also a scene of a man getting drunk, and a few moments that present the church in a not-so-flattering light (i.e., a group of priests and pastors arguing with each other and telling stupid jokes).

Photos © Copyright 20th Century Fox

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