THE ADJUSTMENT BUREAU (2011)

Directed by: George Nolfi
Written by: George Nolfi
Studio: Universal Pictures
Starring: Matt Damon, Emily Blunt
Rated: PG-13

About the film:
A political candidate is attracted to a young dancer only to discover that a mysterious organization is conspiring behind the scenes to keep them apart. As he learns more about this organization, he comes to the realization that the world may not be quite the place he always thought it was.

Movie Quote:
“Free will is a gift that you’ll never know how to use until you fight for it.”
Harry Mitchell (Anthony Mackie) in The Adjustment Bureau (2011)

Bible Quote:
“It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery.”
Galatians 5:1 (NIV)

Commentary:
At the core of The Adjustment Bureau is a false premise… the idea that our free will is nothing more than illusion – given to us because we, as a race of beings, are not yet capable of living with such freedom without destroying ourselves in the process.

This, of course, is ridiculous. God would not provide us with a gift without giving along with it our ability to use it effectively. Our freedom was purchased with a dear price – the life of God’s only begotten son. He is not taking that back from us. Our freedom is real; it is no illusion. We are free from bondage; free from fear; free from the hundreds upon thousands of doubts and worries that can multiply within us to keep us from achieving all that is within us to be.

But our freedom is more than mere deliverance. We are not just free from things that are negative… we are free to do things that are positive. We are free to act; free to love; free to serve; free to be the sons and daughters of the God Who gave us our freedom in the first place. Our freedom provides us with more than the release from our spiritual chains of bondage; it also gives us the ability to never allow anyone or anything to ever hold us captive again. This is what “fighting for our free will” means – the fact that we have the ability to choose what we believe and how we will act upon that believing.

Questions to consider while watching the film:
1. Why does the Chairman’s plan change over time? How does that relate to the way God established the world and the lives of its people?
2. Can free will be a dangerous thing? How and why? What is the best way to protect ourselves from ourselves?

TIME BANDITS (1981)

Directed by: Terry Gilliam
Written by: Terry Gilliam, Michael Palin
Studio: AVCO Embassy Pictures
Starring: David Rappaport, Kenny Baker, John Cleese
Rated: PG

About the film:
A young boy joins a band of dwarves on a time-traveling adventure. The dwarves have stolen a map showing the location of “time holes” from The Supreme Being which allows them to escape through time so they can plunder to their heart’s content.

Movie Quote:
“No one created me! I am Evil! Evil existed long before Good. I cannot be unmade. I am all-powerful.”
Evil Genius (David Warner) in Time Bandits (1981)

Bible Quote:
“I form the light, and create darkness; I make peace, and created evil: I the LORD do all these things.”
Isaiah 45:7 (KJV)

Commentary:
As we look at the above quote from Time Bandits, we see that it is full of lies. Contrary to the claims of Evil Genius, evil is not all-powerful. It can be “unmade.” It did not exist before good. And as the scripture from Isaiah informs us, evil was purposely created… what’s more, it was created by God.

That may seem a bit contradictory and even blasphemous to say but because the Word of God declares it to be true, we must accept it and try to understand what it means. As we delve deeper into the nature of God we find that it isn’t contradictory at all.

Evil exists because we have a kind, fair, just and loving God. We have a God who did not want His children to be mindless robots or puppets which could be controlled by the pulling of a string. He had to create the possibility of both good and evil… so He could then grant us the free will to choose between the two.

The ultimate expression of love that we can give to our Creator and our God is found in our faithfulness to always choose good, thus fulfilling His greatest desire.

“I have no greater joy than to hear that my children are walking in the truth.” 3 John 4 (NIV)

Questions to consider while watching the film:
1. What would life be like if God had not given us free will? Would you freely give up your free will in order to live in a world without evil? Why or why not?
2. How does Romans 12:21 apply to this film? And how do we practically follow its exhortation in our lives?

Michael Elliott
www.screensermon.blogspot.com