Crash Into Me

To View or Not To View

I want to discuss two films. One from a general moviegoer's perspective and one from a Christian perspective. Both deal with the question of whether or not it is appropriate/ok/wise to see the movie concerned. Let's start with the one opening this week.

1.United 93. There has been an absolute ton written about this movie. Many are asking whether it is too soon, or whether the movie should have been made at all. Personally, I tend to think it's too soon, but that it should have been made and needs to be watched. This may sound like a contradiction, but I think not. I still remember praying with Jon and Toby the morning of 9/11. I remember waking up Joel. I remember Remy and the guys coming over to watch the news. I remember it like it was yesterday. Perhaps that is why I can't watch a trailer or read a newspaper article about this movie without getting tears in my eyes. People in NYC shouting "TOO SOON" at the premier certainly have a point....but I still think this movie should have been made and needs to be watched. It sounds like the director and crew went through a lot to make an accurate, important, non-sensational tribute to the men and women who died on that plane...and a tribute to the people involved in 9/11 period. We need to remember those people, and remember what happened. This helps us do that. To forget is to allow things like that to happen again. And this is as good a time as any to offer up a reminder of the terrible events of that day, but also the heroism. Comments? Questions? Issues?

2.The Da Vinci Code. I know, I know. This is a completely separate topic, in no way related to #1, except that they are both movies. But I wonder (like I wondered with The Passion) if Christians should be discouraged to see it, because of the content? I am guessing it is a very well-made movie. I would expect no less of Ron Howard and Tom Hanks. And it is strictly fiction, based on a novel. It is not trying to pass itself off as fact or something that actually happened, or even based on semi-true events. But should something even DEALING with this kind of subject matter be allowed into our heads? All I know is what my Dad told me after reading the book. It had a lot of garbage about Jesus sleeping around, not rising from the dead....basically a LOT of crap, that pretty much should disgust every Christian. That is why I'm saddened even by the fact that it's getting such high-profile attention (i.e. big director and big stars equaling a blockbuster). But is knowing that it's probably a tense, really good MOVIE, and quality entertainment enough to warrant watching it given all of the bad points? I tend to think the opposite of what I thought in #1: no. Questions? Comments? Issues?