Slept a lot today. Somedays you just gotta.
Last night I was talking with Mom and the subject of Batman Begins came up, and since Mom often functions as my unofficial conscience (because I allow her to) she brought up the whole “being relevant” issue: Should I have seen this movie?
My usual response: Is it going to lead me to sin?
Am I going to have violent urges because of it? Does my approval of the movie glorify violence, vigilanteism, giving in to one’s darker urges? Am I really just encouraging billionaire trust-fund babies to decide to learn ninjutsu, wear black, and smack around criminals?
For me, no. I can watch a Batman movie without wanting to follow Batman’s example, just like I can read about King David in scripture and not want to do some of the dumber things he did. I came into the theater thinking one way, and left the theater thinking the same way. There’s no temptation there. (I checked.)
But there are some movies that do change your mind about things. When I saw The Passion of the Christ, I had a greater appreciation for Mary. When I saw The Last Temptation of Christ, I had a clearer understanding of what non-Christians think about Jesus’s divinity. When I saw Elf, I realized that Will Ferrell can actually be funny if you give him something to work with. Movies can change you; sometimes not for the better. (As a result of Elf, I saw Anchorman. Ugh.)
What movies have changed you—for the better, and for worse?