Are You a Movie Abstainer or Movie Glutton?

We, as movie goers or movie viewers, must use discernment and discretion when determining what to view. Our main goal is to honor God in all we do, according to 1 Corinthians 6:20 and Colossians 3:23. Some individuals, then, would argue that avoiding movies altogether would be the most honorable thing to do. This is a fine line to walk, however. People who avoid going to the movies or watching films because they want to remain pure from Hollywood’s decadence and indecency can become “cultural abstainers” who may seem alienated from or unapproachable to others. Certain people call “these artistic teetotalers cultural anorexics” (Brian Godawa, Hollywood Worldviews: Watching Films with Wisdom and Discernment, 13). However, one must be equally as careful about becoming a cultural glutton that is at the opposite end of the film-viewing spectrum—someone who “consumes popular art too passively without discrimination” (Godawa, 14). We must be discerning, discretionary film critics. Our viewing habits should be balanced, intentional, and healthy for our lives. A key aspect of becoming a film critic with a “healthy diet” is learning to discern the worldview(s) being presented in any given film. In our next few articles, we will be looking at how to determine worldviews, what major worldviews are common in film and print, and how to use one’s personal worldview to distinguish right from wrong in any given work. Understanding worldviews will help us avoid movie anorexia and movie gluttony, and will help us be fit and active movie viewers.