Several movies – either in theaters or soon to be available on DVD – have lessons drawn from the life of the spirit, Robert W. Butler writes in The Washington Post.
In movies as varied as the dead serious “The Road,” the uplifting family picture “The Blind Side,” the biting comedy “The Invention of Lying” and even James Cameron’s sci-fi opus “Avatar,” issues of faith and morality and mankind’s place in the universe are all the rage.
Not all of these movies embrace religion. Some question human gullibility. Some ask for evidence of a higher purpose in what often seems a random universe. But whether they encourage prayer or doubt, they’re all part of the zeitgeist.
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Other current films, while not overtly religious, stress the idea of human beings as dependent on one another and responsible for one another’s well-being.
For what it’s worth, dear reader, this reviewer didn’t find much of substance in “Avatar” that hadn’t been said more eloquently in other venues. Perhaps that has to do with the 15 or so years that have elapsed since James Cameron first seized on the idea.
Your thoughts?