Mocking Christian Conviction, Happy Feet is Not a Friendly Little Film
I can't remember coming out of movie theater more furious than I did this Thanksgiving holiday after watching the animated and PG-rated Happy Feet. With relatives visiting from around the country, how could we go wrong taking both kids and adults to a cute little penguin story with lots of singing and dancing, with warm and fuzzy animal themes?
I'm not a movie prude; we check out many kinds of movies. And I expect most anything coming out of Hollywood, with any rating, to include something contrary to my values. I let most of it roll off my back. But with Happy Feet, I didn't expect my conservative Christian family to be assaulted with what we all recognized as a anti-Christian screed, with open mockery of traditional Christian preaching against values and lifestyles contrary to church teachings. It was abundantly clear that Happy Feet substituted homosexuality with dancing as the "different" lifestyle that was the unfair target of an Inquisition on ice. It was Dirty Dancing and Footloose all over again, but with the rhetoric and situation developed to make religious criticism of homosexuality counter to everything good and pleasing.
Did they think Christians wouldn’t notice? I suppose the creators just didn’t care. We had four families attending Happy Feet, with children of all ages. Independently, parents concluded during the film that they would walk out if it wouldn’t be a disruption to others in the large group of family members who had come to the movies together.
Clearly, we should have all left together.
The creators of Happy Feet should have taken less time mocking Christians and more time making sense out of the wild leaps at the end of the film, when the dancing penguin so impresses crowds in the aquarium that they release him back into the wild. And when the community of penguins gets happy feet, the commentators of the world decide its time to stop disrupting their food supply. (Of course the humans are to blame for all the animal woes; a long movie-making tradition that goes back to Bambi).
Wild leaps, even with happy feet.
For Christians who have not seen Happy Feet and are considering it as a friendly, family film—make another choice. This film is not good for children or families, and it is another Hollywood example of open mockery of Christian traditions.
-- Jim Jewell
Isn't it funny how we all have different perspectives on what is "Christian" and what isn't. Myself (all Christians)husband and three children, went to see Happy feet yesterday and I was unbelievably moved, at one point to tears. I did not find the movie anti-christian at all, but rather anti-"religious", I did not draw parallels between the "elders" of the penguin colony and Christianity but instead saw them as the Pharissees. Did not Jesus challenge the establishment?? Did he conform to the rules of man? Did he not condemn the Pharisees for being "religious" to the point that they forgot the real message.... eg. healing a man on the sabbath, mixing with prostitutes etc...? References were also made repeatedly through-out the film to a power greater than themselves, that supplied their needs? and to give thanks.
YanıtlaSilI found it deeply profound when one of the elders saw that this "power" has harmed them and mumble stated that it wasn't "Him" but the humankind who has messed things up.... How true is that?? The Lord does not create the agony and suffering in this world....we do. As an artist, and someone who has found their purpose after struggling for years to be accepted for being a little different, I certainly related to the film as did my children who realise that they can truly be themselves not having conform what the world says. We realised that we are designed to be a little different and God made us that way... although as a child I was told... It's just not penguin!!!
In respect to the alternate lifestyle you say it promotes e.g homosexuality..... I did not pick it up at all! I don't believe there was one gay penguin at all. Certainly even though Mumble was "different" to the other male penguins does not mean he was gay... he also loved Gloria even sacrificing his own love when she came after him, so as to protect her and allow her to return to her own family. I think as christians we can get very judgemental on "differences" we cannot assume because someone is quirky, different, dressed a little different etc.. is gay!
As Christian we are different! We are called to be different! The Lord always picked the "unlikely", and I'm so glad as it means we all have hope to be used for God's purpose. Embrace any opportunity that allows some of God's heart to be shown to the world... He loves us no matter how different or unlikely we seem, what a great God. When we look for the evil in this world, guaranteed...we will find it. Maybe its a good idea to look for the good rather than analysing to find the bad. it is very interesting to summarise Mumble character.... Born to be different,shunned by the world, loved unconditionally, sacrificed his own safety, willing to give his life to save his colony.... wow...what an interesting and familiar concept!!