The Sunset Limited

Bottom Line: A heavy and philosophical drama in which two different men explore God, life, death, hopelessness and hope.

The Gist: A secular, white professor (Tommy Lee Jones) steps in front of a train, only to be rescued by a Christian, working-class black man (Samuel L. Jackson). Convinced the man is still suicidal, the uneducated worker engages the overlyeducated desponedent man about faith and the meaning of life, keeping him from running off to finish the job. This is a film of the play by the great writer Cormac McCarthy.

The Verdict: Watch it. I haven’t seen the movie yet, but I have read the play. McCarthy is one of our great writers and understands the problems of both faith and unbelief. An excellent and profound work.

Be Aware: The film, from TV and not theaters, is unrated. Since I haven’t seen it, I cannot tell you if there is violence or language, but the play calls for two men sitting in a room and little else.