2002 issue 2 - gods and generals: one of the most faith based films to ever come out of hollywood -...
TRANSCRIPT
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8/12/2019 2002 Issue 2 - Gods and Generals: One of the Most Faith Based Films to Ever Come Out of Hollywood - Counsel o
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s n
n rals
A Review
by: Dr
Ted
Baehr
never thought
l j
see
a
movie this
overtlY
Christian
come out
i
HollYwood
short
i the
Christianization
i the world
Jackson
-
My esposita
Come, before I leave,
we must sit, read
together. ..
a verse
Gackson finds his Bible
on
a shelf.)
Jackson continued)
-
Yes,
yes, here.
Corinthians, Second
Corinthians, chapter
five, I have been
thinking about this
verse.
Anna puts her
hand on
his, and they read
it
together.
oe Morecraft
Jackson
Anna Jackson For
we know
that
if
our earthly house
of
this tabernacle
were dissolved, we have a building
of
God,
a house
not
made with hands, eternal in the
heavens." (They kneel together. His
arm is
round her.)
From the Script i Gods alld
Generals
I J Ron M a x J } J e ~
aNthor
and
directof:
R
arely does a big budget Hollywood movie
come along that reflects history
alld
the
Christian faith
of
the protagonists
ll
an
historical event accurately and faithfully.
GODS
AND
GENERALS, based
on
the best selling
book
by
Jeff
Shaara,
is
such a movie.
It
tells the
4 the
COUNSEL ofCH LCEDON
powerful story
of
the
most
important event in the
history of the USA in an accurate and faith honoring
way.
There has never been an historic event in the life
of
the
United States
of
America which influenced the nation
and the American people
as
much
as
the Civil War or
the War Between the States
or
the War
of Northern
Aggression, depending
on
your
point
of
view.
This
tragic
Tet
heroic event pitted brother against brother
on
an immense scale.
Ron
Maxwell, the renowned director
of
the critically
acclaimed, epic movie GETTYSBURG, wrote and
directed
GODS AND
GENERALS. His new movie
accurately portrays the history
of
the war, the human
characters and the faith
of
the key players,
up
through
the death
of
General Thomas "Stonewall" Jackson.
Because the
book
is so
vast, featuring several
key characters, the
movie limits the focus
to General Jackson,
with General Joshua
Lawrence Chamberlain
and General Robert E.
Lee featured
as
dictated
by history and by the
arc of the movie's
storyline.
GODS
AND
GEN-
ERALS is the prequel
to
THE
K1LLER
AN-
GELS, the novel
on
which the movie GETTYSBURG
was based. Jef f Shaara (son
of
:Michael Shaara, author
of THE
K1LLER ANGELS) wrote the prequel. Us
ing his own script
of
Jeff's book, Ron Maxwell filmed
GODS AND GENERALS
in and around Sharpsburg,
Maryland, the site of the Antietam Battlefield, and on
actual historic locations in Virginia and West Virginia.
Many
of
the actors from the movie GETTYSBURG
reprise their roles in the new movie, which also features
the new characters Stonewall Jackson, Mary Anna Mor
rison Jackson, Myra Hancock, Mary Custis Lee, and
Fanny Chamberlain.
From
the Battle
of
Fredericksburg to the Battle
of
Chancellorsville, when Jackson is mortally wounded
by his own men,
GODS AND
GENERALS paints
a brilliant portrait
of
the lives
of
these great leaders
during the tumultuous years leading up to the Battle
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Gods and Generals
Premiering
in theaters
nationwide February 21,
2003.
one of
the
most
FAITH-Based films ever
It is rare that a
maj
or
Hollywood movie
accurately reflects U.S.
history and the role
of
the Christian faith n the
development of our nation. ut the new Ted
Turner Pictures Production of the epic Gods nd
Generals is jus t such a film, to be distributed
by
Warner Bros. Pictures, an AOL Time Warner
Company.
Premiering Febmary 21, 2003,
Gods and Gener
als chronicles
the
events of
he
Civil War-the
most dramatic event in American history - accu
rately portraying the events, characters, faith, and
moral stmggles of he War between the States.
Starring
JeffDaniels, Stephen Lang,
Robert Duvall as
Robert
E Lee
and Mira Sorvino
Every segment
of he film
teaches new
lessons, yet always within the contextofbig
screen enteliainment.
Schools and churches,
as
well
as
the broader Christian
community will benefit
from
experiencing Gods
and
Generals
with their
students and members, and
utilizing
the teaching
materials developed in conjunction with
the movie.
Directed
by
Ron Maxwell,
the
critically
acclaimed director of the
successful movie
Gettysburg
For information, contact:
Dr.
Ted
Baehr 800577MOVIE 6684)
GODS AND GENERALS, characters, names, and
all
related indicia are trademarks and copyrights
of Ted
Turner Film Properties, LLC.
the COUNSEL of CH LCEDON 5
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Gods and Generals
of
Gettysburg.
It
is a magnificent epic about the Civil
War, historically accurate in nearly every respect, yet
powerfully entertaining and emotive. Everybody in
the screening audience
of
industry professionals was
moved to tears at points and swept along by the power
of the presentation by Ron Maxwell and his team.
GODS
AND GENERALS opens with a quote by
George Eliot about the importance
of
a sense of place.
It is
on
the eve of the War Between the States. General
Lee, played superbly by Robert Duvall, is asked by
U.S.
Secretary Blair to take command
of
the United States
Army to
put
down the rebellion.
Lee points out that his house is
just across the Potomac. He will
not lead troops to invade his home
state. Very soon thereafter, Lee
is summoned before the Virginia
legislature and called to command
the armies of Virginia, to defend
against the invading troops from
the north.
Col. Thomas Jackson is called up
to recruit troops from Western
Virginia while teaching at VMI.
He
leads them
to
the battle
of
Manassas. There, he stands, and
so do his troops, like a stone wall,
thus acquiring his nickname.
The
movie traces his career from the
classroom through his significant
victories against overwhelming
troops to his untimely death. In
the process,
it
also features Joshua
Chamberlain preparing his troops
in
Maine and General Lee leading
the Confederate Army.
GODS
AND GENERALS is vast and grand in its
scope.
It
has a powerful unity which brings history
magnificently
alive.
The most amazing part of
GODS
AND GENERALS
is
its recognition
of
the deep spiritual values of
those involved in the Civil War. Prayers are sincere
and heartfelt. References to Scripture are constantly
invoked. Jackson tells his orderly
to
write his reports
based
on
a format from the Bible.
He says
those are the
best battle reports ever.
The
characters often lift up the
Name of
Jesus Christ. A constant refrain throughout
the movie is that God s will
be
done.
War is
not
pleasant
in
this movie, and
it
would be
impossible
not
to weep for those caught in this
conflagration.
One of
the
most
poignant moments
is
6 the COUNSEL of CH LCEDON
the Irish troops from the North fighting the Irish from
the Southern states, many of whom came over on the
same boats when they fled the Irish famine.
At
the end
of the killing, the Irish fighting for the South cheer for
their brothers,
who
are fighting for the Union and who
exhibited such valor against all odds.
GODS
AND GENERALS portrays slavery and
mercantilism accurately without whitewashing the
evils of either. It exposes human passions and reveals
compassion and kindness
in
the worst
of
situations.
The
strength
of
character of the women and the
children is phenomenal.
The
Washington Post reporter
who
visited the set of the movie last
year commented that he
had
never
seen such a powerful love scene
as
Jackson praying with his wife.
The
religious fervor
of
Jackson and
Lee in the movie is a commentary
on
the war fervor
of
the South in
general.
How
could one fight to
dissolve the Union without asking
God
to be
on
one s side?
GODS
AND GENERALS is a
monument
of
filmmaking which
will be remembered as long as there
are devices
on
which
to
watch such
a superb historical epic.
f
you have seen GETTYSBURG,
then
you must see
GODS AND
GENERALS. f you have not,
go
see
GODS AND
GENERALS
first, then immediately rent (or
buy) and watch GETTYSBURG.
You will be rewarded immeasurably.
f you are pleased to have a movie of this quality and
content come out of Hollywood, please address your
comments to:
Barry
M.
Meyer, Chairman/CEO
Warner Bros., Inc.
4000 Warner Blvd.
Burbank, CA 91522-0001
Phone:
818)
954-6000
www.movies.warnerbros.com
QUALITY: Excellent
ACCEPTABILITY: Discretion advised for older chil
dren.
RATING: PG-13
RELEASE: February
21,2003
TIME: 215 minutes
STARRING: Robert Duvall, Stephen Lang,
Jeff Dan
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iels,
and
Mira
Sorvino
DIRECTOR:
Ron
Maxwell
PRODUCER: Ron
Maxwell
Gods and Generals
EXECUTIVE PRODUCERS: Robert
Rehme, Bob
Katz
and
Moctesuma
Esparza
upper
male nudity, very brief,
in
naturalistic situation;
alcohol use
as
an
anesthetic and
other
anesthetic uses;
narcotic as an anesthetic and smoking; and, nothing else
objectionable.
GENRE: War M ovies/Historical Drama
INTENDED
AUDIENCE: Teenagers and adults
WRITER: Ron
Maxwell
BASED
ON
THE NOVEL
BY:
Jeff
Shaara
DISTRIBUTOR: Warner
Bros.
Dr. Ted Baehr
is
Founder and Publisher
of
MOVIEGUIDE and Chairman of The Christian
Film & Television Commission. Dr. Baehr
is
a well
known movie critic, educator, lecturer, and media
pundit. He has written numerous books, including
The
Media Wise FamilY (Chariot Victor) and Gettillg
the
CONTENT: Strong
Christian
worldview with
powerful moral
moments and profound moral
resolutions
including
a
baptism, numerous
prayers
and
many invocations
of
God s grace; 15
very light
obscenities, many rebuked, and 5 exclamations to
God; wartime
violence
in
Civil
War
setting
complete
with blood and
body
parts
but much
milder
than
many contemporary war
movies;
two bedroom
scenes
of married couple with no
sexual activity displayed;
f7ord llt (Harper &Row). He has most recently written a history
based book that corresponds to Gods and Generals (Loyal). Dr.
Baehr has financed
five
feature
films,
produced many television
and radio programs, designed several games, and
is working on
producing several new movies.
Stand n the reach
based on
sermon
preached
l J
Joe Morecraft
from
Nehemiah
Decades have passed since I stood here, a youth of thoughtless years.
How
little then was I aware
of
life's long vale
of
tears.
Torn from my weeping mother's arms and forced to slavery,
Now
I m
returned to breach the gap alive and strong and free.
What miracle has wrought this act? Whose courage, prayers and plan;
Forgetting self-aggrandizement, called me to, ''Act the man "?
'Twas Nehemiah, strong
of
heart, who boldly asked the King
For leave to lead his people back to work and pray and sing,
Rebuilding walls so long destroyed that we had given in
To those whose domination had killed the
will
to win.
But Nehemiah read God's Word.
It
pierced him to the core.
He
cried out in his anguish and hair and clothes he tore,
As
if
to
say,
"We should
not
live, we all deserve to die.
o Holy
God of
Israel, forgive us, hear our
cry."
Uncompromising courage, true character he showed
As moral indignation from deep within him rose.
Like tempests from an ocean swell and break upon the shore,
So Nehemiah's righteous wrath raged at us - "Sin no more
Leave
off
your pagan practices, your wicked deeds, forswear
Entreat the
God
Who calls you His your spineless lives to spare.
Then
follow me into the breach, your swords and trowels brandish
In
full view
of
our enemies whom our great
God
will vanquish "
So here we stand, my wife and I, our little ones
as well.
Both night and day we labor on, and we must conquer hell.
Yet slander, doubt, discouragement are what we fear the most.
And
as
our heads begin to droop, he cries out, "Guard your post
God put
you here - this
is
your space. Defend
it
Act the man "
As one, we with Nehemiah cry, 0 God, strengthen our hands "
Rebecca
B.
Morecraft
November 10,2002
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