Quote:
Examining the idea of a supreme being is not the same as "pushing Christian propaganda." Now, maybe this movie does that; but nothing in the OP or the review led me to believe so.
Samira--
**again, spoiler alert**
This wasn't merely examining the question of a supreme being. The first 2/3rd of the film was what you would expect from the trailer: a suspense film dealing with a crazy kid who predicted the major tragedies in the subsequent 50 years. The only hint of christianity was a minute of subplot dealing with the fact Cage had lost his faith due to the death of his wife leading to a subsequent distance with his pastor father.
The last 1/3rd of the film was basically the story of the rapture. I can't adequately explain without a gbaji-esque length post but here is the gist:
Nic finds out the Earth is going to be destroyed. He phones his father (the pastor) to warn him but his father refuses to seek refuge. "I'm going to be saved, are you?", he notes. Nic's son and the son's friend are 'chosen' to be saved from the destruction of Earth along with many other 'chosen' people. The beings who save Nic's son (and everyone else) are all-powerful beings with long, wispy wings and who can (obviously) foretell the future. Because of Nic's unbelieving ways he isn't saved with his son. (hence, my quote in OP--"they say only the chosen can come" "That's all right, I understand now!") The kids witness the gruesome death of one mother but note to Nic, "It's OK, they say we are going to be together in future".
The film ends with two images. One is nic's son and his female friend, dressed in white robes and bathed in heavenly light, running through a pristine wheat field toward what obviously represents the tree of life. (Believe me, it's obvious) The other is Nic striding back to be with his father since he believes now. He walks through New York which is filled with pillaging and looting but he calmly walks to his father's house where he, his father and his Christian sister (known from earlier in the film) hugging while the Earth is destroyed in fire.
Just in case you missed all the connotations, as Nic is walking through the soon to be destroyed New York he passes a large billboard which reads something along the lines of, "Jesus saves".
Again, I have nothing against Christianity. But I'd prefer to have some warning about this before I plunk down the money to see the story of the rapture in a theatre.
--DK