{"id":10280,"date":"2014-05-30T16:41:23","date_gmt":"2014-05-30T21:41:23","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/1morefilmblog\/?p=10280"},"modified":"2015-05-25T19:17:28","modified_gmt":"2015-05-26T00:17:28","slug":"frank-vs-god-schill-2014","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/1morefilmblog\/frank-vs-god-schill-2014\/","title":{"rendered":"Frank vs. God (Schill, 2014)"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<\/head>

\"FvG-HenryIanCusick_NatalyaOliver\"<\/a>
\u201cThe Best Christian-ish film of the year (so far)\u201d<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/p>

The Best Christian-\u201cish\u201d film of the year (so far)<\/h2>\n

Frank vs. God<\/em> is\u00a0one of my\u00a0favorite films\u00a0thus far into the movie year, and it is\u00a0without a doubt\u00a0one of the\u00a0better \u201creligious\u201d films of those recently released.\u00a0 The plot is believable, the acting is credible, and the humor is comically ironical rather than salacious\u2013all elements which \u00a0give\u00a0the film\u00a0a definite edge over other films directed at the same demographic.<\/p>\n

The\u00a0plot follows the developments of a\u00a0lawsuit brought to the Florida state court by\u00a0renowned attorney David Frank (Henry Ian Cusick).<\/p>\n

While visiting his niece on her birthday, Frank\u2019s house is destroyed by an inexplicable\u00a0tornado.\u00a0 Frank claims his house to insurance only to be told that a certain clause in\u00a0his contract expressly denies compensation to\u00a0the homeowner if\/when\u00a0a\u00a0house is\u00a0damaged by tornadoes, hurricanes\u00a0or a number of\u00a0of other natural weather patterns\u00a0as these storms\u00a0are deemed\u00a0\u201cacts of God.\u201d It is this language which sends Frank over the edge and into the court-room, calling for a full-court press on and prosecution of\u00a0the One and Only, the Beginning and the End\u2013God.<\/p>\n

The plot summary suggests a sort of far-fetched illegitimate sketch of a movie which very likely could have ended blasphemously.\u00a0 (Though\u00a0when you consider the\u00a0nature of some lawsuits being\u00a0brought to\u00a0trial today,\u00a0the\u00a0topic at issue here seems\u00a0more realistic than far-fetched.) \u00a0 Nonetheless,\u00a0I think\u00a0the film\u00a0did not.<\/p>\n

I am by no means a\u00a0legal scholar, but I did study\u00a0political science\u00a0at the undergraduate level.\u00a0 And from the perspective of one with such a background, the film\u2019s\u00a0depiction and portrayal of\u00a0 legal proceedings inside\u00a0the court-room\u2013even down to the politics involved in a judge\u2019s preliminary decision to hear a case\u2013are\u00a0better researched than expected from\u00a0the typical\u00a0\u201ccomedy\u201d movie.\u00a0 It is this layer of realism which grounds a somewhat far-fetched plot, and keeps the film in the realm of satire rather than farce.<\/p>\n

Writer-director, Stewart Schill (whom also directed episodes of the TV series Dexter<\/em> and Charmed<\/em>) clearly did his research\u2013even going\u00a0so far\u00a0as to\u00a0cite recent Supreme Court rulings in the film\u2019s script.\u00a0 This kind of research is difficult to conduct, it takes time and effort to read and comprehend such\u00a0legal jargon, let alone\u00a0incorporates these findings into pop-culture film.\u00a0 Schill does\u00a0a\u00a0commendable job in all three aspects.<\/p>\n

The film is humorous,\u00a0comical, and trusts the audience\u2019s intelligence more so than do many faith-based films.\u00a0 With Heaven is For Real<\/em>, for example, much of that film\u2019s humor\u00a0was contrived out of\u00a0situational irony, which while it was humorous, lacked a certain edge.\u00a0 Frank vs. God<\/em>\u00a0employs puns, innuendos, sarcasm, and\u00a0various other\u00a0rhetorical devices.\u00a0\u00a0Frank (Ian\u00a0Cusick from Lost<\/em>)\u00a0lines are predominantly\u00a0funny quips which are subtly humorous\u2013maybe not laugh out loud funny\u2013but certainly entertaining and without a doubt\u00a0refreshing.<\/p>\n

That being said, while nothing in the film is inappropriate for children, the film itself, because much of\u00a0the humor revolves around irony, it may be better appreciated by a more mature audience.<\/p>\n

\"FvG-GeraldWolfHeartChristopher_TedSod_TerryLaughlin_BernCohen_EricEsteban\"<\/a>
\u201cEither God is merciless and cruel, or He doesn\u2019t exist.\u201d<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

On the topic of audience, even though the film does have an air of religiosity surrounding it, it doesn\u2019t have as its overarching goal to proselytize.\u00a0 Frank\u00a0\u00a0posits\u00a0the question \u201ceither God is merciless and cruel, or He doesn\u2019t exist.\u201d<\/p>\n

This question, and others, while\u00a0it may be topical is\u00a0by\u00a0no means new. In his Confessions<\/em>, St. Augustine struggled to define and understand the nature of God, just as he sought to discern the nature and origin of evil.\u00a0The Manichees also dealt with this same issue, positing that God was of a dualistic nature\u2013both good and bad.<\/p>\n

N.B.: There is one lingering issue with\u00a0the film\u2013and that is inherent in the question asked by Frank above: \u201ceither God is merciless and cruel, or He doesn\u2019t exist.\u201d\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 This kind of a blanket statement\u00a0categorically assigns\u00a0God with\u00a0responsibility for all bad circumstances\u2013accidents, diseases, deaths\u2013that mankind endures. \u00a0Claiming God to be the impetus behind such calamities is a dangerous game to play.\u00a0 In Christian ethics our professor warned us against such statements saying that\u00a0questions like \u201cWhy does God allow bad things to happen?\u201d\u00a0have the propensity to render\u00a0God responsible for such occurrences regardless of how they are answered.\u00a0\u00a0Care should be taken when making such assertions as they have two consequences: one,\u00a0to push evil back to God, and two,\u00a0to remove humans from taking\u00a0responsibility.\u00a0 We must recognize that we have a hand in the happenings on earth and not use God as a means to duck any moral accountability.<\/p>\n

This one caveat withstanding, the film is without a doubt one to be seen\u2013a humorously intriguing film capable of touching\u00a0a variety of\u00a0audiences.<\/p>\n

\u2014<\/p>\n

Claudia Mundy<\/strong>\u00a0is a Campbell University graduate. She is a writer, a reader, and a runner. You can follow her on Twitter at\u00a0@ClaudiaMundy<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/body><\/html>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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