2002 Issue 2 - Gods and Generals: One of the Most Faith Based Films to Ever Come Out of Hollywood -...

8/12/2019 2002 Issue 2 - Gods and Generals: One of the Most Faith Based Films to Ever Come Out of Hollywood - Counsel o

1/4

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


2/4

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)

[email protected]

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


3/4

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


4/4

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

the

COUNSEL of CH LCEDON

7

2002 Issue 2 - Gods and Generals: One of the Most Faith Based Films to Ever Come Out of Hollywood -...

Documents

Transcript of 2002 Issue 2 - Gods and Generals: One of the Most Faith Based Films to Ever Come Out of Hollywood -...