The Golden Compass: Controversy and Opportunity

November 29th, 2007 Posted in General

A few years ago I fell in love with stories. It started in elementary school when a local theater would put on a matinee performance especially for children. Once a year our school would travel across town to watch a production of Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol. Although far from Broadway, the production made a tremendous impression on me, especially the story of Scrooge’s reversal. The story of how his life is transformed in a single night is powerful and well known, and it helped shape my own story in some ways. As a child I couldn’t have articulated it, but now I know that it gave me hope that, by grace, people can be changed—and there is only One power in the world that can do that.

This is why I love stories, because they help shape our lives. So, as a pastor and a dad, I look for good stories in films, plays, books and poems, in conversation and in music. Good stories form and train the imagination and, you could say, shape the way we live, the way we see the world and the way we treat others. Perhaps best of all, stories are a great way to reach the mind and hearts of children.

That is why many within the Christian community and beyond have expressed concern about a movie called The Golden Compass, which is to open December 7. This movie is the first of three planned films based on a trilogy of children’s novels called His Dark Materials (a reference to Milton’s Paradise Lost) by avowed atheist Philip Pullman. The trouble with Mr. Pullman’s books (which have sold 15 million copies), and the film, is that the story presents the Church as evil, which is not so original, but the twist is that in the end the books are, as one reviewer quoted Pullman saying, “about killing God.” The books and the movie are intended for children.

I must say that I have not seen the film nor read the books. In this instance I haven’t had to in order to get the full concept of what Mr. Pullman intends. There has been enough written about both that readers and moviegoers can be well informed. Some have wondered, and rightfully so, how the church should respond? There are all sorts of ideas ranging from boycotting to simply ignoring all of Mr. Pullman’s materials. Personally, as a pastor and a dad, I think this is too good an opportunity to pass up.

What I mean is that the sort of thing Mr. Pullman writes about actually opens up opportunities for the truth to be made clearer in many respects. It also provides a great opportunity for me to talk to my own children about how some people view God and try to dismiss the biblical worldview. It can open up opportunities for us to have conversations with our neighbors and coworkers. It requires us as Christ’s followers to be well informed as well as equipped.

In light of these considerations, Trinity’s Family Ministry is working alongside of Dr. Drew Trotter to think of ways we could help inform and equip the students and parents of our church. We believe that stories impact and shape us as well as our culture. It is often in film that the stories of our time are told, and the worldviews behind those stories can be subtle but nonetheless forming. In order to help our students and parents navigate this better, we are in the planning stages of a retreat (for students) and a lecture (for parents) that we hope will help them.

If you would like to be a part of this retreat or the lecture please let us know by contacting us at family@trinitycville.org. 

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By:  Mark A. Hutton
Pastor for Families

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  1. 2 Responses to “The Golden Compass: Controversy and Opportunity”

  2. By Brian Bell on Jan 2, 2008

    Thank you Mark for your commentary on this movie along with your efforts to work with Drew and others in helping to provide more factual information and Christ-like reflection on The Golden Compass Trilogy.

    Like you, my opinion is that it is better to actually go and see the movie (rather than boycott it) as means to further understand the anti-Christian messages most of our unbelieving friends and neighbors might hear.

    Given this notion, I did see the movie and feel it appropriate to comment on my view of what it portrays in a “practical” sense to the average viewer.

    First, the movie is very confusing for children and as theater goes it does a poor job of explaining the hidden messages of Pullman’s writing. It does a very poor job of setting up the main themes or motives in Pullman’s writing. With that said, the average viewer is not going to realize what he/she is watching well enough to even know it is counter-Christian unless they are well educated on the topic or a believer.

    Several movie critics have pointed this out already, although most also deny the fact that the movie is anti-Christian.

    As for children, this movie didn’t seem to be so compelling that children would be drawn to it. The only child who might be interested is one who already is interested in the writings of C.S. Lewis or similar works (Lord of the Rings) of the same era. Although these works are much more vibrant and well authored - Pullman’s works are not.

    If your child has passion for stories of this kind, then its possible they may be interested in the movie. Otherwise, The Golden Compass did not present itself as a typical “block buster” of the kind that would merit high levels of concern.

    The average non-Christian viewer is going to see the movie as a typical good vs. evil plot with an evil government agency (intended to represent the Church) making an attempt to hurt children by stealing away their self-respect, and free will (in the story their “demons”) as a means of subjecting them to a form of mind control (Christian education about the existance of God).

    The plot line has this agency looking and feeling like the Roman Catholic Chruch (not that the average movie go’er would really notice), and the tortured children as leading a revolution against the agency for its long history of taking away “free will” by removing “demons” (in the form of loving animals) that represent their inner thoughts or conscience.

    The movie has the typical deluge of speaking animals, bloody battle scenes, mystery, and magic of other movies of the same kind. However it is presented in such a way that it is difficult to even keep pace with the hidden messages of Pullmen’s work which is so poorly presented in the movie’s script.

    Overall, I suggest waiting until it comes out on DVD, renting it, and then being prepared to rebutt anything that someone might suggest proves that the Church is evil and that God doesn’t exist.

    So far, not a single one of my non-believing friends with children have even noticed that the movie even exists. For them, its just one more bad Hollywood film trying to capitalize on the shirt tails of already well established films like Lord of the Rings.

    Brian Bell
    Trinity Member
    Director, UVA Leadership Development Center

  3. By mark.hutton on Jan 3, 2008

    Brian,
    Thanks so much for your insights. I recently finished reading the book but I have not seen the movie. I believe I will indeed wait for the DVD - even if I bother then. I was not particularly drawn to the story once I started reading it. In fact, I commented to one friend that it might have been a great ploy by the publisher and the studio to create the stir. Anyway - thanks for posting.
    Mark Hutton

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