What is grit? It is a determination to follow through on our commitments. Youth workers need grit to finish summer camp assignments or disciple teens plagued by doubts. Sometimes adolescents’ fervent faith can exceed our own. In reaching out to others, we may renew our own vows to follow Christ.
When her father is murdered, 14-year-old Mattie Ross pledges to bring his killer to justice. She finds that legends in their own minds such as Rooster Cogburn and a Texas Ranger let pettiness impede her mission. True Grit begins with a quotation from Proverbs and ends with “Leaning on the Everlasting Arms.” In between, Mattie discovers the high cost of vengeance. No one exits the Coen Brothers’ version of the Old West without lasting scars. The pursuit of justice this side of paradise is a long, twisted journey.
In The King’s Speech, Prince Albert demonstrates plenty of grit, overcoming his stuttering. As the future British King George VI, “Bertie” will be called upon to speak even more. So his faithful wife, the Duchess of York, enlists the imaginative Aussie actor Lionel Logue to loosen Bertie’s tongue. While the pent-up Albert lets the profanities flow, Colin Firth’s Oscar-winning performance rises above his rants. This seemingly stuffy costume drama will connect with teens who feel stifled, afraid or overshadowed.
Voyage of the Dawn Treader follows a Brit who has lost his imagination. Lucy and Edmund’s droll cousin Eustace is washed onto the deck of King Caspian’s Dawn Treader. The wonders of Narnia drench a boy who doesn’t believe in magic. His primary trainer, the heroic mouse, Reepicheep, gets many of the best lines. The scene of Aslan undragoning Eustace remains a powerful metaphor for conversion. Dawn Treader employs digital effects to illustrate how we regain our humanity.
Disney updates Rapunzel with dazzling animation in Tangled. An evil hag, Gothel, locks up Rapunzel, filling her mind with fears about the cruel world outside—until a thief named Flynn gets caught up in the same castle. Gothel seeks youth. Flynn needs redemption. Rapunzel wants an epiphany. Tangled suggests we cannot hoard our gifts, but must let them flow (ad does Rapunzel’s magical hair).
In Walking on Water, two teenage boys are taken on a surfing trip around the globe. Surfer/minister Bryan Jennings whisks Luke and Tyler to the shores of Australia, Indonesia and South Africa. The glory of God’s creation gets plenty of screen time. While the vistas are gorgeous, the boys also hear bits of the gospel message along the way. Walking on Water expands upon the traditional evangelistic films with better production values. It combines the Bible and the board.
Praising God may come easily at the beach, but what about in the world’s largest garbage dump outside Rio? Waste Land follows Brazilian artist Vik Muniz in his efforts to find beauty amid the tough lives of the catadores, garbage sorters in search of recyclable materials. His majestic photographs elevate the spirits (and economic standing) of the catadores. Waste Land is a gorgeous metaphor for how God lifts us up out of the mire and into glory. This is art worth celebrating.
