Top 3

Top 3 movies that Christian authors should stop quoting/giving detailed plotlines for:

1. Braveheart

I blame John Eldridge for this movie getting so much attention.  This is the epitome of an epic, macho movie.  There are swords, people’s heads getting chopped off, lots of blood, hardly any women, and freedom, lots and lots of freedom.  This is also one of the only movies with nudity that pastors will still promote (normally nude scenes are deal breakers for promotion from the pulpit).  I like this movie, as do a lot of people.  This is for good reason, it’s a very decent movie, it won a lot of awards, and told a compelling story despite being a period piece.  All the same though, Christian authors need to leave this one alone for a while.  Its been done too often, and it has lost its meaning.  Not to mention, it is starting to ruin the movie for me a little bit.  I can’t watch Braveheart anymore without thinking about Christian popular culture.    

2. Lord of the Rings trilogy

You know this is a series of books, right?  I hear they are very good.  Seriously though, the only thing that quoting a movie based off of a book says is “I don’t like books.”  That may or may not be true, but that is what it conveys. 

3. The Matrix

Yes, I know, Neo’s choice between the red pill and the blue pill, resulting in his becoming aware to the oppressive system of evil robots who have hijacked everyone’s brains is a good visual for our own decision to accept the gospel story.  Yes, I know there is a ton of biblical allegory within the movie:  Trinity, Zion, Nebuchadnezzar, Neo as a Christ figure known as “the one,” that bald guy with the weird facial hair as a Judas character, Morpheus.  Actually, that last one is from Greek mythology.  Starts to feel like new-agey pantheism when you throw that one in there, doesn’t it?  Despite the allegory, Christian authors need to stop quoting this movie.  Why?  Because it is over-used and played out.  There are other allegories out there, other great visuals for the gospel’s transforming power.  There may even be better allegories.  Perhaps, allegories that are not followed up by two embarrassing, poorly thought out sequels. 

                        

Top 3 movies that Christian authors should start quoting (but still not give detailed plotlines for because that is an unnecessary practice):

1. The Motorcycle Diaries

This is a Spanish language movie (yes, you will have to read sub-titles, lazy) about Ernesto “Che” Guevara and his friend traveling through South America on a motorcycle.  I know that the plotline doesn’t scream gospel story, but I think that's okay.  Maybe one of the most powerful scenes takes place when Guevara swims across a river to celebrate his birthday, not with the respected doctors, and religious leaders who wanted to celebrate with him, but the colony of lepers that he and his friend traveled so far to care for. 

2. Into the Wild

I know that I am contradicting myself with this one, because, yes, this movie is based on a book, but hear me out.  The book, Into the Wild, is pretentious, and celebrates Christopher McCandless like he was Jesus’ second coming.  The movie, however, while it does give McCandless a fair share of praise, gives some time to the heartbreak of McCandless’ parents, and really plays up on the conclusions McCandless reaches, in his dying breath, about God, and community.  Not to mention that this is a story about the joy that comes from rejecting the things that the world has to offer, especially the worship of material wealth.  This is a message the church could stand to hear from time to time. 

3. Read a book, and stop quoting movies

Seriously.  Try quoting a book.  It is so much easier than trying to quote a movie.  On top of that, people sound smarter when they quote books.  Don’t believe me?  Try reading a few chapters out of the Organic Church, and then reading a few out of The Celebration of Discipline, and tell me which author comes across as smarter.  Now, I am not saying that Neil Cole is a dummy, or even that he is less intelligent than Richard Foster.  I’m sure Neil Cole is brilliant, but when you read the Organic Church, you get the feeling that Neil Cole watches a lot of TV.  When you read The Celebration of Discipline, you get the feeling that Richard Foster reads a lot of classic Christian literature. 

If that is a little too prideful for you, try this, people feel smarter when they get done reading a synopsis and quote from a book, than they do a movie.  I dare say people are actually intellectually better off when authors quote books rather than movies.  Don’t get me wrong, I like movies as much as the next guy, but there are a lot of movies that urge you to take your brain out while you watch them.  I know what you are thinking, there are bad books too (I’m looking at you, Tom Clancy), but I am willing to bet that there are more good books out there than there are good movies out there. 

On top of that, the reader of the Christian book has obviously already come to some sort of peace about the written word, otherwise they wouldn’t be reading a book, they would be waiting until the Kirk Cameron version of your book was released straight to DVD.  So it is not as if you have to worry about losing your audience by quoting a book.  

 

All I am trying to ask for is a little variety here.