By Chuck Pickrel, Director of Student Ministries
As a child of the 80s, a Sci-Fi fan, and self-proclaimed “Nerd,” I see a lot of movies. Some of my favorites involve time travel, space travel, and supernatural phenomena like ghosts or super powers. This summer has offered some great reboots like the all-female cast Ghostbusters, and the alternate timeline Star Trek Beyond.
As a theologian, I view movies through two mindsets: a personal one (“This is fun to watch!”), and a “How does this relate to God/Faith” view (“How does this translate to my faith?”). Pop culture is packed with material that can be interpreted in faithful ways, so I’m always looking for that next great link to the young people I work with and the stuff they enjoy.
I am particularly interested in the Ghostbusters reboot because A) the original films have always been favorites of mine and B) there has been a significant amount of criticism surrounding the all-female cast. While I did find the movie extremely entertaining (maybe better than the originals), Rev. Joe Walker pointed out one very upsetting thing: all of the scientists or “smart women” were white. The one strong woman of color in the film worked in a subservient role and possessed only what we call street-smarts. This gives it a bittersweet aftertaste.
We have a cinematic thrill ride in Star Trek Beyond. Star Trek has a history of bringing people of color to the front of its cast. At times in the past the show was beyond sexist, but is credited with casting a woman of color in a recurring role at a time when it was unheard of. The recent reboots of the original series have gone beyond in terms of equality of race and sex, but also in the LGBTQ community. Star Trek Beyond places the well-known character Sulu in a same-sex relationship – an obviously loving and committed relationship. If you’re a fan of the original series, you know that this is a nod to George Takei, the actor who first played Sulu and also happens to be gay. Star Trek Beyond is an excellent movie that speaks to the importance of relationships, the past, and how we interact with each other.
I hope you’ll take the time to see both of these films and formulate your own opinion. Please share your thoughts on these and other films. I always love talking about movies!
Blessings, Chuck
