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The Fighting Temptations
Review by Mike Furches (Mike's bio)
Directed by Jonathan Lynn
Story by Elizabeth Hunter
Screenplay by Elizabeth Hunter and Saladin K. Patterson
Cuba Gooding Jr. . . . Darrin Hill
Beyoncé Knowles . . . Lilly
Ann Nesby . . . Aunt Sally Walker
Wendell Pierce . . . Reverend Lewis
Mickey Jones . . . Scooter
MPAA: Rated PG-13 for some sexual references.
(Also, read Mike's interview with Mickey Jones who plays Scooter here ... )
This was a movie that I originally had serious concerns about. After all, what could MTV Productions bring to a movie, especially a movie that had as part of its central backdrop a choir in the church? Boy, oh boy, was I ever wrong! I should have listened to my sociology teacher in college, who taught me about assumptions.
The primary ingredient that influenced me to see the movie was an interview with Christian rapper (I hate saying that; he is just a rapper who is a Christian) T-Bone on the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association web site passageway. (Read the interview here.) T-Bone has always been one of my favorite rappers, and I had no idea that he was in the movie. I really was not a huge fan of Beyoncé Knowles and had been let down by some recent performances by Cuba Gooding Jr. However, after reading the interview with T-Bone and finding out that he was in the movie, I was off to the theater within two hours.
To say the least, I was pleasantly surprised and moved by The Fighting Temptations. The movie addresses as many issues related to the church as any movie I have seen in a long time. The music is just smack-down fun and inspirational, and the story line, while simple, has so much to say to the church and those seeking spiritual answers in life.
The movie starts out observing an old Southern church influenced largely by African-American culture. It isn't long before the music is jumping and the audience's feet are moving and heads swaying to the music. Things couldn't get much better when you realize that one of the bit roles in the movie is gospel great Shirley Caesar. She is not the only one, though, with a background in music. There are, of course, as you know by now, T-Bone and Beyoncé Knowles, but there are also the O'Jays, Melba Moore, Montel Jordan, Eddie Levert, Lil' Zane, and I could go on and on. To expect great acting of this movie would be to leave out the obvious talents of the characters involved, their music. I must say, though, that while the acting was not on the caliber of Citizen Kane, it was enjoyable, and the characters did a good and believable job of reaching out and touching the audience with all varieties of emotion.
The story is simple enough: A church has issues with “sinners,” runs many of them off, and some of the children grow up to return to the church. Along the way Darrin Hill, a present-day con man (played by Cuba Gooding Jr.), returns home to his aunt's funeral. Darrin left the church as a small boy when his own mother was run off for singing in nightclubs. He has a girl friend, Lilly (played by Beyoncé Knowles), who is also now a single mother, singing at nightclubs and thus banned from the church. It is amusing to hear many comments by Christians about this movie, asking things like what kind of a positive role can she play in the part of a single mom. I find it humorous because the movie portrays perfectly the views that many in the church have toward these very types of people, whom Jesus loved and criticized the church for wanting to stone. While Jesus truly built bridges, many within the church still desire to throw stones. Unfortunately for many of those, they may never see the love that is displayed or the power that Christ still has to change people's lives.
Not long after his return to the small town, Darrin discovers that, if he can put the choir together and win a regional contest, he will also win what he believes to be his aunt's million-dollar estate. Therefore, he puts on the scheme technique, thinking it is easy money, especially since he is under the impression that Shirley Caesar's choir is the church choir. What he finds out, though, is that the choir has only a few people in it and most of them couldn't carry the proverbial tune in a bucket. It is then that Darrin decides to recruit whomever he can, from the local barbershop to the nightclub singer he has loved in some ways since his youth, Lilly. What happens for the remainder of the script could seem rather like a remake of Sister Act and Sister Act 2, but in reality some of the concepts addressed are more real and more important for the church to pay attention to than what occurred in the Sister Act movies.
The Fighting Temptations is filled with scenes that show God's grace and love, yes, even for sinners. It also is filled with the obvious hypocrisies and ignorance of the church toward those individuals. There is one scene where local prison guards bring some of the prisoners, including T-Bone and Montel Jordan, to choir practice and one of the super-religious women of the church comments that guns are not allowed in church. The new organ player, Scooter (played by wonderful character actor and Christian Mickey Jones [Mike interviews Mickey here ... ]), pulls out a gun from his pants, placing it on the organ and states that someone should have told him about it being against the rules. I loved this scene because it, among others, shows how we in the church often assume that people know the basics about how to follow God. Scooter nails this perception, and all through the movie we see subtle changes in his and everyone else's character.
The unfortunate truth is that they don't know about the things we judge them on unless we are there to tell them. Fortunately this movie gets it right—with a little love and direction, they are often able to come to recognize these things on their own without all the condemnation that we so often throw their way. How we tell them can have a dramatic impact on how they receive the message; I know this to be all too true from my own experiences in life. It is for that reason I am glad this movie nails that concept to the floor, and characters like Scooter would be welcome in the church I pastor or one that serves Jesus Christ any time. Thankfully, they would also be understood at the church I pastor because our church is filled with Scooters. The challenge is for traditional churches to make the effort to understand the people of this world. In The Fighting Temptations each character represents those people, people often neglected and forgotten about by the church because they just don't fit into our environment.
Are there spiritual references in this film? You bet there are. From forgiveness to baptism the movie is loaded with these references, and the great thing is that it is loaded in such a way that those who are not Christians will not be offended by the movie. There are many people who are not Christians that are speaking about the movie, its feel-good nature, and its important lessons. It is a movie that isn't strictly Christian that Christians can take their friends to and have great, natural discussions about Christ, his forgiveness, and the power to change. How good is it? Well, it will be one of the first movies that the church I pastor will be taking the congregation to see this Sunday afternoon. It makes such obvious points with its great music, and the incorporation of that music into the church, as well as the importance of loving and letting the love of the church and the power and love of Christ be the tools that reach people. I have already made strong recommendations that all of my worship team be there to see this movie; the illustrations and impact may be from a movie, but they show what will work for the church.
Technically, this movie is sound. The cinematography and set designs are wonderful, and there haven't been as many wonderful character actors filling the screen in a long time. Cuba Gooding Jr. and Beyoncé Knowles are wonderful onscreen together, and while there is not a deep plot, it is a fun story with redeeming value. There is also social commentary as to how the African-American community is targeted in real life by marketing campaigns designed to destroy the community. Kudos to Cuba for taking on a role where this type of social comment can slip through to the audience.
I must also comment on my man T-Bone. It is hilarious to look at many of the review sites like IMDb and see people all talking about the rap between Montel, Lil' Zane, and T-Bone (the “white dude.”) It is about time T-Bone got the credit he deserves; it is a shame that he has been confined to the Christian market because he really does have the “mad skills.” One comment though—T-Bone, as he mentions in one of his own raps, is a “crazy Hispanic.” His skills fit into the movie nicely, along with the entire cast and the incorporation of urban, rap, R&B, and gospel is just, well, just “there.” This has to be one of the best soundtracks to come around since O Brother Where Art Thou, and it could have that type of impact. It is a shame if churches don't promote the movie. Despite some of the opening scenes with a focus on “bootyliciousness,” it is a fun and fairly clean movie with redeeming value. I would highly recommend it, but then you have already been able to see that.
On a scale of 1 – 10, for a hopping, jumping, hand-clapping, toe-tapping, head-shaking, heart-pounding, inspirational, lifting, laughter-filled, soul-searching, motivational good time, I'll give this one a great 8.
Copyright 2003, Mike Furches. All Rights Reserved. Used by permission.
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About Mike Furches: Mike is the senior pastor of United at the Cross Community Church in Wichita, Kansas. The church, located in the inner city of Wichita has a unique ministry to former gang members, drug addicts, prostitutes and others often neglected by the church. Mike also is involved in freelance writing and speaks nationally. Check out his web page for more information: http://www.furches.org/ E-mail Mike |
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