So, hubby and I watched the highly acclaimed movie ‘boy’ tonight. Peters assessment: Its like one of those movies you studied in English at high school. Thats why I don’t like it. Its funny though- thats why I watch it.
My sentiments are similar. Boy is story of a young Maori boy and the relationship he has with his absent father. His father returns to the family home and ‘Boy’ (yes, that is also his name) learns through a series of disappointments that his father is not the wonderful dad he has spent years idolising in his head.
So whats good about it? Boy has a fantastic nostalgic sense about it. Set in rural New Zealand in the 1980s, the music, costume and activities of the kids all induce flashbacks of my own childhood, and the childhoods of those I went to school with. We also made up games in the dirt, and thought Michael Jackson was awesome! Also, there is an extremely humorous accent that seems to carry the dark issues of this film. Note though the humor is geographical- that is, if you don’t live in New Zealand, the funniest parts would possibly go over your head. James Rolleston acts as the main character Boy. His palpable disappointment in this film was so believable that at one point I was actually brought to tears. James’ presentation of the character Boy is what really made this film for me.
As a Christian I found myself analysing the film through two words: Justification and Sanctification. Justification can be remembered by the saying ‘just as if I had never sinned’ meaning that because Jesus died on the cross for us, God no longer sees the terrible things we have done. ‘How does this work?’ you might be asking. Put simply: Imagine you have a book in which was written every wrong thing you had ever done, every one of Gods laws you had ever broken. (I’m thinking this might be a very heavy book!) God can read this book and know instantly that you deserve punishment for the many wrong things that you have done. However, Jesus swapped books with you. Jesus was sinless, so His book of wrongs has only blank pages. When he took the punishment that you deserve, he took your heavy book of sins as if it was His own, and gave you His book, a light book, only a few blank pages. When God looks at your book now, he only sees the blank pages. Justification also takes this one step further. Jesus doesn’t just give us his book of no sins, he gives us second book, a book of all the great things he has done, so when we present our books to God, we aren’t just sinless in His sight, but Jesus’ good works are also credited to us.
Sanctification is the process by which God helps us to be motivated by and respond to the good news that through Jesus’ death on the cross, we are justified. God works in us to help us to be more and more like Christ.
My assessment: Rent it (or borrow it from your sister in law), watch it once. Have a laugh for the first half, cry for the second, but don’t buy into the social commentary.
Hi Jodie,
ReplyDeleteI'm one of your FB friends and also a teacher. I know of at least two schools who are planning to "teach" Boy this year so your blog really made me smile. Keep up the good work!