Movies/Scenes
Representing Repentance
- 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)
- Billy
Elliot (2000)
- In the movie Billy Eliot, young Billy is a lad who joins in on the ballet class which meets in the hall after his boxing club, and is found to be a talented dancer. However, his father and brother refuse to allow the dance lessons to continue, considering it too prissy for one of their family. A climax moment in the story is when Billy?s father, having prohibited his dancing further, marches down to the hall to catch him in the act and to beat some ?sense? into him. The boy, however, defiantly dances his utmost before his father, ?converting? him to seeing what he is capable of. The movie is set during the Margaret Thatcher?s war on the coal workers. So moved is Billy?s father that he crosses the line to join the ?scab? labourers (strike-breakers) so that his boy might go to the ballet academy. The scene is a useful parable of repentance as thinking or seeing again, or turning around, and of the immediate relationship between being converted and acting on the new self- (or other-) understanding. Also useful on repentance is the fact that the father could not be told how good the boy was, and it was only when directly confronted with his son?s talent that he could see his error. (Craig Thompson, Narre Hampton Park Uniting Church, Melbourne, Australia)
- The
End of the Affair (1999)
- Sarah promises God that she will leave her lover if he survives. She does not repent of the love, but rather of the way she wants to express it.
- The Confession (1999)
- Bleakie hands away the election to an enemy because it is the right thing to do.
- American History X
(1998)
- Derek turns from being a skinhead - stands up to his former community and leader, despite his father/son relationship with Cameron, his standing in that community and the risk of turning from it.
- The Apostle
(1997)
- "Sonny doesn?t escape punishment. But he?s a man of action. After killing the man, guys like us would probably wait around to be caught, but Sonny takes action. He knows he?s done something wrong. It happened involuntarily, and so he leaves. He kneels at the crossroads and prays, ?Lord, lead me.? He abandons his car and goes off to do something to make himself better." (From "The Apostle: An Interview with Robert Duvall," Bill Blizek and Ronald Burke, Journal of Religion and Film, 1998.)
- Red Corner (1997)
- Jack Moore is an American attorney having talks in Bejing about founding the first satellite TV joint venture. Suddenly he is arrested, accused of murder and has to prove it was a frame-up together with his court-appointed attorney Shen Yuelin. Her advice, as his attorney, is to plead guilty to a crime he knows--and she believes--he didn't commit. An interesting take on the denial of guilt we have in our own lives, but the inescapable truth that we are all guilty of sin. The positive side is that the attorney's advice is correct: we're better off if we plead guilty, even if we believe we're innocent. Jesus' grace will cover us; but in the words of the movie's tag line, there is "Severity for those who resist." (Brian Rafferty, MI)
- Harvest of
Fire (1996)
- (A Hallmark Hall of Fame presentation for TV) In this story of Amish barn burnings, the characters deal with rebellion, repentance, forgiveness and a lot more. Excellent movie. We show it to our confirmation class to help them understand the Office of the Keys. (Rev. Trudy A. Peterson)
- Dead Man Walking
(1995)
- Scene between Sister Prejean and Poncelet near end of movie where he admits his responsibility for the murders.
- The Fisher King
(1991)
- Through his relationship with Parry and Parry's quest, Jack repents from his self-centered lifestyle. (Which was just as self-centered as a "poor" person as it was as a "rich" person.)
- City Slickers (1991)
- Another scene I used just this past week in conjunction with the Lectionary passage was when "Phil" goes into the tent after confronting the drunk cowhands. While in the tent he brakes down saying that he is almost 40 years old and his life is a waste. The Billy Crystal character reminds him about that when they were children and they were playing ball that if it got stuck in a tree they would call, "do over." Billy Crystal tells Phil that his life is a clean slate, a do over. The scene ends with Phil questioning the ability to have a do over, Yet the Genesis 9:8-17 (New Covenant/Rainbow), Mark 1:9-15 (Repentance), and 1 Peter 3:18-22 all talk about a "Do Over" with God. Lent is a time we seek to live more fully in the great Do Over of God as we head to it's celebration at Easter. (Vern Gauthier, Summit Hill, PA)
- The Mission (1986)
The Pilgrim's Progress journey of penance up the falls is a great scene! (submitted by Buzz Trexler) I remember the best part as a scene in which a man (probably Father Gabriel) is climbing a mountain with a back-pack. The back-pack is weighting him down, and he cannot climb further and easily unless he gives up the pack. The symbolism is the back-pack is sin. We can our "packs" of sin with us, and until we let them go, "we cannot climb to where God needs us." (Rev. Dinah Haag) The description of The Mission is not quite accurate. It is not Father Gabriel who carries the backpack but Captain Mendoza. Mendoza has killed his own brother in a fit of jealous rage and is doing penance. In a huge bundle he drags All the weapons of his former life - he had been a mercenary and slaver. He is relieved of his burden when one of the Indians takes a knife and - instead of killing him as the viewer and perhaps Captain Mendoza fears - cuts the rope. The image is all the more intense in that it was the Indians on whom Mendoza preyed and took away into slavery. (Stephen W. Scott, Statesville, NC)
