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Hollywood Worldviews: Watching Films with Wisdom and Discernment
Do you watch movies with your eyes open?
You buy your tickets and concessions, and you walk into the theater. Celluloid images flash at twenty-four frames per second, and the hypnotic sequence of moving pictures coaxes you to suspend disbelief and be entertained by the implausible.
Unfortunately, many often suspend their beliefs as well, succumbing to subtle lessons in how to behave, think and even perceive reality. Do you find yourself hoping that a sister will succeed in seducing her sibling's husband, that a thief will get away with his crime, that a serial killer will escape judgment? Do you, too, laugh at the bumbling priest and seethe at the intolerant and abusive evangelist? Do you embrace worldviews that infect your faith and then wonder, after your head is clear, whether your faith can survive the infection?
In this thoroughly revised and updated edition of his popular book, Brian Godawa guides you through the place of redemption in film, the tricks screenwriters use to communicate their messages, and the mental and spiritual discipline required for watching movies. Hollywood Worldviews helps you enter a dialogue with Hollywood that leads to a happier ending, one that keeps you aware of your culture and awake to your faith.
You buy your tickets and concessions, and you walk into the theater. Celluloid images flash at twenty-four frames per second, and the hypnotic sequence of moving pictures coaxes you to suspend disbelief and be entertained by the implausible.
Unfortunately, many often suspend their beliefs as well, succumbing to subtle lessons in how to behave, think and even perceive reality. Do you find yourself hoping that a sister will succeed in seducing her sibling's husband, that a thief will get away with his crime, that a serial killer will escape judgment? Do you, too, laugh at the bumbling priest and seethe at the intolerant and abusive evangelist? Do you embrace worldviews that infect your faith and then wonder, after your head is clear, whether your faith can survive the infection?
In this thoroughly revised and updated edition of his popular book, Brian Godawa guides you through the place of redemption in film, the tricks screenwriters use to communicate their messages, and the mental and spiritual discipline required for watching movies. Hollywood Worldviews helps you enter a dialogue with Hollywood that leads to a happier ending, one that keeps you aware of your culture and awake to your faith.
254 pages, Kindle Edition
First published June 30, 2002
59 people are currently reading
549 people want to read
About the author
Brian Godawa
110 books389 followersBrian Godawa has been a professional filmmaker, writer, and designer for over 20 years. His creative versatility was born of a passion for both intellect and imagination, both left-brain and right-brain. The result: Brian is an artisan of word, image, and story that engages heart, mind, and soul. Just think, "Renaissance Man."
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 82 reviews
January 16, 2017
wow. this. wow it was amazing. so much info I already want to re read it. it was really cool seeing the storytelling elements with the worldviews and all that.
go read this.
go read this.
August 11, 2011
I love movies. They are part of the language of our culture and generation. I believe that many in my generation absorb their beliefs and worldview from the movies they watch without even knowing it. I also believe that our entertainment in general (but movies specifically) shape our values as a culture as much as it reflects our values as a culture.
This is why, if I were so gifted, I would be making movies today. Movies that put the themes of the Gospel, of fall and redemption, of substitutionary atonement, on the silver screen in a way that makes it real and palatable to the average viewer. And this is why I loved Hollywood Worldviews by Brian Godawa so much.
Godawa is a Christian in the industry, making (and thinking about) movies with just such a motivation in mind. Without endorsing all movies wholesale, Godawa makes an argument for the value of movies to instruct, inform, and simply reflect the God-given creativity in the creature and the beauty of creation around us. Speaking of finding the value in movies, Godawa says, "Because all truth is ultimately God's truth, we can find what we think is true in a movie and dissect what we think is false".
Godawa goes straight to the hot-button topic for the Christian concerning movies, addressing "Sex, Violence and Profanity" in Chapter 1. His key point about such issues is that "context makes all the difference between moral exhortation and immoral exploitation of sin". In following chapters he begins to address the Hollywood worldviews such as existentialism, postmodernism, and other worldviews. These chapters were some of the most personally enjoyable, as I saw many movies I've watched in a completely different light.
Even for those of you who don't spend much time talking or thinking about worldviews, this book has much to benefit from. In particular the first and last chapters lay out some excellent guidelines and principles for watching and engaging with Hollywood and it's culture. This book was well written, even better thought-out, and I endorse it to anyone who likes movies. I'm assuming that's all of you.
This is why, if I were so gifted, I would be making movies today. Movies that put the themes of the Gospel, of fall and redemption, of substitutionary atonement, on the silver screen in a way that makes it real and palatable to the average viewer. And this is why I loved Hollywood Worldviews by Brian Godawa so much.
Godawa is a Christian in the industry, making (and thinking about) movies with just such a motivation in mind. Without endorsing all movies wholesale, Godawa makes an argument for the value of movies to instruct, inform, and simply reflect the God-given creativity in the creature and the beauty of creation around us. Speaking of finding the value in movies, Godawa says, "Because all truth is ultimately God's truth, we can find what we think is true in a movie and dissect what we think is false".
Godawa goes straight to the hot-button topic for the Christian concerning movies, addressing "Sex, Violence and Profanity" in Chapter 1. His key point about such issues is that "context makes all the difference between moral exhortation and immoral exploitation of sin". In following chapters he begins to address the Hollywood worldviews such as existentialism, postmodernism, and other worldviews. These chapters were some of the most personally enjoyable, as I saw many movies I've watched in a completely different light.
Even for those of you who don't spend much time talking or thinking about worldviews, this book has much to benefit from. In particular the first and last chapters lay out some excellent guidelines and principles for watching and engaging with Hollywood and it's culture. This book was well written, even better thought-out, and I endorse it to anyone who likes movies. I'm assuming that's all of you.
July 14, 2010
Wow... Finishing this book is like losing my movie-going innocence. I see how naively I drank in everything from the theaters without considering the message behind the movie. We're talking complete stupidity here--I was able to get through the Truman Show without realizing it was an allegory.
Anyway, I have read a couple of Christian-based movie critiques now, (see also The Culturally Savvy Christian: A Manifesto for Deepening Faith and Enriching Popular Culture in an Age of Christianity-Lite and Through a Screen Darkly) and Brian Godawa is by far the most insightful. He goes beyond the surface level and accurately assesses the world views of the people making the movies and the message they convey.
The scope of this book is much wider than a reference for movie reviews. Godawa teaches you what to look for, how to analyze a movie's plot, and gives you a primer on virtually every type of philosophy you will find in today's movies. He also gives some eye-openening examples of passages in the Bible that would totally shock the cultural anemics who argue that Christians should have nothing to do with movies, and a very brief defense for why it is necessary that we familiarize ourselves with our culture.
I recommend this book to every Christian. It is indispensable for parents who need to be aware of the subtle messages their children are imbibing in the seemingly innocent movies they watch; or really anyone who is serious about interacting with their culture. My only regret is that Godawa seems to be done, at least for now, with movie criticism, focusing on other pursuits, instead.
Anyway, I have read a couple of Christian-based movie critiques now, (see also The Culturally Savvy Christian: A Manifesto for Deepening Faith and Enriching Popular Culture in an Age of Christianity-Lite and Through a Screen Darkly) and Brian Godawa is by far the most insightful. He goes beyond the surface level and accurately assesses the world views of the people making the movies and the message they convey.
The scope of this book is much wider than a reference for movie reviews. Godawa teaches you what to look for, how to analyze a movie's plot, and gives you a primer on virtually every type of philosophy you will find in today's movies. He also gives some eye-openening examples of passages in the Bible that would totally shock the cultural anemics who argue that Christians should have nothing to do with movies, and a very brief defense for why it is necessary that we familiarize ourselves with our culture.
I recommend this book to every Christian. It is indispensable for parents who need to be aware of the subtle messages their children are imbibing in the seemingly innocent movies they watch; or really anyone who is serious about interacting with their culture. My only regret is that Godawa seems to be done, at least for now, with movie criticism, focusing on other pursuits, instead.
March 31, 2012
I may not agree with every tiny aspect of Godawa's take on certain movies, but he still gives really solid principles that each Christian should use like a ninja when they go to the theaters. Sitting down to watch a movie should not be synonymous with sitting down and shutting off our brains. What is the story? What is the worldview--the "web of beliefs that contains a creation-Fall-redemption motif"? What is the point? Godawa helps us determine which movies are lots of treasure hidden in a little dirt, and which movies are just dirt.
July 29, 2020
I'm all for making edgy statements that challenge people's cultural Christianity with what the Bible actually says.
But if you're going to do that, you better get it right and not just mislead people onto the opposite end of the spectrum. This is no better, in fact it's worse because now that they've course-corrected once, they think they're on the right track and don't need to make any more adjustments in the area you've shifted their view on.
The author is clearly not a Bible scholar, and only parroting the information from Bible scholars. The problem is, I can find a Bible scholar for any opinion under the sun. I can make an audacious claim about the Bible and probably find someone with a PhD to cite and I'm off to the races.
No. The Harlot in Revelation 17:2 that God obliterates does not "probably refer to Israel." That's very inconsistent with the total message of Revelation. And if we're resorting to arguments from authority, most Bible scholars think Revelation 17:2 refers to:
1. Future Rome 2. Future Babylon 3. Past Rome 4. An allegory for worldly materialism and opposition to God's chosen people.
The amount of Bible scholars that think Revelation 17:2 refers to Israel is a VERY small minority indeed. The evidence is extremely sparse.
While this might seem like a minor thing to bring up, I bring it up because the first chapter is FULL of flippant glosses that are actually very controversial points in the world of Christian scholarship.
For however many scholars think that "skybalon" means "s***", there are at least as many that disagree.
I fear for whoever read Chapter 1 and just took the author's word for it.
The author also make a very large leaps in logic.
Just because the Bible mentions very explicit things, does not mean we as believers should have no shame or fear of watching movies that contain these things. Yes, presentation is important. Some movies paint violence and sexual perversity in a negative light that actually points the viewer to living a more Biblical ethic. But as a Christian man, I avoid any movie with a ton of sexual content for obvious reasons. Reading Song of Solomon does not tempt me to lust. Reading Ezekiel does not tempt me to lust. Watching a movie with a lot of sexual content most certainly will, even if it paints sexual immorality in a bad light.
In a similar way, violent movies with piles of profanity should be viewed with caution and temperance, even if it does the opposite of glorifying them.
If I hear 100 f-words a day, I'm going to start using more profane language in my everyday life. If I watch Schindler's List or American History X everyday, I will consistently be put into a very dark mood.
At one point in Chapter 1 the author cites a scholar who argues that there needs to be more Christian erotic art that is "tastefully done" and "consistent with the Bible's portrayal of sexuality."
What a completely asinine idea.
But if you're going to do that, you better get it right and not just mislead people onto the opposite end of the spectrum. This is no better, in fact it's worse because now that they've course-corrected once, they think they're on the right track and don't need to make any more adjustments in the area you've shifted their view on.
The author is clearly not a Bible scholar, and only parroting the information from Bible scholars. The problem is, I can find a Bible scholar for any opinion under the sun. I can make an audacious claim about the Bible and probably find someone with a PhD to cite and I'm off to the races.
No. The Harlot in Revelation 17:2 that God obliterates does not "probably refer to Israel." That's very inconsistent with the total message of Revelation. And if we're resorting to arguments from authority, most Bible scholars think Revelation 17:2 refers to:
1. Future Rome 2. Future Babylon 3. Past Rome 4. An allegory for worldly materialism and opposition to God's chosen people.
The amount of Bible scholars that think Revelation 17:2 refers to Israel is a VERY small minority indeed. The evidence is extremely sparse.
While this might seem like a minor thing to bring up, I bring it up because the first chapter is FULL of flippant glosses that are actually very controversial points in the world of Christian scholarship.
For however many scholars think that "skybalon" means "s***", there are at least as many that disagree.
I fear for whoever read Chapter 1 and just took the author's word for it.
The author also make a very large leaps in logic.
Just because the Bible mentions very explicit things, does not mean we as believers should have no shame or fear of watching movies that contain these things. Yes, presentation is important. Some movies paint violence and sexual perversity in a negative light that actually points the viewer to living a more Biblical ethic. But as a Christian man, I avoid any movie with a ton of sexual content for obvious reasons. Reading Song of Solomon does not tempt me to lust. Reading Ezekiel does not tempt me to lust. Watching a movie with a lot of sexual content most certainly will, even if it paints sexual immorality in a bad light.
In a similar way, violent movies with piles of profanity should be viewed with caution and temperance, even if it does the opposite of glorifying them.
If I hear 100 f-words a day, I'm going to start using more profane language in my everyday life. If I watch Schindler's List or American History X everyday, I will consistently be put into a very dark mood.
At one point in Chapter 1 the author cites a scholar who argues that there needs to be more Christian erotic art that is "tastefully done" and "consistent with the Bible's portrayal of sexuality."
What a completely asinine idea.
July 10, 2016
Overall, I enjoyed this book. It does a good job of getting you to consider the films you watch beyond the surface-level and pushes you to explain why you thought a film was good, bad, or somewhere in-between. I appreciated the look at different philosophies, and the examples provided in various films. However, some of the examples began to drag out chapters to the point that dulled my brain into boredom. Sometimes I found myself reading parts of the chapters on different philosophies and asking, "So what? What does this add to what you already said?"
I was disappointed that the last three chapters, that were too brief in my opinion, dealt with Christianity in film. This section felt as if something was missing. The book ended in an anti-climactic and rushed fashion. I was hoping for a chapter that would tie the entire book together but instead was left with a short paragraph that sort of attempted a resolution. The Denouement at the end, in my opinion, should have been at the beginning, as Godawa cleared up some of his recommendations in the book.
All in all, it's a good book to start with in a study on where film and theology intersect. It has its issues but they shouldn't hinder you from seeing films from the Christian worldview.
I was disappointed that the last three chapters, that were too brief in my opinion, dealt with Christianity in film. This section felt as if something was missing. The book ended in an anti-climactic and rushed fashion. I was hoping for a chapter that would tie the entire book together but instead was left with a short paragraph that sort of attempted a resolution. The Denouement at the end, in my opinion, should have been at the beginning, as Godawa cleared up some of his recommendations in the book.
All in all, it's a good book to start with in a study on where film and theology intersect. It has its issues but they shouldn't hinder you from seeing films from the Christian worldview.
August 26, 2015
This is a really great book that is a must-have in your library, especially if you are wanting to know about the worldviews in movies. In this book, Brian really goes into detail about the different worldviews (biblical, humanistic, neo-paganisic, etc) and how they are portrayed in movies. He also goes into detail about how the themes, concepts, and ideas found in movies are also in the Bible, and covers how they are used for very different reasons.
This is a resource needed in your library to help you gain clearer insight into what worldview is portrayed, and how to understand the agenda in Hollywood. I always knew that a creator's worldview is portrayed in their works, but I wanted a more deeper understanding of how they are portrayed. This book helped immensely, especially in helping understanding the worldview in the media I watch. Not just movies either. But also Anime, Video Games, Comics/Manga, etc.
I could go into more detail, but I will keep this spoiler-free. You'll have to buy Hollywood Worldviews to really dig in. It will be worth the investment.
This is a resource needed in your library to help you gain clearer insight into what worldview is portrayed, and how to understand the agenda in Hollywood. I always knew that a creator's worldview is portrayed in their works, but I wanted a more deeper understanding of how they are portrayed. This book helped immensely, especially in helping understanding the worldview in the media I watch. Not just movies either. But also Anime, Video Games, Comics/Manga, etc.
I could go into more detail, but I will keep this spoiler-free. You'll have to buy Hollywood Worldviews to really dig in. It will be worth the investment.
July 11, 2016
Pretty good book overall that does a really good job of showing the worldviews that are present in different Hollywood films, as well as providing some tools for how we should go about analyzing films as Christians. Godawa's main focus is more on drawing out and critiquing the worldviews themselves; he doesn't spend as much time as I would have liked on discussing how we should treat movies with poor worldviews (do we avoid them, or wisely engage with them? I would hope the latter, but he didn't argue for the point as much as I would have liked), and at times he's more critical of movies than I think they deserve. But overall, this was a really good read that broadened my perspective and gave me more tools to use when watching films.
Rating: 3.5-4 Stars (Good).
Rating: 3.5-4 Stars (Good).
December 12, 2024
A helpful guide in making sense of films, what they’re trying to say, and how to respond. Godawa gives copious examples of the motifs and themes of films and how they are communicated and it was truly eye opening. His goal is to get people to stop saying, “I loved/hated it” when it comes to movies, and he gives the tools to help movie watchers communicate and critique films.
And yet, as helpful as it was, I mostly just wanted him to wrap things up. I think the repetitive nature of going through films and analyzing them over and over led to an each chapter feeling trite, even as new angles and themes were analyzed.
Thus, helpful but fairly dry.
And yet, as helpful as it was, I mostly just wanted him to wrap things up. I think the repetitive nature of going through films and analyzing them over and over led to an each chapter feeling trite, even as new angles and themes were analyzed.
Thus, helpful but fairly dry.
November 18, 2015
Really good book on how to evaluate movies from a Christian worldview. Although I don't always find myself in agreement with his assessments, he does a great job of articulating great questions to ask while evaluating a film, its story, and its corresponding worldview.
The only wish I might have is that he writes an updated version with more recent films as examples. Other than that, it's a great work on getting us to ask the right questions (and to teach our children to ask the right questions) when it comes to evaluating films from a Christian perspective.
The only wish I might have is that he writes an updated version with more recent films as examples. Other than that, it's a great work on getting us to ask the right questions (and to teach our children to ask the right questions) when it comes to evaluating films from a Christian perspective.
December 31, 2018
A thorough and thought-provoking analysis of film and worldview that strikes a much needed balance between love of film and faithfulness to Christ. I think my favorite thing about this, or perhaps the most unexpected thing, is that Godawa is really careful not to cast out films that have worldviews decidedly different from our own. His emphasis is on engaging intelligently with art, which means being honest about the good as well as the bad. I really cannot recommend this enough to any Christian moviegoer.
December 26, 2018
Uma aula de cosmovisão através do cinema! Muito bom! O apêndice de nome "Sexo, Violência e Linguagem Obscena na Bíblia" é muito interessante. Vale muito a leitura.
November 27, 2012
The author Brian Godawa is a prolific Christian movie maker, reviewer, screen writer and author. If one would expect someone to have the situational background to write on a Christian worldview analysis of films, then Godawa would be it. Making this even better is the fact that Godawa has good theology driving his worldview. He's also influenced by Van Til's Presuppositional apologetics (another major plus!). I've been wanting to read this book for a long time and was glad that I was finally able to order it and sit down and read it. The book defends the idea that film in of itself is not sinful--and that is just the preface. Conscious of the fact that film consists of visual imagery, the dramatic and a story, the author demonstrates that Scripture uses or record people using imagery, the dramatic and stories properly. The rest of the book is divided into three parts, or more appropriately as Godawa calls it, "act." In Act 1, Godawa focuses on story telling, which consists of three chapters. The first chapter is about the issue of sex, violence and profanity. This chapter is one that a Christian might want to read carefully and perhaps revisit even after a first reading of the book. It is something to chew on even if not every Christian will find themselves in agreement with the author. Chapter three focuses on movies with redemption which obviously is a big theological Christian motif since God has established the greatest act of redemption. I've thoroughly enjoyed Act 2 of the book, which focuses on three worldviews that's the undercurrent of many contemporary movies: existentialism, postmodernism and other worldviews, including Eastern mysticism. Act 3 focuses on movies protrayal of the spiritual with a chapter each on Jesus, Christianity, faith and spiritual warfare. What I like alot about this book is that many movies are brought up as examples of the worldviews subtle message in films. There are many insights, analysis and observations from various movies throughout the book. You will find yourself seeing movies you seen before in new light and also be curious about the story lines of other movies you have not seen before (and of course, some movies which I will not see as a result of this book's analysis). All in all, these example should stir a Christian to be careful with discerning and watching movies with Godly wisdom--and while watching out for swearing, needless violence and sexual sins are important, we as believers must also watch out for the IDEAS that film impart to us. I highly recommend this book as a great introduction.
June 19, 2022
Review of Hollywood Worldviews: Watching Films with Wisdom & Discernment
I first discovered this book because it was assigned in my "Film and Worldview" class as a resource to read. It's a wonderful book/guide for all serious filmmakers, film analyzers/critics, and anyone who wants to dive deeper into watching movies and what we can learn from them. Rather then go into anything technical about moviemaking or anything like that (for that i'd recommend "The Filmmaker's Handbook: A Comprehensive Guide for the Digital Age" though it's rather outdated) this book goes in to the story and it's structure and the different Acts, pieces, storytelling elements, and worldviews of films.
I've come up with 3 things this book teaches about films: the hows, whys, and whens of watching a movie as a Christian:
How should we view a movie when watching it as a Christian?
Why should we watch a certain movie or any of the world's movies at all?
When should we watch a certain movie and when should we not?
Also, in addition to some general and specific answers to these questions and more, this book contains the very insightful "Godawa's 9 Elements [of a Film]" which my Film teacher used as the main guideline for the above mentioned class. With these 9 identifiers in a printed sheet form, I went through more than 30 films - that illustrates how helpful Godawa's 9 Elements are to the film and worldview analyzer. I won't spoil what all these 9 elements are, so you'll just have to read this book to find out what they are.
4 out of 5 stars
January 6, 2015
Godawa's book is a phenomenal explanation of worldviews in Hollywood films. He provides multiple examples for each genre and subgenre he mentioned. I often found myself saying things like, "How odd! I never noticed that many of these films I've seen have a Christ figure in them!"
Written nearly a decade ago, I would encourage trying to find more recent films and categorize them at the end of each chapter.
Warning: the first chapter is probably the most explicit work that you've read about the Bible from a Christian perspective.
I appreciate Godawa's willingness to approach controversial topics and speak his mind. It has probably earned him several bad reviews, and labeled him as intolerant. However, he, a Christian, elaborates on his views and supports them with Scripture, which is all that I ask. I'm thankful that he doesn't make claims without evidence.
All in all, this was an excellent read and I would recommend this to anyone who is interested in films and wants a deeper understanding of an image and emotion driven generation.
Four and a half stars because I wish he had elaborated on certain subjects.
Written nearly a decade ago, I would encourage trying to find more recent films and categorize them at the end of each chapter.
Warning: the first chapter is probably the most explicit work that you've read about the Bible from a Christian perspective.
I appreciate Godawa's willingness to approach controversial topics and speak his mind. It has probably earned him several bad reviews, and labeled him as intolerant. However, he, a Christian, elaborates on his views and supports them with Scripture, which is all that I ask. I'm thankful that he doesn't make claims without evidence.
All in all, this was an excellent read and I would recommend this to anyone who is interested in films and wants a deeper understanding of an image and emotion driven generation.
Four and a half stars because I wish he had elaborated on certain subjects.
February 1, 2023
A really interesting book about movies from a Christian perspective. The author traces the theme that we as humans, created by God, relate through story. And all stories, regardless of their worldview, follow the pattern of creation, fall, and redemption. (Albeit, “redemption” may look very different from the biblical narrative, depending on the movie maker’s worldview.)
This book helps the viewer analyze more than just “I loved that movie!” Or “I hated that movie!” to determine the underlying message the movie is conveying.
It also addresses the mixture of the good and the bad in movies and how to discern which movies are worthy of watching (even though there might be some things in it you don’t agree with) and which ones aren’t worth watching (even though there might be some stuff you do agree with.)
In this area, I’m thankful he left that discernment up to the reader, and didn’t give his own personal opinions of “you should watch this, you shouldn’t watch this.”
Unique, interesting, and a very entertaining book as well. Glad I read it.
This book helps the viewer analyze more than just “I loved that movie!” Or “I hated that movie!” to determine the underlying message the movie is conveying.
It also addresses the mixture of the good and the bad in movies and how to discern which movies are worthy of watching (even though there might be some things in it you don’t agree with) and which ones aren’t worth watching (even though there might be some stuff you do agree with.)
In this area, I’m thankful he left that discernment up to the reader, and didn’t give his own personal opinions of “you should watch this, you shouldn’t watch this.”
Unique, interesting, and a very entertaining book as well. Glad I read it.
July 9, 2024
Good stuff. Brian Godawa addresses how to identify worldviews in films and discusses the most prevalent ones. He talks about how Christians should approach movies and how to assess quality therein.
I wish he had emphasized the importance of quality a little more since a movie can have a great worldview and still be a cinematic disaster but I guess, after all, worldviews are what the book is about.
I wish he had emphasized the importance of quality a little more since a movie can have a great worldview and still be a cinematic disaster but I guess, after all, worldviews are what the book is about.
August 6, 2017
I have issues with some of Godawa's implications in the chapter about Christianity in film (among others), but otherwise, this is a great resource with lots of great stuff going on.
January 31, 2018
this. wow.
November 5, 2024
Godawa's thesis in his book, I believe, is that movies are fundamentally about redemption. One of the clearest places he writes about this is when he says, "The essence of storytelling in movies is about redemption. A movie takes a hero with an inner flaw, who desires something and has a plan to get it. But he is blocked by an adversary until he almost fails but finally finds a solution. This process of goal, flaw, failures, and self-revelation is the process of paradigm change or conversion in an individual" (51). I believe Godawa is exactly right about this, and furthermore, I believe he is right that the manner in which the hero achieves his conversion reveals the worldview of the storytellers:
While I learned a lot from how Godawa categorized movies, I believe some of his categorizations were incorrect. (This is probably inevitable anytime one attempts to categorize any group of things—what category does a platypus belong in, for example?) Godawa categorizes The Cell, for example, under his Neopaganism category, stating the movie is "a Wiccan neopagan story of occultic redemption, or in other words, liberation from the 'evil,' patriarchal religion of Christianity" (124). The Cell features a detective (played by Jennifer Lopez) who has to go into a serial killer's mind to find out where he has hidden his last victim, who is still alive. She encounters all kinds of bizarre images inside his mind, and then to defeat him, she must lure him into her mind, where "she overpowers him with her goddess power, expressed in Wiccan symbols. She... engages in an abbreviated ceremony of drawing down the moon, [then] crucifies the killer, thus expressing the triumph of the free-spirited feminist goddess over the old patriarch Christian God of violence and domination" (125).
I believe Godawa overplays the Wiccan symbolism in order to make The Cell fit into his "Neopaganism" category. What I remember from The Cell is that when the detective is inside the killer's mind, she finds a king seated on a throne, with the train of the king's robe filling the temple: a clear reference to Isaiah 6. But in the killer's mind, it is not God on the throne; he himself is seated there as God. I believe this symbolizes the killer's belief that he is a god: he answers to no God but himself. While Wiccan symbolism is present in The Cell, there is much more distorted Christian symbolism, which I believe is used to show the killer's rejecting God and becoming his own God.
"In The Truman Show... the storytellers [state] that it is better to be free with uncertainty and danger ahead than to be protected under the control of deity" (50).Godawa categorizes all these movies (and many, many more) under the worldviews of Existentialism, Postmodernism, Fate, Monism, Emergent Evolution, Neopaganism, etc.
"In Amadeus, Salieri's insanity is the result of his rejection of redemption... it is a tragedy, a parable showing us the negative results of a life that defies God" (50).
"In Dead Poet's Society the redemption is asserted, by the schoolteacher Keating, that since we are good for the worms and there is no afterlife, we must 'seize the day' by casting off social and moral restraint to find one's self or potential" (51).
"Dualism is the Star Wars variety of redemption—the dark and light sides of the Force.... This kind of dualism is salvation by good works" (53).
"Tender Mercies... portray[s] Christian redemption in their characters" (55).
"Forrest Gump... communicate[s] the idea of a chance world in which events occur without purpose" (61).
"One film that addresses the freedom-determination debate in a decidedly Christian manner is
Magnolia" (65).
"A good example of a film about freedom over rules is Pleasantville. 'Black-and-white people' discover joy and turn into color when they make personal choices against society's norms. Most of these choices wind up being for premarital and adulterous sex, an expression of freedom through immorality" (69).
"Titanic is a gigantic expression of this rejection of social norms in favor of personal intuition, or the heart-over-head approach" (75).
"In Groundhog Day... it is not until [Bill Murray] decides to personally and selflessly love a woman that he finds redemption... It's [Kierkegaard's] Religious stage, including the same kind of commitment, but without God" (80-1).
"Pulp Fiction is a world without absolutes, without the finer distinction of good guys and bad guys... Pulp Fiction was one of the first self-consciously postmodern mainstream films, heralding a new way of looking at reality in storytelling" (88).
"Castaway... is an example of fate as a God substitute.... As C.S. Lewis eloquently stated, 'It is nice to be able to think of this great mysterious Force [Fate] rolling on through the centuries and carrying you on its crest, [yet] being only a blind force, with no morals and no mind, will never interfere with you like that troublesome God" (108-9).
While I learned a lot from how Godawa categorized movies, I believe some of his categorizations were incorrect. (This is probably inevitable anytime one attempts to categorize any group of things—what category does a platypus belong in, for example?) Godawa categorizes The Cell, for example, under his Neopaganism category, stating the movie is "a Wiccan neopagan story of occultic redemption, or in other words, liberation from the 'evil,' patriarchal religion of Christianity" (124). The Cell features a detective (played by Jennifer Lopez) who has to go into a serial killer's mind to find out where he has hidden his last victim, who is still alive. She encounters all kinds of bizarre images inside his mind, and then to defeat him, she must lure him into her mind, where "she overpowers him with her goddess power, expressed in Wiccan symbols. She... engages in an abbreviated ceremony of drawing down the moon, [then] crucifies the killer, thus expressing the triumph of the free-spirited feminist goddess over the old patriarch Christian God of violence and domination" (125).
I believe Godawa overplays the Wiccan symbolism in order to make The Cell fit into his "Neopaganism" category. What I remember from The Cell is that when the detective is inside the killer's mind, she finds a king seated on a throne, with the train of the king's robe filling the temple: a clear reference to Isaiah 6. But in the killer's mind, it is not God on the throne; he himself is seated there as God. I believe this symbolizes the killer's belief that he is a god: he answers to no God but himself. While Wiccan symbolism is present in The Cell, there is much more distorted Christian symbolism, which I believe is used to show the killer's rejecting God and becoming his own God.
December 17, 2022
Have you ever been involved in a conversation similar to this?
A co-worker asks, "Hey, what did you think of that movie last night?"
You reply, "I liked it."
They respond, "Well, tell me more. Why did you like it?"
"Huh? I just did. I don't know why - I just did."
Enroll in Brian Godawa's Movie Appreciation 101 and you need never again be stuck for an answer to this question. He can teach you an elementary understanding of the structure of storytelling to make you an informed moviegoer who can watch a film and enjoy the story while also engaging your critical faculties to understand what the movie is trying to say about the way in which we ought or ought not to live.
You'll learn to look for the "moral of the story" and state this theme propositionally as a premise that leads to a conclusion - usually in terms of “x leads to y”.
You'll be able to describe and comment on the movie's hero and his inner flaw, as well as his obsessive desire and his plan to get it.
Of course you'll also learn to talk about the opposition that the story's adversary offers until the hero almost fails but finally finds a solution.
Soon, discussing this process of goal, flaw, failure and self-revelation will become second nature to you.
In this book Godawa makes the learning fun and interesting by taking a look at either storytelling technique or worldview and using movies to illustrate. In the case of examining story structure, he uses Amadeus, the Oscar-winning tragedy about the man who killed Mozart (in the movie, though not in reality); and The Truman Show, the Jim Carrey comedy vehicle about an innocent and naive young man who discovers that his life is a TV show for the world.
But wait! There's more! He provides a primer on virtually every type of philosophy espoused in today's movies and a brief outline of the historical stages of thought in Western civilization. This begins with the “premodern” philosophy, of the Greek, Roman and early Christian empires, which was marked by a recognition that reality was created and sustained by a superunatural realm beyond the senses.
Godawa goes on from there to comment on each philosophical movement from the Enlightenment (when society began to see religion as an ignorant, magical interpretation of a universe that is actually generated and sustained by naturalistic, machinelike laws.) through Romanticism to existentialism.
Why?
Everybody operates upon a philosophy in life, a worldview that defines for them the way the world works and how they know things and how they ought to behave. So philosophy is ultimately a practical reality for all of us. In this sense, everyone is a philosopher; some are just more aware of it than others.
One of the dominant influences on movies today is the philosophy of existentialism. In order to understand this influence, it is helpful to see the philosophy in its historical origins and context.
When a kid watches the animated movie Shrek, he probably doesn’t know about Carl Jung’s theories of psychological types and the collective unconscious, but he is ingesting them nonetheless through those characters and that story.
Godawa is a conservative evangelical who is writing for a conservative evangelical audience. He has produced a great "field manual" for evaluating films from a Christian perspective. However, I would recommend this book to anyone who is serious about interacting with their culture and taking early steps in engaging cinema.
Be warned that the meat of the basic "how-to" material is found in the first few chapters. Afterwards Godawa's approach is to list, describe and critique movies that represent specific worldviews.
He closes with some good questions to ask yourself or to spark discussions with others when considering a film.
The story: Whose story is this? What is the character arc and redemption of the hero? Discuss the arc with examples from the movie. What is the hero’s inner flaw? What choice does the hero make to overcome the flaw? What is the theme or themes explored in the movie?
The worldview: What worldviews are explored in the film, and how are they honored or dishonored? What do you think the filmmakers are saying about the human condition and how we ought or ought not to live?
Really, after reading this book, you should never be at a loss for words when someone asks, "What did you think of the movie?"
A co-worker asks, "Hey, what did you think of that movie last night?"
You reply, "I liked it."
They respond, "Well, tell me more. Why did you like it?"
"Huh? I just did. I don't know why - I just did."
Enroll in Brian Godawa's Movie Appreciation 101 and you need never again be stuck for an answer to this question. He can teach you an elementary understanding of the structure of storytelling to make you an informed moviegoer who can watch a film and enjoy the story while also engaging your critical faculties to understand what the movie is trying to say about the way in which we ought or ought not to live.
You'll learn to look for the "moral of the story" and state this theme propositionally as a premise that leads to a conclusion - usually in terms of “x leads to y”.
You'll be able to describe and comment on the movie's hero and his inner flaw, as well as his obsessive desire and his plan to get it.
Of course you'll also learn to talk about the opposition that the story's adversary offers until the hero almost fails but finally finds a solution.
Soon, discussing this process of goal, flaw, failure and self-revelation will become second nature to you.
In this book Godawa makes the learning fun and interesting by taking a look at either storytelling technique or worldview and using movies to illustrate. In the case of examining story structure, he uses Amadeus, the Oscar-winning tragedy about the man who killed Mozart (in the movie, though not in reality); and The Truman Show, the Jim Carrey comedy vehicle about an innocent and naive young man who discovers that his life is a TV show for the world.
But wait! There's more! He provides a primer on virtually every type of philosophy espoused in today's movies and a brief outline of the historical stages of thought in Western civilization. This begins with the “premodern” philosophy, of the Greek, Roman and early Christian empires, which was marked by a recognition that reality was created and sustained by a superunatural realm beyond the senses.
Godawa goes on from there to comment on each philosophical movement from the Enlightenment (when society began to see religion as an ignorant, magical interpretation of a universe that is actually generated and sustained by naturalistic, machinelike laws.) through Romanticism to existentialism.
Why?
Everybody operates upon a philosophy in life, a worldview that defines for them the way the world works and how they know things and how they ought to behave. So philosophy is ultimately a practical reality for all of us. In this sense, everyone is a philosopher; some are just more aware of it than others.
One of the dominant influences on movies today is the philosophy of existentialism. In order to understand this influence, it is helpful to see the philosophy in its historical origins and context.
When a kid watches the animated movie Shrek, he probably doesn’t know about Carl Jung’s theories of psychological types and the collective unconscious, but he is ingesting them nonetheless through those characters and that story.
Godawa is a conservative evangelical who is writing for a conservative evangelical audience. He has produced a great "field manual" for evaluating films from a Christian perspective. However, I would recommend this book to anyone who is serious about interacting with their culture and taking early steps in engaging cinema.
Be warned that the meat of the basic "how-to" material is found in the first few chapters. Afterwards Godawa's approach is to list, describe and critique movies that represent specific worldviews.
He closes with some good questions to ask yourself or to spark discussions with others when considering a film.
The story: Whose story is this? What is the character arc and redemption of the hero? Discuss the arc with examples from the movie. What is the hero’s inner flaw? What choice does the hero make to overcome the flaw? What is the theme or themes explored in the movie?
The worldview: What worldviews are explored in the film, and how are they honored or dishonored? What do you think the filmmakers are saying about the human condition and how we ought or ought not to live?
Really, after reading this book, you should never be at a loss for words when someone asks, "What did you think of the movie?"
January 4, 2021
Hollywood Worldviews encourages Christian movie watchers to be neither cultural gluttons, seeking only to be entertained, nor cultural anorexics, avoiding art because of its portrayal of evil.
I found Act 1: Storytelling in the Movies to be the most helpful part of the book. Godawa starts by giving a rundown of some of the most scandalous parts of the Bible, showing that “the depiction of evil is treated as the necessary prerequisite to understanding redemption.” He then gives an overview of Story, Mythology, and Worldview, showing that all movies convey a message about how the world is or ought to be. The next chapter explains the narrative arc of storytelling (the hero, the hero’s goal, the adversary, character flaw, the apparent defeat, final confrontation, self-revelation, resolution) and the various ways redemption plays out in stories. This won’t be anything new to those who have studied literature, but it will be very helpful to those who want to be able to analyze what they watch but don’t know how.
Act 2: Worldviews in the Movies applies those skills to various worldviews. Existentialism and Postmodernism get an entire chapter each, then Romanticism, Monism, Evolution, Humanism, and Neo-Paganism share the third chapter in this section. Godawa explains each worldview then gives synopses of movies that contain these worldviews. He analyzes some in depth and others are given a single paragraph.
Act 3: Spirituality in the Movies feels a bit overwhelming with its machine-gun fire analyses of movies that cover topics related to Christianity.
The movies discussed mostly date from the 1990s to early 2000s, but I didn’t find this a hindrance at all. It also has the advantage of not ruining the plot of newer movies you want to but haven’t yet seen. I have a couple movie-obsessed teens (they don’t get it from me!); I will be assigning this as school reading for at least one of them in order to help her begin thinking more critically about what she watches.
Some good quotes:
…
Storytelling draws us into truth by incarnating worldview through narrative.
…
Context makes all the difference between moral exhortation and immoral exploitation of sin.
…
In a sense, movies are the new myths of American culture.
…
It should not surprise or scare us that all cultures have creation myths, flood legends, and similar ritualistic concepts. We should expect it. And we should not tremble at modern scholarship that sees historical fabrication in mythical origins. Just because there is similarity in myth between Christianity and other religions does not mean that Christianity is on an equal playing field with these religions or subordinate to a more generic Monomyth. Christianity is itself the true incarnation of the Monomyth in history, and other mythologies reflect or distort it like dirty or broken mirrors.
…
Through their craft, the first storytellers were expected to teach the culture how to live and behave in their world. The rejection of “messages” in movies as “preachy” or “propaganda” is a recent phenomenon that results from the splitting of reality into secular/sacred distintions, as if a story about human beings relating to one another could exist in a vacuum, without reference to values or meaning. All movies inherently contain messages in the very nature of their storytelling. Characters making choices that result in consequences is a “message” about how the storyteller thinks the way the world works.
…
The key is to ask some questions: Is this an educational approach to exposing evil? What are the context and consequences of the vice portrayed? Is it dehumanizing or humanizing? Does the movie celebrate evil, or does it ultimately condemn it? Is the sin displayed as an end in itself, or is it a part of the bigger picture that leads to redemption? Does the movie go overboard in detail, or is some detail necessary to emphasize the seriousness of our behavior? Only in this way can we avoid the extremes of cultural gluttony or cultural anorexia, which are both detrimental to our humanity as created in the image of God.
I found Act 1: Storytelling in the Movies to be the most helpful part of the book. Godawa starts by giving a rundown of some of the most scandalous parts of the Bible, showing that “the depiction of evil is treated as the necessary prerequisite to understanding redemption.” He then gives an overview of Story, Mythology, and Worldview, showing that all movies convey a message about how the world is or ought to be. The next chapter explains the narrative arc of storytelling (the hero, the hero’s goal, the adversary, character flaw, the apparent defeat, final confrontation, self-revelation, resolution) and the various ways redemption plays out in stories. This won’t be anything new to those who have studied literature, but it will be very helpful to those who want to be able to analyze what they watch but don’t know how.
Act 2: Worldviews in the Movies applies those skills to various worldviews. Existentialism and Postmodernism get an entire chapter each, then Romanticism, Monism, Evolution, Humanism, and Neo-Paganism share the third chapter in this section. Godawa explains each worldview then gives synopses of movies that contain these worldviews. He analyzes some in depth and others are given a single paragraph.
Act 3: Spirituality in the Movies feels a bit overwhelming with its machine-gun fire analyses of movies that cover topics related to Christianity.
The movies discussed mostly date from the 1990s to early 2000s, but I didn’t find this a hindrance at all. It also has the advantage of not ruining the plot of newer movies you want to but haven’t yet seen. I have a couple movie-obsessed teens (they don’t get it from me!); I will be assigning this as school reading for at least one of them in order to help her begin thinking more critically about what she watches.
Some good quotes:
…
Storytelling draws us into truth by incarnating worldview through narrative.
…
Context makes all the difference between moral exhortation and immoral exploitation of sin.
…
In a sense, movies are the new myths of American culture.
…
It should not surprise or scare us that all cultures have creation myths, flood legends, and similar ritualistic concepts. We should expect it. And we should not tremble at modern scholarship that sees historical fabrication in mythical origins. Just because there is similarity in myth between Christianity and other religions does not mean that Christianity is on an equal playing field with these religions or subordinate to a more generic Monomyth. Christianity is itself the true incarnation of the Monomyth in history, and other mythologies reflect or distort it like dirty or broken mirrors.
…
Through their craft, the first storytellers were expected to teach the culture how to live and behave in their world. The rejection of “messages” in movies as “preachy” or “propaganda” is a recent phenomenon that results from the splitting of reality into secular/sacred distintions, as if a story about human beings relating to one another could exist in a vacuum, without reference to values or meaning. All movies inherently contain messages in the very nature of their storytelling. Characters making choices that result in consequences is a “message” about how the storyteller thinks the way the world works.
…
The key is to ask some questions: Is this an educational approach to exposing evil? What are the context and consequences of the vice portrayed? Is it dehumanizing or humanizing? Does the movie celebrate evil, or does it ultimately condemn it? Is the sin displayed as an end in itself, or is it a part of the bigger picture that leads to redemption? Does the movie go overboard in detail, or is some detail necessary to emphasize the seriousness of our behavior? Only in this way can we avoid the extremes of cultural gluttony or cultural anorexia, which are both detrimental to our humanity as created in the image of God.
August 7, 2018
Brian Godava tries with this book to show how modern philosophies, mainly existentialism and postmodernism, are reflected in movies. This is a time-sensitive book, or my edition that was written in 2002, so there are many movies a modern reader could have added. However, Godava seems to have a good grasp of the movies from 2002 and before and incorporate many good examples. The book does go maybe too much into the direction of mentioning movies and their short synopsis as examples an masse, but it is a book about movies so it is kind of required to a degree. The book also explores Christianity, haven & hell, angels & demons, doubt & faith in films and how they are portrayed both in good and bad ways.
July 7, 2023
A fascinating read. Godawa takes time to breakdown films to unveil the roots of underlying worldview. Perhaps the most profitable purpose in reading this book, the author summarizes plainly:
“In some ways television, music, and the movies are the modern arena of ideas. Many people are influenced in their worldviews by the entertainment industry, whether willingly or unwittingly.” (pg 254)
This book was heavily influenced by Francis Schaeffer, and thus if one is looking to study the impact of Culture and the Spirit of the Age upon Art and Entertainment, this book provides a great deal of information to aid. Though I don’t agree with all underlying presumptions, the content provided and the analysis made is certainly valuable!
“In some ways television, music, and the movies are the modern arena of ideas. Many people are influenced in their worldviews by the entertainment industry, whether willingly or unwittingly.” (pg 254)
This book was heavily influenced by Francis Schaeffer, and thus if one is looking to study the impact of Culture and the Spirit of the Age upon Art and Entertainment, this book provides a great deal of information to aid. Though I don’t agree with all underlying presumptions, the content provided and the analysis made is certainly valuable!
June 9, 2017
A good, though not groundbreaking, exploration of the messages that movies tell us, whether we realize it or not. There was a lot of analysis of individual movies according to different worldviews they espouse (modern, postmodern, etc.), with some fantastic quotes on honest, God-honoring storytelling sprinkled throughout.
"In some ways television, music, and the movies are the modern arena of ideas. Many people are influenced in their worldview by the entertainment industry, whether wittingly or unwittingly. Like Paul, we had best be informed about the media of communication in our culture."
"In some ways television, music, and the movies are the modern arena of ideas. Many people are influenced in their worldview by the entertainment industry, whether wittingly or unwittingly. Like Paul, we had best be informed about the media of communication in our culture."
February 27, 2020
I first read a quote from Brian Godawa in a Porterbrook Course that I was taking. I then forgot the quote and had forgotten about Brian as well. Then, I heard him on The Babylon Bee podcast. He is definitely interesting and I love the idea of watching movies in an intentional way. Most of the time I look at movies purely as a source of entertainment and nothing else. I do the culture christian thing and check IMDB for nudity and occasionally for cussing but most of the time the latter doesn't phase me. After reading this book I am definitely going to try and be on the lookout for some of the things that Brian discussed in this book. I would definitely recommend it.
October 19, 2020
I love movies and I agree with the premise Brian Godawa presents - that all movies portray a worldview/philosophy and that the viewer should be aware of this and discerning. Godawa's approach after a few introductory chapters was to list and describe and critique movies that represented a specific worldview. I thought this became repetitive.
January 31, 2019
This book took me to a place I've never been: a Christian college film classroom. It's a really cute book and I enjoyed Brian Godawa's enthusiasm. His film appreciation was evident and thorough.
I didn't always agree with his conclusions, but was grateful for his perspectives. Refreshing.
I didn't always agree with his conclusions, but was grateful for his perspectives. Refreshing.
January 25, 2020
Super good look into watching movies in a way that brings you deeper into your faith and understanding of the world around you. A good read for any Christian who desires to know more about how you can reach others through knowing the current culture.
March 1, 2020
Neste livro Brian faz uma abordagem corajosa, confrontando os cristãos que muitas vezes investem muita energia em críticas sem fundamento, quando poderiam entender melhor as mensagens de cada filme mesmo quando, em sua maioria transmitan ideias anticristãs ou mesmo de cunho cristão equivocado.
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