Uncle Tony Finds
Some good response on the Uncle Tony Passion contest. (Named for the Uncle Tom of evangelicals Tony Campolo. An Uncle Tony is an evangelical who hates actual evangelicals wishing they were more like themselves.) Rules were posted yesterday. I want to keep it going. . . so keep those cards and letters coming.
Thoughtful artist Miss Weaver writes:
http://www.gracecathedral.org/enrichment/reflections/ref_20040128.shtml
http://www.gracecathedral.org/enrichment/film_review/frev_20040225.shtml
These are both from the same site, showing significantly changing views of
the Passion, but, sadly, not by the same person.
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Possibly the best example though:
http://www.signposts.org.au/archives/2004_03_19-why_i_dont_want_to_see_the_passion.php
“You know, I really thought I would. Why wouldn’t I want to see a movie
about the passion of christ, an incredibly important event in my belief
system? Why wouldn’t I want to see whether I could somehow use this as a
resource, a discussion starter or whatever in our gen X
congregations?[…]And all of a sudden, it just got icky. Mentions of a
three part worship series based on The Passion (the movie, not the book
version(s)), discussions about the movie as an evangelistic tool, the
encouragement of group bookings for church congregations… it is all too
much.[…]Added to the fact that I am over the whole insane emphasis on
the suffering of christ as the defining point in our christian experience,
it is all too much for me. I had to go and watch the life of brian the
other night just to clear my head.”
Nathan McClelland found some classics:
From:
http://www.beliefnet.com/boards/message_list.asp?
pageID=2&discussionID=333057&messages_per_page=16
“I believe the New Testament was written largely to teach love-and
this film is devoid of that love-instead it focuses on man’s inhumanity
in an almost unbelievable way. I distance myself from it as a member
of the Judeo-Christian community and wonder if there was a motivation
beyond riches for Gibson in the making of the film. But perhaps he
wished to revivify the Passion in a world that largely pays it
lipservice and focuses on the sacrifice, love, symbology and theology
underpinning the story. If so he does it in the cruelist and most
sadistic way.”
There is this entire page, which seems to think any portrayal of the
passion has to be rendered safe and the audience carefully educated in
order to have the correct response.
http://www.bc.edu/research/cjl/meta-elements/partners/CSG/
passion_guide.htm
But the real winner in my mind, is this page. While it doesn’t quite
meet your film review criteria, I think it is similar in many ways. So
many evangelicals wanted to use the Passion as an evangelism tool, I
find it highly ironic when some guy does exactly that and ends up
bugging these Christians.
http://paradox.typepad.com/iamparadox/2004/02/2nd_viewing.html
I took my wife Angie to see the passion tonight. It was my 2nd time to
see it and I enjoyed it much more. Why? Probably b/c there is so much
expectation and hype, you just want to see it to see what its all about
the first time. I can’ t really explain it, but I was more moved by it
this time.
Until the end. As soon as the credits start to roll, this guy 2 rows
in front of us jumps up and yells “No one move. Jesus died for yours
sins and you need to accept him now.” It was awful. We were the first
people to leave the theater. Then they tried to hand us some literature
on the way out.
Another complaint: I don’t know if I ever want to see another movie
with a theater full of christians. We felt like outsiders. Everyone
around us knew each other and were talking to each other, passing stuff
back and forth over us. It was awful.
Further down in the comments page, you’ll find this gem:
My wife and I felt the exact same way. It’s sad. Here we are with other
believers and I’m embarrassed to be with them because of the way they
act. There were the clichés, fliers, “brother and sister” speech, and
of course the all to embarrassing “So your a youth pastor…so am I…I
have 150 kids in my youth group…how many do you have??”
I just came to watch a movie man…not sit here and be all churchy and
religious…but that’s what we have taught people in America what
church is all about. Say the churchy words, etc.
I just hope as the “new leaders” within the church we can start to
change some of that…
And this:
it makes me sad that folks just can’t let a film speak for itself.
the christianese makes me sick too..
i am going on monday for my first viewing…think i could find a
theater without embarrassing folks with fish on their cars?
