Faith in Film 3, Week 6

Here's a look at the worksheet for the next couple weeks. I'm looking forward to our screening tomorrow night!

Title: “Signs” (2002)

Starring: Mel Gibson, Joaquin Phoenix, Abigail Breslin, Rory Culkin, and M. Night Shymalan

Synopsis: This is arguably the best of M. Night Shymalan’s films. Thought “The Sixth Sense” (1999) draws more acclaim, I think this is a better film for a variety of reasons. Shymalan’s films all have similar under currents and themes, but they are all told through a different lens. With “Signs,” Shymalan tells the story of a single father struggling with how to move on and raise his two children in the wake of his wife’s death. He is hurt, lost, angry, and going through a crisis of faith. What gives the story added emotional depth is that his is a minister who, in the wake of an indescribable personal tragedy, found that he wasn’t able to cling to the faith that had been his guide through his life and chosen vocational path. During the course of the film, his views are challenged and he’s forced to deal with the emotional and spiritual crisis in his life as aliens land on earth and begin targeting the local population. It is a fascinating twist on a few different genres.

From “The Sixth Sense” through “The Happening,” Shymalan’s films shared a similar theatrical structure and hook. They all explored variations on similar genres and they all told the same essential story. The crux of the story is a quest to find meaning in life, a quest to understand life, and a quest for forgiveness and redemption from the central character. Though he approached this story construct in vastly different ways through each of the films, the basic point of the narrative remained the same. In this film, the central character Graham Hess (Gibson) has a very literal crisis of faith that encompasses a majority of the narrative. In addition, many of the same story elements exist. He is enduring a sense of loss and hopelessness and seeking redemption — the literal redemption of his faith but also of himself. It is also a powerful demonstration of forgiveness, all wrapped in what is essentially a genre film.

Questions for Discussion:

1. How do we reconcile our view of God with the evil in the world?

2. Have you ever endured a crisis of faith? If so, how did you respond?

3. What role does forgiveness play in overcoming a crisis of faith?