I Can't Believe I Watched this Movie

Last weekend, as previously noted, we went to visit friends in Palmer. We went to a movie. It was called 'Courageous'. We didn't know anything about it before we walked in.

Within 2 minutes (not an exaggeration) we were all staring at each other wondering what fresh hell this was (that IS an exaggeration).

We stayed for the entire movie, which I consider an amazing accomplishment.

The movie is from the same baptist church that did the movie 'Fireproof'. In defense of the church and their cheesy movie franchises, I have never seen that movie. I will never watch it. I have heard some good things about it, but from people who are theologically where I am I haven't heard good things. So I'm not going to see it.

I wouldn't have ever seen Courageous either, but there I was with my popcorn in the theater. So I watched it.

There will be major movie spoilers in this post. I am assuming people who read my blog don't care about that kind of thing. If you're dying to see the movie then maybe don't finish reading this post. Probably never come back and read it either.

Movie plot: Bunch of police officer fathers are friends. They have kids, talk about God. They meet Hispanic man who in a bout of sheer racial surprise, doesn't have a job. (So stereotyped.) Become friends with man. One man loses daughter to driving accident. They cry. (It actually was sad.) Man decides he needs to be a better father. Man writes weird resolution based on the Bible about how to be a good dad. Friends join in. It becomes a huge thing where they dress up. Weird scene happens where one of the dads gives his daughter a 'purity' ring and talks about how he needed to choose who she dates. One of the police friends does something bad. Some bad things happen, but of course they all turn out great because with God - everything always works out perfectly. Big church scene with men talking about how they are encouraging everyone to be good dads. The End.

Racial stereotyping: All the gang people in the movie were black. They wore gangster clothes, talked like all television gang people talk, and their pants were falling off. The only Hispanic characters in the movie were a man who was blue collar and his family. His wife, who in real life would be a tough hispanic lady, was stereotyped as an emotional woman. Real Hispanic women? Tough, man. Much tougher.

Gender issues: The wives were all behind the scenes. The dads made all the decisions, including slumber parties. Moms all appeared to be doing the dishes and cooking basically all the time. They were very quiet.

Also, the dads kept using the word 'I'. "I am responsible for my family." "I will change my family." I, I, I.

Isn't marriage and family life about the 'we'? 'I' implies you control everyone else. Not okay with me.

Conservative craziness: Really? You get to CHOOSE who your daughter dates even AFTER she doesn't live in your house because you LOVE her? How about loving her enough to make her own choices? How about loving her enough to realize that giving her a creepy ring makes the whole thing look pretty incestuous? Really, it was creepy to the max. So gross. It actually still gives me shivers.

And the end, where they all are in the church all the men are chanting 'I will, I will'. Great. I'm so glad you will, with the help of no one else, including the people who live in your house and who you love, will change the world. Great. However, that end scene in the church? Totally a sales pitch. I am sure there are videos, workbooks, group junk to do now that have to do with this movie.

No real Bible references were mentioned, that I can remember.

Also? The police force was sort of equated with good law and by good I mean solid Bible stuff. I don't like equating this country with God or equating law enforcement with God. I think that is a very scary road to go down.

There were some good points. It IS important that the movie called on dads to be just as responsible for their children as moms. It IS important that men realize that they need to actually have relationships with their children and not watch television all the time. It IS good for men to have emotions and to be okay with that.

It ISN'T okay to AGAIN make sure that white, conservative, Christian men are the best. And it ISN'T okay to give men keys to be able to control their families by claiming God told them to do this, that, and the other thing. It felt like watching cheerleaders at a football game there at the end of the movie.

My recommendation is don't see it. Ever. Unless you want to be able to talk to people about it. Then I guess you should. But be prepared. You know how cheesy Christian movie people talk? It is totally like that. So gross.

I can't believe I watched this movie.