One Nation Under God
Will Bakke
Provident Films, 2011, min., $9.98
I am not going to lie: As I began watching this movie, I really was turned off by these four college-age kids who thought they were the funniest, smartest and most authentic people in the world. As they traveled to my neck of the woods, San Francisco, I was surprised to see how the spiritual temperament of the people changed as they traveled around the country and felt as if they got a good snapshot of the verity and extremes of beliefs in the different regions. It took some time for my brain to adjust to this movie because it was made by college kids. It is obvious there weren’t any adults in the room as they worked this thing out; because of this, it is as deep, clear and as funny as 20 year olds are. However, once I got my head around this reality, my heart grew for what could have been my youth group kids working out the same issues. What I found most encouraging is that there seemed to be some genuine growth in worldview and perspective as they interacted with more non-Christians than they have talked to in their lives combined. Because it revealed a raw 20-year-old Christian boy, I would and will find a way to use this movie with my boys’ small group for a discussion about friendship, evangelism and adventure.
–Benjamin Kerns
One Nation Under God reminds me of the many road trips my friends and I took when we were younger as part of our church’s youth group. We were loud, obnoxious and slightly irreverent; but all of us knew one thing: Jesus is the way, the truth and the life. I get the same sense from our four amateur film makers. As they explore the nation and ask people questions about life, the afterlife, God and faith, we see the face of modern Christianity. These are four friends who aren’t afraid to question their faith, say dumb things, be a little silly and even check out girls along the way. They’re average Christian college student, warts and all.
Some might not like this movie, and others might question whether these guys know the Lord at all; but they remind me of my friends and some of our struggles. There are a few teachable points in this film, and every youth leader should at least watch it if not with their students at least with their staff. There are some hard questions asked throughout the movie that will make you take a sobering look at what you believe.
–Danny Cruz, Youth Coordinator, Truth Exists Youth Group, Living Waters Fellowship, Brooklyn, New York. He is a Brooklyn native with a heart for urban ministry. He lives with his wife and three daughters in the same neighborhood he not only grew up in and continues to serve.
This movie is much like Beware of Christians except it is set in the United States instead of Europe. Four college guys decide to tour the United States to explore their Christian beliefs. They conduct interviews in most locations on the topics: What happens when we die? Who was Jesus Christ? and What is our purpose on earth?
I like the concept, but I thought the content–the true, meaningful content–was limited. There was too much filler. I wanted to hear more of the interviews and how those challenged the guys’ beliefs; but often we heard very, very short snipits before moving on to the next city, sometimes where nothing was covered that had to do with their theme.
I thought the discussion with the Muslim family in Charlotte was interesting, and it was given more time so viewers can see that it was challenging to the guys. There are moments in the movie that are very good and the content is rich, but I would recommend Beware of Christians over One Nation Under God. I think youth groups would find the content appealing, but I wish there was more that could be used in each city they visited. I feel this movie would be best used in a format where the whole thing is watched, then discussed.
–Dalen Keys
This DVD was fun and frustrating to watch. Fun: college guys exploring the country in a reality-TV way, seeking to understand how God intersects all of our lives. The young adults wanted to explore the faith of America, by asking questions and seeking real-non-Sunday-school answers. It was a great concept and it’s something I would definitely watch with my senior high students.
Frustrating: The lack of compassion these guys had for those of different faiths. At the end of the movie, they explain they were trying to show how easy it is for us as Christians to mess up in this area, especially when we’re trying to not be hypocrites. They also apologized for their rudeness. Still, I wonder how much these guys took away from the project. Did their experiences really change their hearts and tendency to stereotype, or was it merely a good memory? Some scenes you see the former; others, you hear the latter. Again, the DVD was good. Use it for opening up discussions about faith, college, culture and the hypocrite within us all.
—Shawn Harrison, Student and Family Pastor at Wayne Street UMC in Saint Marys, Ohio
The film One Nation Under God is a great concept. I love the idea of finding what people think about Christianity. However, I feel the concept was missed in the film. Similar to Beware of Christians, this film was mainly about the vacation of these four guys than anything else. It was funny to me how they stressed they did not represent Christ many times. Because of this, I feel this documentary lost a lot of the impact it potentially could have had. I would use some of the different things people said as a resource tool, but I would not show the film to students or volunteers.
–D.J. Pittman, Youth and Family Ministier, Branches of Christ, Acworth, Georgia
###
