|
| |
Movies/Scenes
Representing Love
 | Shrek (2001)
 | Shrek and the princess are both healed
by their love for each other. |
|
| A Beautiful
Mind (2001)
|
| The
Emperor's New Groove (2000)
| "The Emperor's New Groove" (Disney, 2000; rated
G) is about a self-centered emperor who is transformed into a llama . . . and,
in his search to become human again, learns some lessons about humility and love
along the way. Whether the folks at Disney knew it or not, the plot is
remarkably similar to the story told about King Nebuchadnezzar in Daniel
4:28-37, in which Nebuchadnezzar -- so pleased with his accomplishments as ruler
of "magnificent Babylon" -- learns a lesson in humility at God's hands, as his
madness forces him to eat "grass like oxen." When Nebuchadnezzar is restored, he
praises God. |
|
| Almost
Famous (2000)
| "Songs
about love by people who don’t know how to love, is the ultimate deception."
(See review at
Cinema in Focus.) |
|
| Fantasia
2000 (1999)
| A story of love lost and refound with Donald and Daisy
Duck is told as Donald is Noah's assistant to build the ark and survive the
great flood in the segment for Pomp and Circumstance. (Kirk
VanGilder, Campus Minister,
Gallaudet University) |
|
| The
Hurricane (1999)
| Rubin "Hurricane" Carter, a champion
middleweight boxer, is imprisoned for life for murders he did not
commit. After exhausting every possibility for appeal, he tells his wife
that he wants her to divorce him and to move on with her life, saying,
"I'm dead. Forget about me." The Hurricane uses his prison
time to read, study, and eventually write a book about his life -- a
book that is published and becomes a best seller, but which is then soon
forgotten. Years later, a Black teen from the ghetto finds a copy of the
Hurricane's life story at a used book sale, and buys it for a quarter.
Moved by what he read, the young man, Lesera Martin, writes a letter to
the prisoner, and begins a relationship and a process that eventually
leads to the overturning of the conviction. At a pivotal moment, the
Hurricane notes that it was "no accident" that Lesera had come
across that book. He quotes Genesis 49 about himself, "Reuben, my
firstborn . . . pre-eminent in pride . . . Unstable as
water, you shall not prevail." He then contrasts his name to that
of Lesera, a form of the name Lazarus, the one raised from death. The
Hurricane tells Lesera that hate had killed Reuben and buried him,
forgotten, in the prison walls, but Lesera's love had raised him and
given him life once again. (Mark D. Johns, Instructor of
Communication/Linguistics, Luther College, Decorah, Iowa) |
| "Love is more powerful than hate. That's what the
film was about." (Denzel Washington's acceptance speech for the
Golden Globe Award) |
|
| Tuesdays with Morrie
(1999)
| A quote by the main character Mori: "Death ends a
life, not a relationship." (Rev. PCR Comninos, Richards Bay
Presbyterian Church, Richards Bay, South Africa) |
|
| Angela's Ashes (1999)
| Frankie's confession of his life and sins to Saint
Francis. Priest: "God forgives you, and you must forgive yourself.
God loves you, and you must love yourself. For only when you love God
and yourself can you love all of God's creatures." (DVD ch 27) |
|
| The
End of the Affair
(1999)
| I think this is an important, even astonishing, film
that deals with issues of faith and love (and atheism) in a profound and
moving way. It's also very sensual but in a humane (not Hollywood)
sense. (Lynn Mason) |
|
| The
Truman Show (1998)
| love he feels isn't in the script, compels Truman to leave his
"paradise" (See review
at Hollywood Jesus.) |
|
| Life is Beautiful (1997-98)
| Guido as embodiment of love for family.
(See review
at Hollywood Jesus.) |
|
| Titanic (1997)
| between Jack and Rose |
|
| Critical Care (1997)
| Includes incredibly moving religious scenes
that speak to the power of love and its eternality. (Lynn
Mason) |
|
| Jerry Maguire (1996)
| In the Mexican restaurant scene. Jerry and Dorothy's
first 'date'. Jerry is angry at himself for not working hard enough on
his last relationship (which had just broken up). Dorothy consoles him
by saying, 'but maybe love shouldn't be such hard work' Jerry replies, 'yeh,
maybe so'. This scene is a pivotal one in the movie (the theme song
plays gently in the background, and it's a good opportunity to say
"Love is hard alright! Look where it got God!" (Andrew McLean) |
| On a homily for marriage and in particular
the subject of the Creation story in Geneis and Adam's nuptial song to
Eve 'You are at last bone of my bone and flesh of my flesh.' The theme
being that Adam found no satisfaction from any of creation but was
complete in the creation of woman. In the movie Jerry Maguire (Tom
Cruise), is in love with an unmarried mother Renee Zellwegger and he is
trying to explain his love for her. They meet a deaf couple in the
elevator and they are signing. Zellegger can understand sign language
and Cruise asks her what they said and they had signed You complete me
an echo of the love sentiments of Adam to Eve. (Patrick Boyle) |
|
| Breaking the Waves
(1996)
| Father
Andrew M Greeley's "Homily" for the Fourth Sunday in Lent
(March 9, 1997) draws from Lars Von Triers Cannes prize winning film
"Breaking the Waves" in connection with John 3:14-21. He
quotes Roger Ebert's comment on the film: "God not only knows
everything, but he understands a lot better than we give him credit
for." (R.J. Stohler) |
| What if your Faithful love to your signifant other led
you to become sexually unfaithful? Faith that is ready to sacrifice
EVERYTHING for the wellbeing of the loved one. Is this love or an
obsession?... |
|
| Jerusalem (1996)
| This movie has the aura of an Ingmar Bergman
production, with a series of twists and turns in the plot and
thought-provoking motifs. It is based on the novel by Selma Lagerlof,
and portrays Swedish peasant life around the turn of the 20th Christian
viewers of this movie will likely be interested in the themes of:
mainline versus apocalyptic-sectarian faith, authority and power,
discerning the truth, suffering and sacrifice, love and forgiveness. I
highly recommend Jerusalem because of theological grist for the the mill
that it provides. (The Rev. Garth Wehrfritz-Hanson) |
|
| Bed of Roses (1996)
| "Bed of Roses" was a movie I saw while on a
women's retreat. A romance, and yet a story of grace. A florist delivers
flowers to a young woman he sees at night crying at her window. From
there, a romance buds and grows to the point of his asking her to marry
him. However, the young woman in the film has not just a
"shady" background, but a "shadowy" background, as
she never knew who her parents were. she eventually learns to accept the
florist's "unconditional love". A movie full of wonderful
imagery of new life and rebirth using "nature in the city" (a
florist shop full of flowers), and especially in a scene of the
florist's own private roof-top garden, we get a picture of the "new
heavens and the new Earth" with garden (of Eden?) in the
foreground, and the city (of Revelation?) in the background. (Mary Organ, Kent Presbyterian Church) |
|
| Dead Man Walking (1995)
| Love as action & commitment rather than emotion.
(submitted by Alix Pridgen) |
| Sister Helen: "I want the last face you see in
this world to be the face of love, so you look at me when they do this
thing. I'll be the face of love for you." |
|
| Leaving Las Vegas
(1995)
| Ben's and Sera's tragically futile attempts at loving
and redeeming each other. |
|
| Ghost (1990)
| Issues of after-life, salvation by being a good person
in a wonderful relationship with another person, damnation due to being
a bad person. (Rev. Paul W. Mueller, DMiss) |
|
| Forrest Gump (1987)
| I see the Hosea text as a pronouncement of God's
never-ending love and of a constant courtship with us, even in light of
our "whoredom". In light of that, I think Forrest Gump and his
relationship with Jenny is helpful in understanding this text.
Throughout the movie Forrest holds a deep love for Jenny, in spite of
her flaws and her trysts with others. In the end, Forrest's love
prevails and the two come together in marriage, with Forrest caring for
her as she dies. Some may have trouble equating God with Forrest Gump,
but I think the simplicity of the message of love here is what needs to
be stressed, rather than seeing God as a man who sits on a bench saying,
"Life is like a box of chocolates." (Shawn
Stapleton) |
|
| The Music Man (1962)
| Harold Hill undergoes a conversion. He's got "The
Power" to really do what he thinks he's only hyping; what he's
lacking is the confidence that he can really do it and of course an
ounce or two of ethical formation. And then the town starts to love him
not because of the quality of his product but because it's their own
kids playing the instruments. So the town undergoes some sort of
conversion too. They both experience some sort of Grace. (Sterling Bjorndahl) |
|
| Mrs. Miniver (1960 TV)
|
| On the Waterfront
(1954)
|
| The
Enchanted Cottage
(1945)
| "Stars Dorothy McGuire and Robert Young. She is
tragically plain in appearance, downright ugly-looking to some. He is a
once-handsome fighter pilot whose face is disfigured when his plane
crashes. They meet when he is convalescing at the cottage where she
works as a maid. They marry because (if I remember correctly) they each
think the other is the best they will ever be able to do. Shortly after
their marriage, they fall in love. This discovery causes them to
consummate the union. The next morning, she is radiantly movie-star
beautiful, and he is restored to his handsome self. The catch is, that
this is the way they see each other, but outsiders still see them as
their ugly selves, and treat them accordingly. The only friend they have
with whom they can be themselves is a blind neighbor, who treats them
according to their new self-confidence, which is itself based upon their
new self-image created by love. I have preached this as an illustration
of God's great love for us in bringing about salvation -- seeing us only
through the eyes of love, and not through the eyes of the world, that
stands ready to see only our faults and ugliness." (Adrienne
Brewington, Hollis NY) |
|
| Wee Willie Winkie
(1937)
| "The setting of this movie is 19th
century British-occupied India. Shirley Temple and her widowed mother
(June Lang as Joyce Williams), travel to India to live with
grandfather/father-in-law, Colonel Williams. At first, the British
outpost is an oppressive place, ruled with an iron military fist.
Priscilla is a most curious, precocious child. After a series of
adventures, she wins the hearts of everyone by challenging prejudicial
assumptions of both friends and enemies. Her innocent, yet challenging
questions are instrumental in helping Colonel Williams and Islamic
freedom fighter, Khoda Khan to see the senselessness of violence,
leading to a negotiated peace between the two enemies. Themes: the
peaceful kingdom (Isaiah 11:1-9, especially verse 6), reconciliation
transforming enemies into friends, children and God’s realm (Matthew
18:1-4), courageous love ( I John 4:18). Recommended for family
viewing." (Reviewed by the
Rev. Garth Wehrfritz-Hanson) |
|
| Mr. Deeds Goes to Town (1936)
|
Index of Movie Titles
Index of Movie Themes
|
