Movies/Scenes
Representing Discipleship
- Amelie (2001)
- The characters in Amelie seem to match up, almost one to one, with the Beatitudes. The heroine herself embodies "Blessed are the meek" - she has strength, but is too shy to change people's lives directly. So she devises "strategems" to bless the poor in spirit (the artist, who annually recreates the identical Renoir print), to bless those who mourn (her concierge, who acidly mourns her philandering husband), to bless those who hunger and thirst for righteousness (the old man estranged from his daughter and grandson) and to bless the pure in spirit (the slow-witted grocer's assistant.) She also bestows a "woe" on the grocer, "who is laughing now, for he shall mourn and weep." She also plays peacemaker to a couple of her cafe's navel-gazing occupants, allowing them to look outside themselves. This is a fantastic film, and viewed with a Christian filter, applicable to outstandin' preachifyin'. (Tim Ihssen)
- Titanic (1997)
- In the THE TITANIC penniless Jack is invited to dinner by debutante Rose. He has no white tie and tails to wear to the formal occasion, but a friend of Rose dresses him in her son's formal attire-- which are just his size. If he chose to not wear them he would be ejected from the dinner, much like the wedding guest in Matt. 22 who refused to wear the appropriate wedding robe at the banquet. Those who say they want to live in the kingdom of God decide every day whether to use the means of grace Christ offers. As Isaiah 61:10 "he (God) has clothed me with the garments of salvation; he has covered me with the robe of righteousness..." ( Wayne Evans)
- 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)
- Saving Grace
(1986)
- The pope is becoming tired and disillusioned with his church, becomes accidently locked out of the Vatican, and travels to an impoverished village. He 're-learns' what it is to live the gospel, to be a priest, and helps another priest to return to his faith. The pope then returns to his own life, nourished and more able to be a true disciple of Christ. (K. Cornish, British Columbia)
- Starman (1984)
- Alien's first driving experience. "I watched you very carefully. Red means stop, green means go, yellow means go-very-fast." (submitted by L.P.Gwin, St. Mark's (ECUSA), Bay City, Texas)
- Cool Hand Luke
(1967)
- Great Commission: After he's escaped for the last time, and before he's delivered unto his death, Luke tells Dragline that he's done enough world-shakin', that he's going to leave that job to them (his disciples), which Dragline proves in the final sequence as he has gathered about him all the inmates, who will spread Luke's story. (Tim Ihssen)
