How the movie industry's monopolization of truth is not only grievous but malicious.
Stories make up our lives. They define who we are. In fact, in her book Story or Die, story coach Lisa Cron argues that since every one of us perceives the world through story, the most compelling way method of persuasion is to communicate in a way that fits into the hearer’s personal narrative.[1] Telling a story allows the reader or listener to participate in the growth of the characters, to see the narrative through their eyes, to learn and grow with the protagonist, until by the final resolution, the reader is ready to accept the character’s growth into their own identity.
Perhaps this is why one of the most powerful ways to communicate is through telling a story. Jesus spoke through parables, knowing that both the added mystery and the added connection would allow the truth he communicated to be accepted more fully.[2] This is true for storytellers throughout history; often it is those who can weave a beautiful narrative (Homer, Shakespeare, Harriet Beecher Stowe, Charles Dickens) who have the most lasting impact on culture and society.
Because of my high view of the relevance and power of story I am urgently concerned with the stories that are being told in our nation. Not only has the ability to weave a beautiful fiction greatly diminished (can you name 5 novels worthy of classic status written in the last 50 years?) but there is a deliberate reframing of old stories, a rewriting of the narratives by displacing the kernel of truth with deception.
This attack on story is not merely the product of greedy moviemakers in Hollywood. It is a spiritual attack. By hijacking the stories that teach us deep moral and spiritual truths and by watering down the mainstream storylines being fed to the populace, the “spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places”[3] are seeking to infiltrate foundational stories and twist them into falsehood.
Take, for example, Little Women (2019). The most recent movie put out in 2019 is not a blatently bad retelling of the story. Those who are familiar with the story may accept it as an acceptable, albeit confusing, version. However, if you look closely, there are subtle twists to the very essence of the story that is such an inspiration for young women everywhere. Here are just a few ways the tale has been rewritten:
(And this is probably the most obvious) It is a blatantly feminist film. While even the 1994 version has some threads of feminism in it, the casual lines thrown in by almost every member of the family about the lack of opportunities for women, and the (painfully long and unnecessary) scene in which Jo lobbies for her character to remain unmarried are definitely not in the original novel.
Almost all reference to God is removed. In the original story, the girls’ father is a clergyman, and goes to war as an army chaplain. The reason that their family is so kind, the reason they love each other so much, is that the love of God flows through them. This can be seen when their father takes up his ministry back at home, when Jo struggles with her anger, when Amy tries to be unselfish, when Meg learns modesty, and when Beth wins all by her quiet faith. This is a central theme of the book that is entirely lost in the film.
Finally, there is a malicious, though unsurprising, insertion of Critical Race Theory. In one scene, while Marmie is helping give out bandages to wounded soldiers she comments to her fellow aid worker, “I have been ashamed of my country for so long.” This is absolutely not something that Louisa May Alcott’s character would have said. While the family was very involved in fighting the Civil War from the northern side, there is a very big difference between fighting against slavery and being ashamed of one’s country. Patriotism means loving one’s country enough to right its wrongs.[4] Shame of being American is a malicious lie that is currently tearing apart our country, and it grieves me to see this beautiful story used for such destructive ends.
These, obviously, are not the only changes that were made to the story. But they are the most egregious. Satan has hijacked Hollywood for his own purposes. Do not believe that these changes and insertions are merely a coincidence. They are intentional. They are a retelling of a powerful story with the core, the truth, withheld or twisted.
Little Women is not the only film in which this phenomenon occurs. Of the movies coming out in 2022, over half are reruns, retellings, or sequels of already written stories. Not only is this inability to produce powerful stories a devastating loss to our culture, but it is also a method of reconstructing the stories we have been told in our childhood. These films include:
Cloudy With A Chance of Meatballs (2009)
The Giver (2014)
Paddington (2014)
Maleficient (2014)
Ben Hur (2016)
Anne With an E (2017-2019) - A Netflix show loosely based off of Anne of Green Gables
Aladdin (2019)
The Secret Garden (2020)
Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power (2022)
Lightyear (2022) - Sequel to Toy Story 4
These stories were all precious to me as a child. They were powerful demonstrations of what it meant to be a woman of character (Anne of Green Gables), of the power of hope and imagination (The Secret Garden), of the fight between good and evil (many of the Disney movies, including Sleeping Beauty).
All of the remakes include some aspect of Critical Race Theory, feminism, or blurring the lines between good and evil.
And they don’t stop there. The story rewriters were not satisfied with changing the beloved stories of our youth. They began eliminating or discrediting all books which could shed light on the evil they are perpetuating:
Uncle Tom’s Cabin by Harriet Beecher Stowe
Farenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury
Animal Farm by George Orwell
1984 by George Orwell
A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens
To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee
Many other similar books have been banned from schools, workplaces, and popular culture. Famous, classic books, very influential in their time, are now discarded for being “racist,” when, in fact, they are simply full of powerful truths that can be difficult to swallow.
Today’s media numbs its audiences through bland and artificial stories, then injects them with falsehoods in an attempt to overwrite the truth that is already written on their hearts.
How can we fight against the evil of falsely constructed stories? To begin with, be discerning. Never simply accept a story’s message; none of them are simply benign. Be careful which stories you allow your mind to dwell on, for they can easily be absorbed into your worldview and identity.
Today’s media numbs its audiences through bland and artificial stories, then injects them with falsehoods in an attempt to overwrite the truth that is already written on their hearts.
Secondly, tell true stories. No matter how hard the Enemy tries, the truth will always win in the end. No matter how many lies are slipped in to twist the truth, the story of sacrificial love that finds its fulfillment in the cross of Christ will always be the most powerful and compelling narrative ever to be told. Never stop telling of what He has done. Never stop weaving beautiful stories that demonstrate deep truths about the nature of humanity and the God we serve. Do not back down from confronting the lies. “Resist the devil, and he will flee from you” (James 4:7).
[1] Cron, Lisa. Story or Die: How to Use Brain Science to Engage, Persuade, and Change Minds in Business and in Life. Random House, New York; 2021. Print. [2] Matthew 13:11-17, Mark 4:10-12, Luke 8:9-10 [3] Ephesians 6:12 [4] Chesterton, G.K. Orthodoxy (p. 72-76). Ignatius Press, San Francisco; 1995. Print.
Comments