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Changing
Lanes (2002)
- Changing Lanes contains themes of revenge, the evil
inside each of us, the need for forgiveness &
conversion. It tells the tale of 2 ordinary men
(Ben Affleck, a Wall Street lawyer & Samuel L.
Jackson, a recovering alcoholic struggling to
keep his family together) who enter a vortex of
retaliation because of a car accident between the 2 of
them. It is an exceptionally complex & interesting
portrayal of how any of us might be tempted into extreme
measures. Conversion only takes place when each of the men
sees the other as a person, moving from extreme
self-centeredness into the reality of the other. The movie
is replete with symbolism (Christian & other..light & dark,
lots of rain & water) and has William Hurt as S. Jackson's
AA sponsor as the voice of his conscience. He tells Gibson
(Jackson's character) that he has violated the human
covenant & later, tells him that chaos (not alcohol) is his
drug of choice. (Deborah G. Seles)
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|
John Q (2002)
- This movie depicts the plight
of a father (Denzel Washington) willing to lay
down his life for his son and therefore should be cross-referenced under
Abraham and Issac and Cross and Resurrection in the sense of the
suffering of God through the evil of Jesus death.
As a social commentary, it pricks our conscience about a society
with medical services for those who can afford
them and death for those who cannot.
As redemptive drama, it also shows the metanoia or reversal of
thinking in several characters who broker the
power of the HMO medical system but in the end
ultimately side with the powerlessness of John Q. and his
son. (Dr. Barry A. Woodbridge,
Orangethorpe Christian Church (Disciples of Christ),
Fullerton, CA)
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|
The Shipping
News (2001)
- Great movie on
transformation, resurrection, clinging to the past, resisting
transformation . . .Main character has experience of "drowning" in
childhood with uncaring father that effects his life, is able to find new
life in new place, is able to see how the past gets "drug" into everything
and finally how to break free of that past. Great moive on so many themes.
I plan to buy it for my collection. Watch it! (Rebecca
Herring)
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| The Widow of Saint-Pierre
(2000)
- Neel Auguste, convicted of murder and awaiting
execution, changes his life. (Darrel Manson, Artesia Christian Church,
Artesia, CA)
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| Remember the Titans
(2000)
- Both the white team members and the black team members
experienced a conversion, a transformation of their opinions regarding
the others, once they were forced to get to know each other as persons
(not members of another race) when they went off for their preseason
practice/ retreat. (Roy Stuyvesant)
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| Chocolat (2000)
- The Count De Reynaud (the mayor of the city and control
freak about town), after the Easter Sermon and the chocolate festival in
the town square after church, was "strangely released". For
him, everything was changed. He no longer saw his job as ridding the
town of immorality and any threat to tranquility and tradition. (Carla
Thompson Powell, Livonia, MI)
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| My Dog Skip (2000)
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| Erin Brockovich (2000)
- "Erin Brockovich" is essentially a film about
empowerment. A mother of three children is unemployed and has no source
of income. She decides that she has to find a job at all costs. In her
work at a small law firm, she discovers that she has very little respect
from the other employees. She comes to believe that the women of the
firm are jealous of her physical attributes when she is asked to change
to more appropriate work clothing. She dreams of one day having a job
where she is respected for what she brings to her position. She dreams
of being viewed as a person of integrity. As the story unfolds, Erin
develops a friendship with her boss that only strengthens with time
because of her hard work and determination to do a good job. He strongly
affirms Erin with several votes of confidence. As Erin works on her
case, she receives acceptance from her co-workers gradually and also
from those whom she wants to sign the petition. She also is required to
show some great courage when she receives some threats to her family.
Her case in a small California town that is plagued by bad water
requires endurance from her and from her children and
boyfriend/neighbor. The film depicts a journey of self-discovery for
Erin. She finds that there are many obstacles that she must overcome,
including dealing with the tension of not being with her children as
much as she would like when she is working on her project for the town.
The tension between working and not working is a strong one for Erin,
who does not have the benefits of child support for her three children.
As she gains the trust of the town, a sense of community between these
people develops. They begin to understand that all of their medical
problems are interconnected and that by joining together as one
community they have a greater chance of achieving their goals. At the
end of the film, Erin shows great joy at her accomplishments as a
person in the working world (not to give away the ending). (Valerie Lyson Humphreys, Independence MO)
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| Three Kings (1999)
- The American soldiers are converted from their greed to
become people who are willing to sacrifice their own freedom for the
freedom of others. Through this sacrifice, they understand true freedom.
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| The
Deep End of the Ocean (1999)
- The decision of the boy who had been kidnapped to
return to his "real family" is powerful . Issues of free
choice versus coercian are strong here and have some application to some
of our methods of evangelism versus God's love which is great enough and
unselfish enough to give us free choice. (Marie Loewen)
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| Double Jeopardy (1999)
- Travis (by implication) is encouraged by Libby's
determination and acts like the law professor he'd wanted to be.
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| American Beauty (1999)
- "...the catalyst to Lester's transformation from a
nearly dead sad sack to a liberated man who is not afraid to express his
emotions comes in the form of Angela, a blonde teenage cheerleader."
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| Sunshine (1999)
- The movie "Sunshine" contains a
good conversion theme, although it does not work the way one might
expect. Members of a Hungarian Jewish family convert to
Christianity thinking it will help them integrate into society.
They remain targets and outcasts. In the end the surviving member
changes his name back into it's Jewish form. He realizes that he
must be himself. (Michael Clark, Hamilton, Canada)
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| Dogma (1999)
- "Smith posits a God who has gone
through a process of change and transformation from the vengeful,
patriarchal God of old, to the more merciful, playful, and feminine God
represented by Alanis Morissette." ("Dogma:
Kevin Smith's Sacred Satire," by Christianity Guide Charles
Henderson, at About.Com.)
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| Patch Adams (1998)
- What about Patch Adams as an example of conversion? He
moves from seeing himself as the center of the universe to helping
others--from dis-ease to health in this way. (Bob Ferguson)
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| Pleasantville (1998)
- Pleasantville is a place in which people
literally have to learn to live "in colour" . Each one is
transformed by discovering the passion within them which has been
repressed in order to maintain the black and white "status
quo". It seemed to me that this has a lot to say to us about the
ways in which we respond to Christ's offer of "Life in all its
fullness" and are transformed into richer individuals and churches
and societies by a risky and sometimes frightening process. The changes
in us are not always welcomed by others, just as those who were
transformed and healed by Christ were persecuted. The scene where the
Dad comes home and finds his wife not there and no dinner anywhere is an
achingly accurate picture of the bewilderment of those who demand that
Christ tells the crowds not to cheer him as he enters Jerusalem. Those
who don't welcome this growth seek out the security of old bastions.
"We are safe for the moment because we are in the bowling
alley" comments the mayor. Can our churches sometimes be black and
white bastions against growth , rather than colourful invitations to
life? (Anne Gordon)
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| A Civil Action (1998)
- "I preached on Elisha today - very powerful text
(Epiphany 5B) and as I was driving home I realized the the movie A Civil
Action follows the thread of the Elisha story as I laid it out. The
transformation from distance and arrogance to connection and compassion
and the transformation of Elisha in this, like the transformation of the
John Travolta character. Another movie that follows this theme of
transformation through entering into relationship is Schindler's List. (Edie Bird, Fayetteville, Arkansas)
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| American
History X (1998)
- Derek's conversion from being a skinhead
figurehead.
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The
Mask of Zorro (1998)
- Diego calls a thief to take his place and save the peasants from
oppression, by being transformed. (submitted by Bill Mosley, Frelsburg
TX)
- In any Zorro - Diego's father calls him home because there is trouble,
but how is he to fight it? By being transformed! (Bill
Mosley, Frelsburg TX)
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|
The Apostle (1997)
- Pentecostal pastor Eulis "Sonny" Dewey happens upon a car
accident. Taking his Bible with him, he approaches one of the cars and
finds an apparently dead young woman and a dying young man (a boy,
really). Sonny tells the boy that it looks too late for his companion
and that the boy himself might be slipping away as they speak. He says
that Jesus is waiting so that the boy, whether he lives or dies, can
have eternal life in heaven. He asks the boy if he wants that. The boy
nods in assent. Sonny asks the boy if he is ready to follow Jesus for
the rest of his life, whether his life were to last for years or just
for a few minutes. The boy again nods. Sonny leads him in prayer while
kicking away a police officer who is telling him that he isn't
supposed to be there. Sonny gets back into his car and tells his
mother that they won one for Jesus. (David K. Miller)
- Pentecostal pastor Eulis "Sonny" Dewey learns that his
wife is sleeping with his youth pastor (or associate pastor, I don't
recall). Under the influce of alcohol, Sonny hits the younger pastor
with a baseball bat, knocking him to the ground, where he stays. Sonny
leaves town, running from the consequences of his actions. In a small
tent that night, he fasts and prays. The next morning he baptizes
himself, renaming himself The Apostle E.F. I noticed that he baptized
himself twice: once in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy
Ghost and once in the name of Jesus. (David K. Miller)
- Pentecostal pastor Eulis "Sonny" Dewey, using the name The
Apostle E.F., starts an interracial church in a small town. While the
new church is having a picnic, a local man drives a bulldozer onto the
church grounds with the intent of demolishing the church. E.F. talks
the man from the bulldozer, convincing him that he doesn't have to
lash out at people in violence. The man breaks down weeping and E.F.
leads him to accept Jesus as his savior. (David K.
Miller)
- Pentecostal pastor Eulis "Sonny" Dewey, using the name The
Apostle E.F., after having started an interracial church in a small
town preaches his last sermon there. A young mechanic who had helped
E.F. start the church responds to the altar call, deciding to give his
life completely to Jesus. (David K. Miller)
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| As Good As It Gets (1997)
- Jack Nicholson's character in As Good As It Gets.
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| The Game (1997)
- At the climax of The Game, Nicholas decides not to kill himself, but
rather to give himself for others, and he is a new person.
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| Pulp
Fiction (1994)
- Jules Winnfield: There's a passage I got
memorized. Ezekiel 25:17. "The path of the righteous man is beset
on all sides by the inequities of the selfish and the tyranny of evil
men. Blessed is he who, in the name of charity and good will, shepherds
the weak through the valley of the darkness. For he is truly his
brother's keeper and the finder of lost children. And I will strike down
upon thee with great vengeance and furious anger those who attempt to
poison and destroy my brothers. And you will know I am the Lord when I
lay my vengeance upon you." I been sayin' that [s___] for years.
And if you ever heard it, it meant your [a__]. I never really questioned
what it meant. I thought it was just a cold-blooded thing to say to a
[m____] before you popped a cap in his [a__]. But I saw some [s__] this
mornin' made me think twice. Now I'm thinkin': it could mean you're the
evil man. And I'm the righteous man. And Mr. .45 here, he's the shepherd
protecting my righteous [a__] in the valley of darkness. Or is could by
you're the righteous man and I'm the shepherd and it's the world that's
evil and selfish. I'd like that. But that [s__] ain't the truth. The
truth is you're the weak. And I'm the tyranny of evil men. But I'm tryin,
Ringo. I'm tryin' real hard to be the shepherd.
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| Natural Born Killers
(1994)
- Ironically, it is Mickey and Mallory Knox who break
through the cycles of violence and stop killing. They go on to live in
the underground without perpetuating the violence in our society.
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|
Groundhog Day
(1993)
- "Breaking Free from the
Past": Really good clips with Phil Conners talking to Rita in the
cafe about living the same day over and over also talking to two guys at a
bowling alley about being stuck in one place and not knowing what to do.
Some great humorous scenes (five) of seeing Ned Ryerson repeatedly
and having to remember is past. (Mike Simpson)
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| Shadowlands (1993) |
| Schindler's
List
(1993)
- Schindler's change in
character from one who only wants to serve himself to one who sacrifices
his safety and wealth for others.
- Another movie that follows this theme of transformation
through entering into relationship is Schindler's List. (Edie Bird, Fayetteville, Arkansas)
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| Philadelphia
(1993)
- In Philadelphia the lawyer played
by Denzel Washington gradually changes from being homophobic to
acceptance of Andrew and his community (Mike Clark,
Hamilton, Canada)
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| The
Fisher King (1991)
- Jack's change in
character from a self-absorbed person to one who would go on a
"meaningless" quest in order to save another.
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| The Rapture (1991)
- The Rapture -- made probably in early 90's; with David
Duchovny and Tom Cruise's first wife. Extremely racy (near X-rated) at
the beginning, but worth getting through. Tells of an woman who has a
religious conversion and who awaits the Rapture -- and when it doesn't
happen the way she believes Scripture says it will, she turns her back
on God. Makes you think a whole lot about eternal salvation, and what
really happens at the end of life,and just what is eternal damnation,
and how far does our free will go.
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Dances
With Wolves (1990)
- Lt. John J. Dunbar is "converted/transformed" into
Dances With Wolves by learning a new language, learning new stories, and
learning to tell his story in a new way. This is very much how Jesus
trained the first disciples and how today's disciples are most fruitfully
transformed. The Gospel story is the story that claimed us before we
knew we didn't have a story. (paraphrased from Dr. Stanley Hauerwas
by Jon/Holly Stouffer)
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| Rain
Man (1988)
- Charlie Babbit learns to care for his
autistic brother, and thus learns to care for others.
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| Babbette's
Feast (1987)
- The change in
character/attitude in the guests during the meal.
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| Overboard
(1987)
- Goldie Hawn plays a spoiled rich woman, Kurt Russel a
single parent carpenter / commoner. She abuses him in the beginning as
lower than whale feces while he reinvents the closet on her yacht to
accomodate her superfluous wardrobe. He kind of dreams about her (she is
beautiful) but her jarring rudeness is more for even lust to overcome in
fantasy, I think. She gets thrown overboard during a party at night (by
accident) and strikes her head. Kurt Russel finds her and tells her
she's his wife, mother of three boys (the boys cooperate). She can't
believe it, of course, but ultimately learns to love and respect this
odd lot family she's now a part of (unwillingly). Kurt (who never takes
advantage of her, as far as I can remember) finally tells her (I think,
or someone else does and he was going to). The rest is vague. I suppose
she storms back to her yacht, absolutely can't stand to live without him
and the kids, and rushes back into his arms when he and the kids show up
to say they can't live without her. (Rev. Michael Phillips,
Berwick, Pennsylvania)
- First, it wasn't during a party that she was thrown
overboard, it was while trying to retrieve her jewelry left on deck
earlier that day. (She lost the gold and gained a life?) Most important
-- her husband came back to get her (after he had stranded her in the
hospital months before), and she got her memory back in a flash. She
went off with him back to the yacht, but with her experiences as a poor
mother of 4 fresh in her mind, she realized how selfish and superfluous
her former life (and her mother, husband and shrink) all were, and told
the captain to turn the ship around. A battle with her husband ensued,
and, with Kurt Russell and the kids following in a coast guard yacht
(courtesy of some friends), she was close, but not close enough to go
back to the poor life, the one with values. Kurt Russell jumps
overboard, then Goldie Hawn jumps overboard, and they end up together in
a life raft, and it all ends happily ever after. SHE changed, and that's
what makes the story a valid one for it's place in this directory. (Sharon
Pajak)
- Rich woman treats workers like dirt, falls overboard
and loses her memory, worker rescues her and tells her she is his wife
and mother of his kids. She gets attached to them all, gets her memory
back. (Ann K. Fontaine)
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| Places
in the Heart (1984)
- Change in Mr. Will's character from
being self-centered and obsessed with his disability and sacrifice, to
caring for others and becoming part of the community.
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| Star
Wars (1977)
- The change in Han Solo's character as he follows those
who trust The Force.
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| How the Grinch Stole Christmas
(television, 1966)
- The grinch's heart grows three sizes and breaks the
scope that was measuring his heart. (David K. Miller)
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| The Music Man (1962)
- Harold Hill undergoes a conversion. He's got "The
Power" to really do what he thinks he's only hyping; what he's
lacking is the confidence that he can really do it and of course an
ounce or two of ethical formation. And then the town starts to love him
not because of the quality of his product but because it's their own
kids playing the instruments. So the town undergoes some sort of
conversion too. They both experience some sort of Grace. (Sterling Bjorndahl)
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| A Christmas Carol
(1938) |