There are two accounts in the Bible that I love. The first is the account of Ruth and Naomi; the second is the story of Joseph. We actually named our latest baby "Manasseh" after Joseph's first-born son in the Bible. The story is one that is very near and dear to my heart, and it communicates how God's plans can be so wildly different than what we plan, but still puts us on an amazing path!
This week, the new movie "Seasons of Gray" came out. The movie is based off of the story of Joseph, how his brothers left him for dead in a strange place, how Joseph spent part of his life imprisoned, and how he later came to advise a man of influence to place him in a position to save his own family. The movie, which is rated PG-13 has some themes that likely aren't appropriate for kids younger than 13 or so. There is some fighting (a gruesome scene including a branding iron doesn't show anything, but makes the point), a scene of a seduction gone wrong, and some jail scenes. While they aren't so gritty that they should be avoided (they are, after all, inspired by the struggles and hardships that Joseph endured), they may bring up discussions for later. And that's OK.
The acting in the film was a mixture of really good (the main character is basically an unknown but does very good work) and average. The writing is solid. The message, while based on the Bible, had to be simplified a bit to fit into a feature-length film. It seemed to focus on forgiveness as the message, while I actually think of the Joseph story as a whole myriad of issues, including the testing of those who have broken our trust (which is actually not brought up much in the film.)
Those who don't know the story of Joseph may be surprised to see the main character take back his family, after all the evil they did to him. The conviction that it was because of how Jesus first loved him is a good one, and makes sense in this context.
A great family-film that is more developed than some in the "Christian" market, viewers will have lots to discuss, and can -- hopefully -- refer back to God's word on how (and why) Joseph showed so much grace when he didn't have to.
The film is now available on DVD; get it where family DVD's are sold, or at Amazon.com! (You can also watch a trailer at the official website.)
*Screener received to review. Opinions are our own.
This week, the new movie "Seasons of Gray" came out. The movie is based off of the story of Joseph, how his brothers left him for dead in a strange place, how Joseph spent part of his life imprisoned, and how he later came to advise a man of influence to place him in a position to save his own family. The movie, which is rated PG-13 has some themes that likely aren't appropriate for kids younger than 13 or so. There is some fighting (a gruesome scene including a branding iron doesn't show anything, but makes the point), a scene of a seduction gone wrong, and some jail scenes. While they aren't so gritty that they should be avoided (they are, after all, inspired by the struggles and hardships that Joseph endured), they may bring up discussions for later. And that's OK.
The acting in the film was a mixture of really good (the main character is basically an unknown but does very good work) and average. The writing is solid. The message, while based on the Bible, had to be simplified a bit to fit into a feature-length film. It seemed to focus on forgiveness as the message, while I actually think of the Joseph story as a whole myriad of issues, including the testing of those who have broken our trust (which is actually not brought up much in the film.)
Those who don't know the story of Joseph may be surprised to see the main character take back his family, after all the evil they did to him. The conviction that it was because of how Jesus first loved him is a good one, and makes sense in this context.
A great family-film that is more developed than some in the "Christian" market, viewers will have lots to discuss, and can -- hopefully -- refer back to God's word on how (and why) Joseph showed so much grace when he didn't have to.
The film is now available on DVD; get it where family DVD's are sold, or at Amazon.com! (You can also watch a trailer at the official website.)
*Screener received to review. Opinions are our own.
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