GOD'S NOT DEAD
rated PG
Art *
Heart ***
Mind ***
Experience **1/2
An overtly Christian movie that directly challenges the secular domination of university academia, GOD'S NOT DEAD is remarkably bold and forthright in its message. With the amount of intelligent arguments and robust debate in the film, it could almost be subtitled "The Apologetics Movie."
A college student signs up for his first philosophy course from a notoriously combative atheist professor. A young Muslim woman struggles with faith outside her home. A student from China is confronted with questions about God's existence. A pastor needs convincing that his ordinary calling will result in extraordinary blessing. A Left wing journalist doing ambush interviews with committed Christians is confronted with a matter of life and death. An executive has to make hard choices about what really matters in his life. A young woman deals with a deteriorating relationship and her aging mother's dementia. And a movie with good intentions and cross-promotions from a popular reality show and a contemporary Christian music group that gets its title from their catchy song hopes to spark a movement in today's culture.
Got all that?
There's a lot that GOD'S NOT DEAD tries to tackle in its less than two hour running time, and it would be disingenuous to say that it gets everything right. In fact, let me say up front that there are many, many flaws in the film. And the tendency of criticism is to pick a film apart so much that sometimes there isn't a shred of substance left to discuss. Plus, if the reviewer has an ideological axe to grind, you'll be lucky to even learn what the film is about after you're done reading their little polemic.
But there is a lot that this film gets right.
So let's ask the right question: How effective is GOD'S NOT DEAD in relaying its message to the masses?
I would say that when it stays on point with the main narrative of the film, that of a freshman in college (Shane Harper) who refuses to deny his belief and must defend God's existence to his atheist professor (Kevin Sorbo), GOD'S NOT DEAD plays to its strengths. It might seem to the outside world that this academic showdown is a weird, isolated instance you've never heard of before. But the incredibly long list of legal cases involving campus free speech that rolls during the credits will make your jaw drop.
The side stories, however, roll out with varying degrees of success. A few of the connections between characters are clumsy. At times, the narrative is ham-fisted and contrived. And in many scenes, the character reactions are too pithy, they're inconsistent or they strain credibility; and the dialogue needs serious polish. (My biggest piece of advice for screenwriters: It's better to take the time to be cleverly indirect instead of being efficient and too on-the-nose).
That being said, scripture is proclaimed unhindered in GOD'S NOT DEAD, and there are enough strong moments in the film that eventually it soars (even if it does peak a bit early). And the social media suggestion at the end is genius in that it's both self-promotion and evangelization of biblical truth.
Most dramas are temporal and earthbound. Rarely before have I seen a compelling narrative based primarily on the presentation of the ultimate ideas about life. And for that alone I would commend the filmmakers. But I also applaud the film for having its heart in the right place, and for being so bold in delivering its message to the culture. In that respect, GOD'S NOT DEAD is a bit of a miracle. And other Christian filmmakers should welcome the challenge.
RECOMMENDED.
