GOD’S NOT DEAD
US, 2014, 113 minutes, Colour.
Shane Harper, Kevin Sorbo, David A.R. White, Dean Cain.
Directed by Harold Cronk.
This is more a film for believers rather than being an effective means for change of mind or for conversion. It is a faith-based film from faith-based production companies – and, at the end, there is a very long list of court cases, federally and in various states of the US, where universities and colleges have been challenged because of their bans on the activities and meetings of Christian groups.
The plot is quite straightforward illustrating its title. A young man, Josh (Shane Harper), enrols at university for pre-law courses. He is interested in a philosophy course but is warned about the hard line of the lecturer. The lecturer is Professor Grandison (played by Kevin Sorbo who has spent a lot of his careers portraying invoicing Hercules in television films and series and in animated films – and who has weathered the years much more successfully than Arnold Schwarzenegger). The professor is anti-God, exceedingly hostile, not afraid to voice his opinions with some arrogance and who requires everyone in the class to write on a piece of paper, God is dead, and initially it and hand it in.
The point is that Josh hesitates, decides not to sign to the chagrin of the professor. Josh is to be allowed three 20 minute sessions after the lectures in order to make a case that God is not dead. At the front of the lecture room is a list of prominent thinkers of past and present who were or are atheists, including Richard Dawkins.
There is pressure on Josh to drop his case, his rather demanding fiancee walking out on him (perhaps lucky escape) and his parents disapprove. Nevertheless, he gets books from the library, reads to prepare, goes to church and encounters a sympathetic pastor, and, with some growing success, he makes his three presentations. It is here that the screenplay incorporates a lot of of philosophical, scientific and religious argument.
There are several sub-plots: a Chinese student who attends the course, meets Josh, listens attentively and is persuaded that God is not dead, shocking his Chinese father back home who is definitely not a theist; a young woman who visits her mother in a residence, the mother having dementia, turns out to be the girlfriend of the professor who is very controlling of her, which she resists, and professes her faith, and discusses things religious with the pastor; a young Muslim girl is taken to work by her devout father, she removes her veil when out of his sight, works in the canteen, hears Josh talking about his case – and then she is revealed as having been a Christian for a year and is ousted by her father; it is also the story of the pastor who wants to go on a break with his visiting African missionary friend, but his car and rental cars won’t ignite and he remains at home, encountering those in need – and hearing his African friend always saying, in every circumstance, God is good. The professor’s girlfriend has a very worldly brother, very successful in business, fulfilling all his desires, but who is grossly arrogant towards his girlfriend, a journalist who has been diagnosed with cancer. This brother does not want to visit his mother because of her dementia but, ultimately, does so and suddenly she makes a lot of very telling statements that have an effect on him.
This is one sequence which works particularly well dramatically, the mother saying all the challenging things, which might seem impossible – and then she turns to her son and asks who he is.
At times, the script is somewhat sermonising, which tends to alienate non-religious and unsympathetic audiences. To that extent, the film is preaching to the converted, a rather fundamentalist converted, who are wary about challenges to the Bible by science. This is where comments about challenges to such writers as Richard Dawkins and Stephen Hawking are incorporated into the screenplay.
There is something of a shock ending for one of the central characters, a deathbed conversion so to speak, which does not work particularly well as drama but as a high-intentioned illustration that God is good, no matter what. Everyone ends up at a rally with a religious music group, The Newsies, singing and giving good counsel to the journalist with her cancer interviewing them.
A glance at the Internet Internet Movie Database indicates that there are over 400 bloggers commenting – a huge percentage of them expressing themselves in very hostile entries.
1. The title and expectations? A theist film? Its impact on believers? On atheists and agnostics? Portrayal of stances on God and about God, authors and authorities? Philosophy and science? The Bible and science?
2. Faith-based production, a film of convictions, re-affirming faith? Intentions for conversion or not?
3. The final credits, the list of cases in American universities and the banning of Christian speakers and groups? An apologue for freedom for Christian groups? The website? The issue of freedom? Religious freedom?
4. How well does the film work as our drama, its script, expressions of faith, earnest, treatment of enemies of God, issues of grace and ‘God is good’?
5. The basic story of Josh: age, at university, his girlfriend of six years, meeting her in youth work, his parents and their hopes for his career in law, his study for pre-law, enrolment at the University, going to the stand, his being warned about Professor Radisson and his class? The class, the professor asking everyone to write the sentence, God is dead, and initial it? The whole class doing this? Josh and his refusal? The professor’s reaction? A compromise for Josh to present at the end of three sessions and argument that God is not dead? His being mocked? His fiancee, her angry reaction, urging him to drop everything, her decision to break with him – revealing her demanding personality? His parents wanting him to drop the classes? Issues of conscience and conviction, details of his study, the books from the library, discussions and the Muslim girl overhearing him in the canteen? The first lecture, his attempts, quotations, Richard Dawkins, Stephen Hawking? Professor Radisson mocking him? Continued study, his going to the church, the pastor talking with him, that he was here for Josh? Third class, greater feeling? The Big Bang theory, creation, issues of Genesis and evolution? Challenging the professor, his hatred of God and his admitting it? The whole class listening, standing in approval?
6. The Chinese man, his enrolment, going to the lectures, phoning his father, his father being against God, his listening, meeting Josh in the library, his change of attitudes?
7. Professor Radisson, his assurance, his class, his superiority and arrogance, eliminating God, the paper and the signatures, the confrontation with Josh, his reaction, the three classes?
8. The professor and his relationship with Nina, the wine and its being in the car, cooked, the guests ridiculing it? The guests, the role of Nina, her being humiliated? Saying that the help was leaving? Going to the pastor for help, her faith? Her confronting the professor in the foyer at the University, in public, his wanting her to be quiet, leaving him? Her mother, dementia, her visits to her mother?
9. Nina and her brother, his success, money, power, business? His relationship with Amy? Amy and her interview with the Robertsons, her journalistic work? Going to the doctor, the tests, the fact that she had cancer? Her saying she had no time for cancer? Going to dinner, the brother and his supercilious reaction, not wanting her to talk about the cancer, her interrupting his enthusiasm about his promotion, her leading?
10. The pastor, going to the station to meet his African missionary friend, their plans, the car and no ignition, the same with the different rental cars? Staying? The pastor and his meeting Josh, talking with the young Muslim girl? With Nina? His African friend, always saying that God was good, no matter what? Their wanting to get to the concert, stuck in traffic, Professor Radisson in the accident, assisting him while he was dying, getting him to make a declaration of faith, within three minutes and that he would be in God’s presence? The missionary saying God was good? How plausibly dramatic was this scene?
11. The Muslim girl, her father and his severity, wearing the headscarf, taking it off when he left, working in the canteen, hearing Josh and his statements, her phone and the Jesus message, her brother seeing it, telling the father, the father ousting her? Her being a Christian for a year? Going to see the pastor, his support of her? At the rally, talking with Josh?
12. The concert, Amy going to see the Newsies, interviewing them, the discussions about faith, the support of her, giving her hope?
13. Josh going to the rally, with the Chinese man, the Muslim girl talking to him?
14. The professor, his life and arrogance, friends, family, his being sorry about his treatment of Nina, the issue of hating God, his family background and deaths, decision to go to the rally, in the traffic, his being hit by the car, dying, words of faith?
15. The concert, the Robertsons, Amy having interviewed them earlier, their enthusiasm?
16. The film as very American, narrow in its Christian perspective, evangelical, focusing on Jesus, not having an awareness or regard for other religions, as
seen in the Muslim girl’s story?
17. The effect of this kind of film, on those who believe, challenging non-believers or not?
