A movie about a Christian conversion

Over the weekend I saw a very good movie, Flywheel. Made in 2003 for $20,000 and intended initially only for a local audience of fellow Christians, the movie caught on and became a national phenomenon. Since then Alex Kendrick, its writer, director, producer and lead actor, and his brother Stephen have made two more movies with higher budgets.

The movie does not reflect its astonishingly low budget. While there is nothing fancy about it, it looks good and the actors for the most part are remarkably good.

Flywheel is the story of the seemingly hot-shot owner of a used car dealership in Albany, Georgia who cheats his customers, who is unkind to his wife and son, and whose marriage and business are in deep trouble. He himself begins to realize that he has gone amiss, and, overcoming his pridefulness, he turns himself around. He gets down on his knees, admits to God the wrong he has done, prays for forgiveness, and asks Jesus to enter his life and be his Lord. From that moment on, his life changes in remarkable and miraculous ways, showing God’s power in man’s life when man opens himself to God.

I enjoyed this unpretentious but deeply true and touching film more than I would nineteen of twenty Hollywood films. It’s a reminder of how a simple, semi-amateur production can have more human and dramatic meaning than most high-budget fancy productions.

It also made me wonder, if your typical liberal Christianity-haters saw this amiable and appealing movie, which is all about a man’s striving to do right, could they keep on believing that Christianity represents some monstrous, threatening force?

Flywheel made me feel that all is not finished for America, there is a godliness here which will ultimately save us. But it was made in 2003. We have become far worse as a society since then. As far as our public culture is concerned, evil is gaining ground, not losing it.

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Terry Morris writes:

I saw the movie several years back and thought its message was top-of-the-line. And you’re right about the acting too. One of the other two movies made by the same producers I think is called Facing the Giants. I can only say that it is a real tear-jerker.

Mark L. writes:

I really liked Flywheel, too. In some respects, it’s the best of the films this team has created, due to its simplicity and lack of gimmickry. (This is in contrast with Fireproof, which spawned a series of books designed to get men role-playing their way to being better husbands or to becoming Christians.)

Anyway, you wondered:

“If your typical liberal Christianity-haters saw this amiable and appealing movie, which is all about a man’s striving to do right, could they keep on believing that Christianity represents some monstrous, threatening force?”

I don’t think it would cure them of their anti-Christian animus, but they would likely not find too much fault with the movie. For one thing, there’s nothing political about Flywheel. There’s no critique of society at large, no addressing of hot-button issues, nothing overtly judgmental toward any particular subset of people. In that regard, today’s liberal would probably see it in the “good-for-you” kind of way. Most liberals see themselves as ethical people, and if Christianity led this one character to turn his life around for the better and start dealing honestly and kindly with others, they’d likely say, “Hey, whatever works, man.” So long as he doesn’t have anything to say about homosexuality or abortion or Darwinism, he’s just fine. [LA replies: Yes, good point. You have answered my question.]

Plus, at the end of the day, the hero is just a used-car salesman. So he needs the Christian gospel, you see, unlike the rest of humanity. In fact, though the film did not make this point explicitly, the scripture quoted at the end, from 2nd Corinthians 5:17, is an implicit plea to the viewer, however ethical he or she might be. Each person needs to become a new creature, which only happens upon turning to Christ. In other words, being born again.

Posted by Lawrence Auster at August 27, 2012 03:37 PM | Send