Thursday, December 20, 2012

An Old review of A Christmas Carol

The Moral Imagination of A Christmas Carol
Grandma took the grandkids to see the Imax 3-D version of Disney’ new “A Christmas Carol” today.  If you are still puzzling about what the moral imagination might be, this movie is a perfect example.  It is powerfully rendered and morally true.  The terrors are intense (indeed, I worried about some of the young kids in the audience).  It demonstrates well how a moral movie does not need to be a bland and “safe” movie.

Its evil characters are truly evil and never profit.  Its joyful characters are good and full of the spirit.  Its good characters are thoroughly good and strong and generous.  Evil is punished.  Bad behavior has bad consequences.   Life beyond the material is taken seriously and portrayed powerfully.

Materialism itself is under mighty assault.  Generosity is supported.  Redemption is found.  Love is beautiful and the true wins the day.

Though the Christmas is essentially Christ-less in reference, the spirit is found throughout the movie and the “God blesses” and old hymns are not spared.

This is a wonderful movie to strike the moral imagination clear and strong.  One can’t easily walk away from the images of good—and materialist evil. 

Three cheers.  Go see it and take the kids. . . and that wayward Uncle of yours whose imagination needs a facelift.

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