 | John Q (2002)
 | This movie depicts the plight
of a father (Denzel Washington) willing to lay
down his life for his son and therefore should be cross-referenced under
Abraham and Issac and Cross and Resurrection in the sense of the
suffering of God through the evil of Jesus death.
As a social commentary, it pricks our conscience about a society with
medical services for those who can afford them and death for those
who cannot. As
redemptive drama, it also shows the metanoia or reversal of thinking
in several characters who broker the power of the HMO medical system
but in the end ultimately side with the
powerlessness of John Q. and his son.
(Dr. Barry A. Woodbridge, Orangethorpe
Christian Church (Disciples of Christ), Fullerton,
CA) |
|
| The Shipping
News (2001)
| The wake, during which Jack arises, is
found at DVD ch 17. This entire movie is the story of rebirth for many
characters, especially Quoyle, who is portrayed as the walking-dead. He
finds life through confronting the "demons" of his past, and through finding
community and relationship in a village in Newfoundland. |
|
| A Beautiful
Mind (2001)
| The "resurrection" of John Nash's humanity.
Being lost in the land of schizophrenia - his losing (almost) his
wife and son. The recognition eventually of his essence - of his gifts. (Joanna
Christian-Tipple, Catskill, NY) |
|
| 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) |
|
| Fantasia
2000 (1999)
| Resurrection themes or "new beginnings" are visited in
the segment for The Firebird Suite. (Kirk
VanGilder, Campus Minister,
Gallaudet University) |
|
| Bicentennial Man (1999)
| Andrew (Robin Williams) is an android who develops the
sensitivity, creativity and emotions of a human. Over a period of more
than 150 years, he persues his dream of being recognized as human. His
appeals are denied because, since he cannot die, he lacks the essential
mortality of humanity. Finally, Andrew arranges for his body to
deteriorate. He would rather die as a man than live forever as a
machine. Andrew enbraces the "cross" of mortality, giving up
his life in order to gain it. (FUMC, Natchitoches, LA) |
|
| Double Jeopardy (1999)
| There's a great resurrection/raising of Lazarus scene
within this movie. Libby is locked in a casket in a New Orleans tomb by
her husband. By the illumination of a cigarette lighter she realizes her
condition and even sees a corpse in the coffin next to her. There's a
moment when we see light streaming through the stained glass window
(cross) onto the coffin, after which she shoots the locks from the
inside and then pushes the lid open and comes out. But she's still
locked in the tomb. So she takes a vase from the altar smashes the
stained glass window, and escapes (through the cross!). (DVD chapter 13) |
| Matty finds sees his mother whom he thought was dead.
("They told me you were dead." "No, Sweetheart.")
(DVD chapter 15) |
|
| The Mummy (1999)
| The return of the mummy is a kind of "Night of the
Living Dead" like the raising of Lazarus. (Also a spooky story.)
Compare with the resurrection of Christ. |
|
| The Matrix
(1999)
| Neo is
shot dead and comes back to life toward the end of the movie. (See review at Hollywood Jesus.) |
|
| At First Sight (1999)
| The movie "At First Sight" from a few years
ago, on the overwhelming power of the resurrection to totally reorient
someone from one kind of life to another. While it might desirable for
someone who is blind to be able to see, if one is accustomed to
functioning and thriving as a blind person, gaining one's sight can be
totally disorienting. It can even make one dependent and not able to
function as before. Discontinuity between the past life and new life. (Allen Schoonover) |
|
| Dogma (1999)
|
| Wild Wild West (1999)
| Jim West is resurrected just before he defeats
"Satan". (see review at Hollywood
Jesus) |
|
| Dark City (1998)
| John escapes from the Time Cross and battles the forces
of Evil. (see review at Hollywood
Jesus) |
|
| Patch Adams (1998)
| "I used Patch Adams for my Easter sermon last
year: Patch's unwillingness to conform to expectations and the
unwillingness of established authority to entertain his eccentricities;
Patch's resolve to do whatever is necessary to make the connection with
patients, even if it means breaking the rules as an image for what God
does in the Resurrection; and, of course, the nearly explicit image of
resurrection that is evoked when Patch is questioning his own life's
mission and a butterfly (the ancient symbol of resurrection) is received
as a message from God that gives him hope to carry on. A red nose on
Easter Sunday isn't too bad either!" (Jed Holdorph,
St. Lawrence Episcopal Church, Libertyville, Illinois) |
|
| Beloved (1998)
|
| The Truman Show (1998)
| What about the final scene of The Truman Show! The
friend went to the basement to find Truman (The empty tomb). He was not
there! He was in a boat on the water. Notice the drowning scene when he
is laying on the boat with arms spread out and left for dead. Notice his
gasp for air, his new life, resurrection? When he reaches the end of the
set and notices the sky is only a painted canvas, Truman ascends the
stairs to hear the voice of his creator. Interesting twist eh? He then
goes forth into the unknown darkness of the world to live in the world!
Not unlike the gift of the Paraclete? (David W. Girod,
Durham, NC) |
|
| The Mask of Zorro (1998)
|
| Titanic
(1997)
| final scene in movie |
|
| The Game (1997)
| Nicholas "dies" (is drugged) where his father
died, and is "resurrected" in Mexico |
|
| Spitfire Grill (1996)
|
| A Walk in the Clouds
(1995)
| A vineyard that has existed for generations is
destroyed by fire. Yet, there is hope, because the root of the original
vine is still alive. From it, the vineyard is regenerated. I think this
would be a great illustration for the Root of Jesse. (Kris Sallee
Pleasant Plains, IL) |
|
| Powder
(1995)
|
| The Stand (1994)
| Nick Andros visits at the end of the movie. The birth
of a healthy baby. |
|
| The Secret of Roan
Innish (1994)
| This movie has a powerful resurrection theme along with
the theme of faith. If you haven't seen this gorgeous movie, filmed on
the Irish coast, rent it and love it. (Kristen J Ingram) |
|
| 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. (Rev. Maria Nightingale) |
|
| Indiana
Jones and the Last Crusade (1989)
| Dr. Jones, Marcus, and Salah all presume Indy to be
dead. They mourn him. When he turns up alive seconds later, it's back to
business as usual. (Bill Mosley, New Ulm TX)
|
|
| Dead
Poet's Society (1989)
| Keating’s disciples are questioned and
pressured into signing a confession, all set into motion by a betraying
Judas who tells the other students "save yourselves."
Keating’s regeneration comes in the final scene, when the disciples
engage in a demonstration which affirms his impact on their lives. ("The
Messianic Figure in Film: Christology Beyond the Biblical Epic,"
Matthew Mc Ever, Journal of Religion and Film, 1998) |
|
| The Last Temptation
of Christ (1988)
| An interesting "Raising of Lazarus" scene.
Jesus goes to the tomb of Lazarus, obviously afraid. He reaches into the
tomb for Lazarus, struggling (perhaps with his own death) and almost
being pulled in before he pulls Lazarus out. |
|
| RoboCop (1987)
|
| Star Trek 3: The Search for Spock
| Spock is resurrected on the planet "Genesis".
(Chip Gorman) |
|
| E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial
| There is a wonderful scene in E.T. where
the Elliot sees a potted flower come back to life and realizes -- all of
a sudden -- that his friend and guide is not dead but alive. It
beautifully illustrates the JOY of the resurrection. (Bruce
Jones) |
|
| Superman (1978)
| After being thrown to his death in the water by Lex
Luthor, Superman is resurrected in the presence of Eve. |
|
| One Flew over the Cuckoo's Nest
(1975)
| The final scene's broken window as an "empty
tomb" image. |
|
| Cool Hand Luke
(1967)
| photo of Luke with 2
women is taped back together
|
| Even though Luke dies a tragic death, the story is told
over again to the disciples at the near end when Dragline recounts in
great joy the life and death of Luke. (Rev. and Mrs. Kenneth Chorle
Beaver-Butler Presbytery) |
| This film has several resurrections, starting with his
"crucifixion" following the egg incident. The other, as was mentioned, was
his picture being taped up and superimposed on a cross. A third was when he
was ordered to dig his own grave, and kept on crawling out; he finally gave
up the ghost, and the reaction of his "disciples" was very interesting. The
ignored him as a "sell out," which is what the disciples might have felt
when he died that Good Friday - 'Here we put all our marbles in this one
hat, and he goes and dies on us. What a waste. Boy, were we ever stupid.
This isn't God after all - it's just a guy, like you and me, a guy who can
be killed.' Which made his ensuing escape even more victorious. (Tim Ihssen) |
|
