Today is a fifth Wednesday of the month. Not a scheduled post day for the regular bloggers. So I thought I would use this day to do a movie review. Brief, since I’m deep in revisions.
A little over a week ago, I finally had the chance to watch God’s Not Dead. Can I just say, WOW!
Truly, truly, I found this to be one of the best made Christian movies that I may have ever seen. Well acted. Good script with totally believable dialogue.
The basic plot is that Josh, a Christian college student, is in the class of an atheist professor who insists that all of the students write on a piece of paper, “God is dead.” If it is unanimous, they can skip over what he considers unnecessary topics. But Josh, despite the encouragement and pressure from others, can’t make himself write those words. In the end, he is given three different but brief sessions to try to change the minds of his classmates.
Kevin Sorbo (a familiar face; he played Hercules among many other roles) plays the professor. So believable. But it was Shane Harper (Josh) who stole the show for me. I never once felt like I was watching an actor repeating a memorized script. I felt like I was right there in the class, listening to his arguments.
My only slight criticism was that maybe it was wrapped up in too tidy of a bow at the end when it came to the professor. However, I have seen similar criticisms of my book, A Promise Kept, because the broken marriage is saved at the end. I was basing the story on my life and own experiences, but some critics couldn’t accept it because it seemed too convenient, too happily-ever-after.
And when you get right down to it, every life that is given to Christ is a miracle all its own and, in the natural, too convenient and too happily-ever-after.
If you haven’t seen this movie yet, I encourage you to do so. In fact, in support of well-made Christian films, I would suggest you purchase the DVD or download like I did.
~robin
Robin Lee Hatcher
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I just saw God’s Not Dead this weekend as well! We thought it was excellent. Agree with all you said. The ending actually surprised us. We enjoyed seeing how they wove all the connections of people together. It made us reflect on all that happens in our own life that we do not always see.
Becky
So true, Becky. Remember the song, Thank You For Giving to the Lord. It captured what I think heaven will be like. Someone coming up and saying, “You shared Christ with Cindy who shared Christ with John who shared Christ was Sue, and it was Sue who shared Christ with me.”
So true. I do remember the song. Good luck with your revisions.
We just watched it last week, too, Robin, and thought it was SO well done. A wonderful message presented in a genuine and intelligent way. It also made me feel a little more confident in explaining why I believe as I do…and that I don’t have to be a philosopher or scientist to speak out for the Truth.
Yes, Deb! And it also made me want to go look up all of the things Josh brought up. I haven’t had time because of revisions, but when they’re done, I plan to do some research.
I completely agree with your assessment of the movie, the positive and the negative. We had several friends who had seen it before us and told us we had to go see it while it was still in the movie theater because of the missional ministry God has called my husband and I to. We were intending to see it a few months later in the cheap theater, but we felt we should go right then after the 4th friend told us to. Wow! We were impressed with the quality of the movie, but we were inspired by the young man and his influence in the life of the professor as well as his fellow-students.
My husband and I resigned our church of 23 years to follow a call from God to go into the University culture and find ways to explain the Gospel message to people who may never enter the doors of our churches. We are almost done raising our monthly budget, and then we get to start our ministry. This movie definitely has helped us explain WHY God has called us to go to the people who work and live around the secular University to other people.
Thanks for your support of this movie!
God bless you and your husband, Kandy. What a ministry. When the credits rolled and they showed all of the places that universities have tried to shut down Christianity that were part of the inspiration for the movie, I was shaken at the truth of what was shown in the film.
Thank you, Robin! I, too, was impacted by the LONG list of American universities that are in legal battles against Christians/Christian groups in the end credits.
I also read some of the related articles found on the movie’s website. The Chinese student’s story was inspired by a true story of a young Chinese man who came to America to attend Harvard U. But in his case, he was introduced to Jesus because of a CHRISTIAN professor, with whom he had gained a more personal relationship with. Now that’s a cool story!
Thanks for this post, Robin.
I haven’t seen this movie yet, but sure plan on seeing it before long.
Blessings and prayers as you continue your revisions.
Hugs, Patti Jo 🙂
Thanks, Patti Jo. Hopefully, I will survive!
I really enjoyed the movie, too. Loved reading your review. Hope your revisions go well!
Thanks, Julie! What doesn’t kill me makes me stronger, right? 😉