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A service to our youth through you,
their parents and grandparents, in His name by His Word
MAR22041
Joshua (2001), G
Analysis Date: April 26, 2002
CAP Score: 95
CAP Influence Density: 0.08
MinMax: -8
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A service to our youth through you, their parents and grandparents, in His name by His Word MAR22041 Joshua (2001), G Analysis Date: April 26, 2002 CAP Score: 95 CAP Influence Density: 0.08 MinMax: -8 |
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JOSHUA (G) -- Another green CAPAlert light!!! Distributed by: Crusader Entertainment LLC, Paramount Studios Director(s): Jon Purdy Producer(s): Howard Baldwin, Karen Elise Baldwin, Paul Pompian Written by/Screenplay: Joseph F. Girzone (novel), Brad Mirman and Keith Giglio (screenplay) Cinematography/Camera: Bruce Surtees Music: David R. Barkley, Michael W. Smith Film Editing: Richard Nord Art Direction: Jeff Wallace 
Now THIS is entertainment! Though some performers were obviously new and inexperienced or were inadequately motivated, for the most part Joshua presented quality performances in a moving and thought - provoking story with NO filth or extreme anything. Joshua was yet another proof that filmmakers can actually write and produce quality family entertainment if they try hard enough.What would Jesus look like if He were standing before you? Would He help you rebuild a fallen church? Would He go to your son's rock concert? Would He let a woman kiss Him? What would He say to you? Where would he sleep and live? Some of these questions are given what the writers felt might be answers in this that may appear to some as a portrayal of the second coming of Christ. This show portrays Joshua (Tony Goldwyn) as Jesus walking the earth but in a modern setting. In this portrayal, He does not come to us "...with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God..." [1Ths. 4:16]. Rather, the Joshua "Jesus" appeared as He might have casually come upon they who knew and saw Him when He was a man 2000 years ago but using modern man and the modern world to tell the story. While the Bible clearly directs that Jesus will come the second time after the Rapture, there is no Rapture in this depiction and Jesus did not collect His Bride (we Christians), the quick and the dead. He did not lock up Satan. He is just here, walking up as he might have approached Bethany or Jericho. So, this film should be thought more of as a depiction as He might have been 2000 years ago, delivering His message of love, truth, togetherness, peace and compassion. And that it does. Very well. Using modern Americans instead of Palestinians. One of the reasons I believe this to be a depiction of how Jesus might have lived His life 2000 years ago with a modern backdrop rather than a story of the second coming of Christ is that there was no talk noted of Salvation through the shedding of Christ's precious cleansing Blood as if the Saving Sacrifice had not yet happened. Joshua strolls into the outskirts of Auburn as two teenagers are vandalizing the wreckage of a Baptist church destroyed by a storm the year before. Also meeting Joshua and chasing off the teenagers is a stuttering "gentle giant" of a black man who seems to be the only one who understands who it is standing before him. I wish I could remember this man's name who told Joshua his greatest desire was to be a preacher but that his stutter would not let him. At the gentle giant's spoken doubt about himself, Joshua told him with a sense of certainty rather than wishes that he will be a very good preacher. That sense of certainty is one of the key positive features of this movie. There is no sanctimonious holier-than-than projections sometimes typical of the one playing the part of Jesus in Jesus movies. Strolling into Auburn, Joshua finds residence in an old leaking barn to carry out his vocation of woodworking. Nice adaptations on the part of the writers to have the Carpenter living in a manger. This is our first hint with substance who Joshua is. One of the next scenes has Joshua ripping apart the remains of the destroyed church, readying it for rebuilding. The townspeople arrive to question Joshua and lay on him their authority. But soon, many of the townspeople are helping Joshua rebuild the church ... with the stuttering gentle giant having a commanding presence. Eventually, they get the church rebuilt but as the finishing touch, the gentle giant gets to hang the church bell. As soon as he gets it hung, a flock of pigeons flutter out of the bell tower and startle the gentle giant who falls to his death 40 feet below -- until Joshua tells him to wake up. And he does. Among the opposition Joshua faces is the local clergy led by Father Tardone (F. Murray Abraham) who apparently sees Joshua's magnetism as a threat to his own nice little "following." Father Tardone threatens to denounce Joshua/Jesus as a fraud before the Pope (Giancarlo Giannini) and launches a campaign to convince the townspeople, who are by now following Joshua in just about everything he does, to mistrust Joshua and send him out of town. The badgered Father Pat Hayes (Kurt Fuller) obeys his boss, Father Tardone in his campaign against Joshua/Jesus ... but only to a certain point. It is when Joshua/Jesus talks the gentle giant back to life that Father Pat decides he has been working for a fool who does not know he is a fool in the sense of eviyl {ev-eel'}: one who despises wisdom, who mocks when guilty, who is quarrelsome. A young teenager is verbally antagonized by a father portrayed as being quite "back woods" narrow about the music the teen makes (which happens to be Christian rock), but Joshua encourages the teen to continue with his convictions. I have a problem with this portrayal. If some stranger came to my son and advised my son to rebel against my wishes, the stranger and I would be at odds in no uncertain terms. However, if Jesus came and encouraged my son to disregard my wishes, I would look to my wishes for the cause of friction. But if your teen sees this, it is inevitable that the "My father just doesn't understand" surface of the statement will be louder than the "I love you and want the best for you" heart of it. It is sort of like reading the Bible and just reading the words, not the Word. And nowhere have I seen in the Bible has God given that it is okay for a son to rebel against his father. Ever [Is. 30:1 and many others]. And likewise nowhere have I seen in the Bible that God has given that it is okay for a father to ridicule his son [Eph. 6:4]. A revival evangelist is preaching in a tent. The writers appear to have the evangelist as one of the shallow pretenders who pass the plate for pocket money rather than operating funds: who have staged actors pretend to be healed. Joshua/Jesus indeed humbles the evangelist by doing a little healing of his own -- of a blind woman who came in faith to be healed. An interesting item of attention to detail is the writers portraying Joshua/Jesus as being physically drained each time he heals someone. Joshua staggered a bit when he resurrected the gentle giant and nearly collapsed when he gave sight back the blind woman in the revival tent. This item of detail fits the picture well of the time the woman with bloody issue for twelve years who had faith that if she could merely touch the hem of Jesus' cloak that she would be healed. And when she did, when she was healed Jesus told His disciples that He felt the virtue (healing power) go out from Him [Luke 8:43-46]. During an episode of discussion between Joshua and Fathers Tardone and Hayes, the topic of fearing God comes up. Joshua suggests in a worldly sense that we are to love God not fear Him, which is true. But God advises that we fear Him. Let me talk for a moment about this "fear of God", one of the most misunderstood and misused expressions in the Bible. So many use it against the believers saying God demands that you be afraid of Him when it couldn't be farther from the Truth. Looking at the definition of "fear" according to Strong's, where "fear of God" appears in the KJV there are three translations to "fear."
So, if you oppose and reject God you should dread (pachad) fear what He will do (and won't do). If you love Him you should revere, honor and respect (yirah or phobos) fear Him. "Yirah" or "phobos" fear Him even in the marriage sense as we, the believers, will be His Bride. There is much more to this 86-minute excursion into thought and contemplation. I will spoil no more of it for you. Please be sure to check the very short listing of findings in the Findings/Scoring section which repeats that which you have read herein plus a teeny bit more. SCRIPTURAL APPLICATION(S) If needed to focus or fortify, applicable text is underlined or bracketed [ ]. If you wish to have full context available, the Blue Letter Bible is a convenient source. If you use the Blue Letter Bible, a new window will open. Close it to return here or use "Window" in your browser's menu bar to alternate between the CAP page and the Blue Letter Bible page. *******Food for Thought******* As always, it is best to refer to the Findings/Scoring section -- the heart of the CAP analysis model -- for the most complete assessment possible of this movie. |
 Wanton Violence/Crime (W): Impudence/Hate (I)(1): Sex/Homosexuality (S): Drugs/Alcohol (D): Offense to God (O)(2): Murder/Suicide (M)(3): |
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| NOTE: The CAP Analysis Model makes no scoring allowances for trumped-up "messages" to excuse or for manufacturing of justification for aberrant behavior or imagery, or for camouflaging such ignominy with "redeeming" programming. Disguising sinful behavior in a theme plot does not excuse the sinful behavior of either the one who is drawing pleasure or example from the sinful display or the practitioners demonstrating the sinful behavior. This is NOT a movie review service. It is a movie analysis service to parents and grandparents to tell them the truth about movies using the Truth. |
| "There are some in the entertainment industry who maintain that 1) violent programming is harmless because no studies exist that prove a connection between violent entertainment and aggressive behavior in children, and 2) young people know that television, movies, and video games are simply fantasy. Unfortunately, they are wrong on both accounts." And "Viewing violence may lead to real life violence." I applaud these associations for fortifying 1 Cor. 15:33. Read the rest of the story. From our nearly seven years of study, I contend that other aberrant behaviors, attitudes, and expressions can be inserted in place of "violence" in that statement. Our Director - Child Psychology Support, a licensed psychologist and certified school psychologist concurs. For example, "Viewing arrogance against fair authority may lead to your kids defying you in real life." Or "Viewing sex may lead to sex in real life." Likewise and especially with impudence, hate and foul language. I further contend that any positive behavior can be inserted in place of "violence" with the same chance or likelihood of being a behavior template for the observer; of being incorporated into the behavior mechanics and/or coping skills of the observer. In choosing your entertainment, please consider carefully the "rest of the story" and our findings. |
