Movies/Scenes
Representing Temptation
- 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)
- Almost Famous (2000)
- In Almost Famous we see the seductive nature of temptation. William is suppose to stay objective so he can be "honest and unmerciful" in his criticism of the band. Instead, he's drawn into their world. He becomes their friend -- they treat him as if he's cool -- his real goal, but not his job. My read on the Jesus temptations stories is that Satan seeks to give Jesus what he wants -- not what he is here to do. (Darrel Manson, Artesia Christian Church, Artesia CA)
- Bless the Child (2000)
- From the producer of "The Omen" (Mace Neufeld), this film has good and evil battle in a way unique to most movies of this genre: while evil gets in its punches, good fights back with equal and eventually superior power. A small girl with uniqie spiritual gifts, being raised by an aunt who has lost touch with the faith of her own childhood, is the focus of the film. The scriptural scene of Christ's Temptation is replayed with a most interesting twist. Scenes centered on Good Samaritans abound in the film. (Best Good Samaritan scene: the satanic cult's leader, in the Temptation scene, tells the girl to jump off a tall building, to prove God is really there to save her-- with the assertion of Satan being there, and God being "just a nice idea." The girl eventually turns away from the ledge, sits, and says to the satanist: "After you." Next scene, the girl is being liberated from the satanic cult, and they are running into the subway. The train's doors are closing, and it looks like they'll miss the train and be caught by the satanists. At the last second, an umbrella pokes into the train's door, causing it to re-open. The umbrella's holder, a woman, looks at the child, smiles, and says "After you." I can find a hundred homilies in that 10 minutes of film.) (Jack Everman)
- The Confession (1999)
- Bleakie is taken to the top of New York City and shown all that he can have as D.A. if only he sells his soul.
- Grey Owl (1999)
- The movie Grey Owl relates well to Mark 1:9-17, Lent 1, the wilderness temptations. It is the true story of a British man, Archie Belaney who leaves home at age 17 to live in the wilderness of Canada in the 1920's and 30's. He is taken in by a native tribe and takes on a false identity as a native Indian. Through the relationship with a woman, Pony, a full blooded native woman searching for her own identity, Archie "Grey Owl", comes to discover his true identity and mission in life as a voice for the native way of life and as a conservationist. Only now do we see him as a prophetic voice speaking out as a man ahead of his time. (submitted by Rev. Laurie McKnight-Walker, Beachburg, Ontario)
- Boys Don't Cry (1999)
- Journey as escape for Brandon and for Lana. Falls City as wilderness where Brandon's integrity as a male is tested.
- A
Simple Plan
(1998)
- The increasingly intense temptations to keep the money -- to do increasingly absurd evil in order to keep what has become less and less valuable (and eventually worthless/negative).
- The Devil's Advocate
(1997)
- A great temptation scene where the Milton (as Satan) takes Kevin to the top of a building. Kevin and Milton step out onto a waterfall where they survey all of Manhattan as Milton offers Kevin "the world" in return for what we later learn is his soul. Great imagery of opportunity and "fall."
- Kevin makes the right decision in "temptation" scene at the end of the story. Yet immediately following that, he faces another "temptation" which he does not recognize. Moral decisions and "temptations" are often not big events, but rather they confront us every day of our lives.
- Heavyweights
(1995)
- We used a clip from 'Heavyweights' for a message about temptation. Ben Stiller is going through the kids cabin looking for snacks. They have all kinds of hiding places. It is a very funny clip. (Jenny Lust, New Vision Community Church, Marion, Ohio)
- Rent-A-Kid (1995)
- "Rent-a-Kid" starring Leslie Nielson. The opening segment shows a dream sequence. Little Molly is an orphan who just gets adopted. Her new family is extremely wealthy and has everything a child could want materialistically speaking. They even have their own merry-go-round in the house. The new parents tell Molly she can have anything or go anywhere in the house she pleases. She's just not allowed to go into this one room. It's off limits! Molly let's curiosity get the best of her and opens the door. On the other side she finds it is an exit to the outside with her new parents standing by a car waiting to take her back to the orphanage. Her parents are taunting her with phrases about how she just couldn't listen and do what she was told. It's back to the orphanage as she screams and then wakes up. This is a perfect little 3 minute or so clip depicting temptation and it's consequences, and it's funny too. (submitted by Charles Wilson, Columbus, Ohio)
- Natural Born Killers
(1994)
- The testing in the wilderness (complete with snakes!) where Mickey understands his life and who he is.
- The Stand (1994)
- "Satan" visits during Mother Abigail's prayer (DVD pt 2, ch 7). Mother Abigail: If it's your will to bring 'em on, Lord, better do your will before I lose my guts.
- Quiz Show (1994)
- The Quiz Show as the place where the hero is tested and his True Identity is known to all.
- Jesus
of Montreal (1989)
- This is a film that is so rich it could illustrate any number of themes: discipleship, temptation, redemption, etc. Jesus of Montreal tells the story of an actor hired to help update a parish's annual Passion Play. He gathers a group of actors around him and in interesting ways the actors lives mirror the stories of Jesus and his followers from the gospels. Memorable scenes for me include the gathering of the actors (Jesus calling his disciples); the actor destroying a television studio (Jesus destroys the temple); a lawyer trying to get the actor to sign a contract (temptation in the wilderness); and the dead actor's organs being donated so that others can have life. (submitted by Rev. Maria Nightingale)
- The
Last Temptation of Christ (1988)
- Jesus' fictitious temptation to come down off the cross and life a "normal life" with Mary Magdalene.
- Wall Street (1987)
- Young Wall Street stockbroker Bud Fox has been working several angles to get the attention of potential client Gordon Gekko. Fox works a few deals for Gecko but is then confronted with an ultimatum that, in order to keep working for Gecko, Fox must provide him with insider information about a company for which Fox's father works. (submitted by David K. Miller)
- Blue Velvet (1986)
- Jeffrey's temptation to hit Dorothy Vallens. (Dorothy as tempter.)
- Jeffrey's temptation to go back to the "normal world" and pretend that the nastiness he's seen doesn't exist. (Sandy as tempter - looking for a world of "love" symbolized by robins. Scene takes place outside a church. Does the church also tempt in this way?)
- The Shining (1980)
- Parallel temptations of Danny and Jack: Danny is tempted to enter the room he's been told not to enter, and there must confront the specter of the hotel's violence. Jack is brought into the ballroom and tempted to begin drinking and refuses to confront his true self.
