Unstoppable by Kirk Cameron: A movie review

Unstoppable - Kirk Cameron from hisgraceamazesme on GodTube.

Earlier this month I took the kids out of school in order to see Kirk Cameron’s documentary, “Unstoppable”, at a theater not-so-near to us.  My sister and niece joined us to make the three-hour round trip because we had seen the trailer (watch it above) and thought it would be worth the time and expense.  It was.

Kirk Cameron has said of this film, “this is the most personal project I have ever made regarding my faith”.  It was prompted by the death of a close family friend and in it, he seeks to tackle the monumental questions, ‘Why do bad things happen to good people?’ and ‘Why does God allow evil in this world?’  The kind of questions all people of conscience ask at some point in their lives.  Kudos to Kirk for his integrity, inspiration and strength in creating a documentary that rips across the current of feel-good, shallow secular humanist films that are typical of Hollywood.  

The film wasn’t exactly what I expected, but yet I wasn’t disappointed either.  I had expected more interviews and insights from others, but this is very much Kirk Cameron’s take on Holy Scripture, beginning with a recreation of Adam & Eve in the Garden of Eden.  This was well done, discreet and thought provoking;  I was given pause to consider how Adam may have viewed the earth in those first days.  The depiction was even more beautiful as Eve beheld Adam for the first time.  As a side note, I thought how this imagery is missing from modern films -- the notion of subtlety vs. explicit images, of male, female and agape love.  

The youngest of our crew is in 6th grade and, although this film is unrated, it does contain some graphic scenes relating to Eve’s creation and the murder of Abel that may be disturbing for a young audience.    In fact, the brutality of Cain is my only criticism of the whole documentary.   I thought the scene of Abel’s death was too long and gruesome... but then again, perhaps the idea was to emphasize the life force in the blood. 

Cameron isn’t seeking to answer these tough questions in a simple, concise manner.  Rather, he utilizes story telling from modern experiences in view of God’s Word to prompt the audience to consider God’s response to evil since the creation of the world.  It worked for us;  we’re still talking about it four weeks later.  The soundtrack is stirring, too.  I was introduced to Warren Barfield’s, “The Time is Now” and my daughter has added several of the songs from Unstoppable to her ipod.  

The highlight for me was being allowed a glimpse into the humanity of Kirk Cameron.  It takes an enormous amount of strength to live our Christian life in this world-- maybe even more so for those who command a spotlight based on American pop/entertainment culture.  The insight I gained  into his humility leads me to believe that he is a genuine Christian man with a fierce love for God. 

If you’re just hearing about Unstoppable for the first time, it’s too late to see it at the theater.  It showed only twice (and grossed $2 million on 700 American screens ~ wow!) and will be made available in January 2014 on DVD for home use.  I’ll be purchasing this as well, as it really is a very thought provoking, useful way to share our Christian faith and promote discussion about the tough questions of life and death.

Jesus and the Shroud of Turin: A Review and Personal Thoughts

Format:  DVD, 52 minutes

Produced by:  Questar, 1999

This short 52 minute documentary was part of my homeschooling lesson last week for our teenage son.  I was captivated within the first five minutes.  In fact, I enjoyed this documentary so much, I watched it again the following evening.

Admittedly, I knew very little about the shroud, which is believed to be the burial linen of Jesus Christ, until viewing this film.  I knew it was controversial, knew that it held a place of high esteem among christians around the world and that’s about it.  I didn’t realize it was the most studied artifact in human history. 

What I like most about this documentary is the fact that the viewer is given historical background about the Shroud of Turin as well as providing arguments for and against its authenticity.  For the faithful, it may well advance a faith affirming miracle and for the skeptics, it may provide food for thought and fascinating scientific analysis.  

For example, who knew pollen remains intact for thousands of years?  Or that centuries-old blood stains could provide modern scientists an exact type?  Who would have guessed that the invention of the camera would forever change the way pilgrims and doubters viewed the shroud?

Jesus and the Shroud of Turin presents a well documented view into the shroud's ancient and modern history, both religious and scientific.  It also addresses the more recent find (1988) of carbon dating which stated that the shroud originates in the Middle Ages.   I think viewers of  various beliefs will come away from this program moved and inspired in some way.

Personally, I believe the Shroud of Turin to be a remarkable artifact and probably the authentic burial linen of our Lord Jesus Christ.  Although I don’t necessarily view science in opposition to faith, its somewhat disconcerting to me the way in which western culture seeks knowledge.  Generally speaking of course, western man must dissect a thing in order to understand it;  understanding is achieved through reason and science, a systematic approach.   This, contrasted against an older Eastern philosophy, interlaced with history (including oral) and the experience of the item in question.  It’s the difference in comprehending a tree by the shade or protection it provides vs. cutting it down to examine the rings within.  

After watching this film, for example, my initial thoughts were captivated by the idea of the pollen study and the intricate image of the man on the cloth which allows even a casual viewer to identify teeth and the bones of the hand and wrist.  But the more lingering thoughts went to the history of the cloth(s), the verses that spoke about them in St. John (chapter 20) and the faithful who risked their lives to keep these articles of faith safe during the Crusades, Moorish invasions and natural disasters.  To the people who claimed to have been healed by touching the cloth and its place in Constantinople in the 12th century.

Cloths.  Yes there were two articles of linen found in the Tomb of Christ, as written about in St. John.  The smaller cloth came to be known as the Sudarium and is housed at a cathedral in Spain.  The relationship between the Sudarium and the Shroud of Turin is discussed in this film as it, too, has been subjected to scientific examination and has a well documented history.

It is a blessing to know these articles of faith have been preserved for centuries and are presently being cared for by the faithful, who have graciously allowed pilgrims to venerate them as well as skeptics, the study of them.

Glory to God for all things †

The Mysteries of the Jesus Prayer: A Review

Mysteries of the Jesus Prayer:  A Pilgrimage to the Heart of an Ancient Spirituality

(DVD) 114 minute documentary, narrated by Norris Chumley and Rev. Dr. John A. McGuckin. 

 Language: English  1 Disc.  Released May 2011.

Because I’ve made several blog posts about meditation, I wanted to end this series with a review of “The Mysteries of the Jesus Prayer”(DVD) because it provides an insightful perspective on silence & prayer, thus aiding meditation.

This documentary is not just for those Christians seeking to understand the Jesus Prayer:  “O Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, a sinner.”  It is for anyone who wants to learn more about Christian church history and the beginning of monasticism.  “Why do monastics remove themselves from the “world”?  “Why do they value silence so much?” These questions and more are beautifully addressed by modern day monastics in the Middle East, Mediterranean, Eastern Europe and Russia.

Norris Chumley and Rev. Dr. McGuckin have created a superb work in bringing the heart of Christian spirituality from the Ancient Faith into a format for our homes and churches.  It’s a moving work, in that the audience gets to hear, first hand, from those who have devoted much of their life to prayer and contemplation.  Those who are mastering their passions and experience internal peace;  something the West craves.  This documentary provides a goldmine for people who love Christ and seek a deeper connection to Him through prayer and stillness.

I enjoyed the rhythm of this film, too.  It provides a pace that makes you slow down, take notice of the visuals, the sounds... the blessed silence within communal living.  And I loved the accompanying soundtrack, which included music and sounds of nature from each locale.  Rich Devletian did an outstanding job in creating a harmony that lends depth and texture to support the documentary. 

The cinematography is very good and English captions are provided during some interviews where either the voices are hard to decipher or they are speaking a foreign language.   I watched the film one evening with my son and then the following day reviewed some scenes that I wanted to absorb deeply.  One of those was from the first monastery visited, in Egypt.  

The monk speaking to the narrators talks about external peace vs. internal peace.  About how the first is easier to find, but isn’t lasting... the second, internal peace, is much more difficult to acquire, but much longer lasting.  He said, [paraphrase] ‘in this way, when you acquire inner peace, you can be in the heart of Manhattan and have absolute peace.’  His words resonated with me.  They were words I needed to hear.

This is a film for young people as well as adults. In fact, I would go so far as to say this is a documentary for classrooms around the world.  Christian history is world history, too, and affects people of all race, color and creed. Discretion may be advised for very young children, as themes of death and burial are discussed.   

A friend loaned this DVD to me, but now I’ll be purchasing a copy of my own to watch again and again...and pass on! 

Watch the trailer here: