The Book is Always Better than the Movie


I'm quite certain that today, I'll make some people upset.  I'm typically one who likes to keep the peace...a synthesizer of sorts.  I may make some of you mad this time.  I hope, like me, you take the high road, and assume the best in others instead of the very worst.  Although I enjoy my times typing thoughts into this blog, I admittedly struggle sometimes with the best ways to articulate my deepest thoughts and opinions.  Today, I make no absolute statements...I claim no corner on the market of truth.  I'm on a journey just like you are.  But this is my blog, my soap box to ascend, my opportunity to flush the crap that sometimes clogs my brain.  A good friend of mine typically preempts his stated opinions or comments about issues that could potentially be somewhat volatile with the phrase, "Just eat the fish and spit out the bones."  I begin my own post today with the same wise proverb.

I think I've read one too many articles, tweets, and Facebook posts about the newly released movie, "Noah".  Christians are responding much as I expect when anything such as this comes out.  Sharing links and posts of other people's opinions and summaries of the movie.  Most of those sharing and making scathing and inflammatory (downright judgmental in some cases) comments haven't even seen the movie or verified as fact the information being posted by others as being accurate or at least somewhat truthful.  And if you're one of the ones who posted a comment on the movie...of COURSE your post is the reason I'm bringing this up...sheesh! ;) They're simply parroting what they read...on the internet.  Gotta be true, right??  Did you hear that Morgan Freeman died?  Oh, and this week, Jeff Gordon left his (gorgeous model) wife Ingrid and two children for a gay Nascar team member?  Yeah, I've seen both of those shared, re-shared, re-tweeted, reposted, and regurgitated recently.  One word: Snopes.

The complaints may be valid. Some of the yelling has been about it's inaccuracy to scripture, it's another attempt for Hollywood to subvert Christianity.  I haven't seen the movie, so I really can't say.  I'm not sure that I'll go see the movie either...I rarely enjoy spending $10 per ticket and $25 for a bucket of popcorn and $12.50 each for a carbonated beverage that would have me missing half of the 'good part' to expel said carbonated beverage in the room off the lobby.  Additionally, I've been disappointed by Hollywood before.  Movies that are advertised as blockbusters frequently don't have the impact of an infant armed with a squeaky rubber hammer.  I'd rather wait for it to come out on Netflix and hear what my friends (who obviously love expensive popcorn) have to say about a movie before I even want to waste my time sitting down to it with my microwave popcorn.

Why should we be surprised if the movie Noah doesn't follow the biblical narrative to a T...that it wouldn't be biblically accurate?

  1. Russell Crowe as Noah??  What touchy, feely, grace-filled storyline did you expect?
  2. It's a movie
  3. The director is of Jewish decent.  Yes, he is Jewish, he grew up reading and hearing about the account of Noah in the bible...and he claims to be an atheist. He's really interested in accuracy.
  4. It's a movie...again, it's a movie.  Not a sunday school lesson, a sermon, or a biblical commentary....it's....a....MOVIE!
  5. We don't have a record of Noah saying anything.  Makes for a pretty boring movie
  6. Evan Almighty was sooooo much more accurate
  7. It's....a....movie
Why do we continue to expect non Christians to think, act, behave, or make movies like Christians.  We can't even get Christians to do that very well at all!! Or am I the only one on the planet that struggles with that??  We criticize those who are living consistently with their world view....while we say nothing to those of us who are not.  IMHO (or in my humble opinion...for those of you who aren't bad enough to know text speak) THAT should be the center of the ranting and raving!  Or when you're raising kids, are you supposed to punish consistent behavior and reward inconsistent behavior?? I guess I got that wrong...that's why my kids are such a wreck! (calm down boys, you speak fluent sarcasm, you know what I'm saying!)

And where did we get the idea that the world (yes, even America) is supposed to cater to Christianity..that the world is supposed to do everything they can to bend over backwards and make us happy and content?  ...Or where did we get the idea that this is a Christian nation??  What is it that makes a nation a Christian nation?  Founding fathers whose intention it was (debatable) to make it so??  Or is it without declaration, thinking, behaving, and interacting as Christians?  Not everyone agrees with you??  Are ya really shocked??? 

He kinda told his people to EXPECT all the above!

 “If the world hates you, keep in mind that it hated me first. If you belonged to the world, it would love you as its own. As it is, you do not belong to the world, but I have chosen you out of the world. That is why the world hates you. Remember what I told you: ‘A servant is not greater than his master.’b If they persecuted me, they will persecute you also. If they obeyed my teaching, they will obey yours also. They will treat you this way because of my name, for they do not know the one who sent me."
 
And again:
 
"Do not be surprised, my brothers and sisters, if the world hates you."
And how exactly did Jesus respond to the world's reaction to him??  Look it up.

What is it that makes something biblically accurate?  The only way to truly be biblically accurate to a T is by quoting the passages word for word, with absolutely no commentary whatsoever.  Any time a sermon is given, a lesson is taught, license is taken with the biblical narrative by assuming motivations, intentions, and actions in areas where the scripture says very little.  The intention is an attempt to communicate...to connect.  Don't tell me our presuppositions and assumptions don't come into play when we open that dusty leather cover and dive into the paragraphs and chapters of the bible. 

How about the popular books and movies based on the popular "Left Behind" series?  In my opinion, a whole butt ton of biblical assumptions were made and artistic license was taken in the production of the books and the movies.  These depict ONE interpretation about the way things are going to go down in the inevitable end of all things as if this is THE way it's going to go down.  No, you say??  It's just a movie, you say??  I don't hear a lot of bitching about that.

I don't like people putting words in my mouth...I can imagine the director of this film probably doesn't enjoy it any more...do what you learned in school, and research primary sources....take the time to read what HE has to say about the movie:


Sounds to me like a guy who was raised in a Jewish family, who at some point (like many Jewish [Christian too?] kids do) left the faith of his fathers, had a gift for writing and the arts, and who wanted to make a movie that would hopefully make him a pile of money, not to give theological lessons.  I'm not sure the movie was some kind of grand strategy to paint Christianity in a bad light.  Last time I checked, Christianity wasn't even a glimmer in the eye of history (biblically/theologically it was, historically no) in the days of Noah.  Based on his upbringing, it would be more likely that he was trying to poke a stick in the eye of Judaism, not Christianity...although, until I see a statement from him to the contrary, I don't believe either is true.  He's simply a man acting consistently with his world view.  It would probably do most of us a lot of good to do the same!  This may be one of those times that the book is waaaay better than the movie.   FG


PS:  Do I want biblical stories to be accurate? Yes  Do I prefer a predominately Christian America? Yes Do I get tired of Christians always seeming to be upset about the wrong things?  Yes

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