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Choosing Life at the Movies
2007 could be remembered as the Year of Pro-Life Cinema.
Mark Moring | posted 1/22/2008 in Christianity Today e-zine
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the below is a condensed version of the article. [Read entire article 'here']
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the below is a condensed version of the article. [Read entire article 'here']
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To some, it was a year of war movies and "statement" flicks—including In the Valley of Elah, Lions for Lambs, and Rendition. But others noticed a different trend: In some ways, 2007 was the Year of Pro-Life Cinema.
From the church-friendly Bella to the raunchy Knocked Up, film after film depicted its main character facing an unplanned pregnancy and opting not for abortion, but for carrying the unborn child to term. Children of Men kicked off the year with a dystopian sci-fi tale in which Earth's entire population is infertile; no babies have been born in 18 years. In Waitress, Keri Russell plays Jenna, who ends up with an unwanted pregnancy from her abusive husband. Knocked Up is an R-rated comedy that's as crass as it gets, making it the year's most unlikely "pro-life" film.
The tender Bella celebrates friendship, family, and, most of all, life. In August Rush, Keri Russell plays another mom facing an unplanned pregnancy, this time as a single woman. Capping off the year was Juno, featuring Ellen Page as the title character—a whip-smart teen with an unplanned baby growing inside. What's more, Waitress, Knocked Up, August Rush, and Juno all prominently feature ultrasound images showing the child at various stages of development—powerful images that in real life have helped many young mothers decide against abortion and choose life instead.
Has Hollywood Gone Pro-Life?
Does this all add up to a Hollywood "trend"? Have Tinseltown's filmmakers, oft regarded as liberals and frequently blasted as purveyors of immorality, gone pro-life? It at least represents some changing perspectives and plot lines. Gerard Baker of London's Times said this about Knocked Up and Waitress: "While most women in real life will choose to have an abortion in these circumstances, neither film features any consideration of a termination. … This has some feminists outraged."
While several Christians in the industry applaud the pro-life choices depicted in these films, they're reluctant to call it a trend. "There's no question that after a polarizing 30-year battle over issues like abortion, we're seeing a new environment in Hollywood and in the culture in general," says filmmaker and media guru Phil Cooke. Rob Johnston, professor of theology and culture at Fuller Theological Seminary, notes that with the exception of Bella, these films aren't being made by Christians. " The church cannot take credit for this newfound interest [in pro-life storylines]," says Johnston, author of Reframing Theology and Film.
Craig Detweiler, Johnston's colleague at Fuller and author of A Matrix of Meanings: Finding God in Pop Culture, says the "trend" may simply be a reflection of good storytelling principles—especially in comedies like Knocked Up. "Comedies almost always end with weddings and births," says Detweiler.
Sister Rose Pacatte, director of the Pauline Center for Media Studies, was especially struck by the pro-life themes beneath the muck and persistent f-bombs of Knocked Up. "Knocked Up speaks the language of today to the people of today," says Pacatte. "Sometimes Christians judge a movie to be 'anti-life' on the face of it, but if they enter the story, they may find something completely life-affirming."
Original, perhaps, but is it countercultural? "There is a general impulse in screenwriting to go against the grain," says Brett McCracken, a film critic for ChristianityTodayMovies.com. Whatever is driving Hollywood's writers and filmmakers, it's good to see more movies affirming the sanctity of life.
. . .From the church-friendly Bella to the raunchy Knocked Up, film after film depicted its main character facing an unplanned pregnancy and opting not for abortion, but for carrying the unborn child to term. Children of Men kicked off the year with a dystopian sci-fi tale in which Earth's entire population is infertile; no babies have been born in 18 years. In Waitress, Keri Russell plays Jenna, who ends up with an unwanted pregnancy from her abusive husband. Knocked Up is an R-rated comedy that's as crass as it gets, making it the year's most unlikely "pro-life" film.
The tender Bella celebrates friendship, family, and, most of all, life. In August Rush, Keri Russell plays another mom facing an unplanned pregnancy, this time as a single woman. Capping off the year was Juno, featuring Ellen Page as the title character—a whip-smart teen with an unplanned baby growing inside. What's more, Waitress, Knocked Up, August Rush, and Juno all prominently feature ultrasound images showing the child at various stages of development—powerful images that in real life have helped many young mothers decide against abortion and choose life instead.
Has Hollywood Gone Pro-Life?
Does this all add up to a Hollywood "trend"? Have Tinseltown's filmmakers, oft regarded as liberals and frequently blasted as purveyors of immorality, gone pro-life? It at least represents some changing perspectives and plot lines. Gerard Baker of London's Times said this about Knocked Up and Waitress: "While most women in real life will choose to have an abortion in these circumstances, neither film features any consideration of a termination. … This has some feminists outraged."
While several Christians in the industry applaud the pro-life choices depicted in these films, they're reluctant to call it a trend. "There's no question that after a polarizing 30-year battle over issues like abortion, we're seeing a new environment in Hollywood and in the culture in general," says filmmaker and media guru Phil Cooke. Rob Johnston, professor of theology and culture at Fuller Theological Seminary, notes that with the exception of Bella, these films aren't being made by Christians. " The church cannot take credit for this newfound interest [in pro-life storylines]," says Johnston, author of Reframing Theology and Film.
Craig Detweiler, Johnston's colleague at Fuller and author of A Matrix of Meanings: Finding God in Pop Culture, says the "trend" may simply be a reflection of good storytelling principles—especially in comedies like Knocked Up. "Comedies almost always end with weddings and births," says Detweiler.
Sister Rose Pacatte, director of the Pauline Center for Media Studies, was especially struck by the pro-life themes beneath the muck and persistent f-bombs of Knocked Up. "Knocked Up speaks the language of today to the people of today," says Pacatte. "Sometimes Christians judge a movie to be 'anti-life' on the face of it, but if they enter the story, they may find something completely life-affirming."
Original, perhaps, but is it countercultural? "There is a general impulse in screenwriting to go against the grain," says Brett McCracken, a film critic for ChristianityTodayMovies.com. Whatever is driving Hollywood's writers and filmmakers, it's good to see more movies affirming the sanctity of life.
