Sunday, August 30, 2009

#9 "Amazing Grace"

Stats: 2006. Starring Ioan Gruffudd, Romola Garai, Albert Finney. PG. Based on a true story.

Background: I saw this with my mom and sisters in a packed out theater in Wichita. (The Warren. Go there. It’s cool.) I didn’t know much about the story going in—in fact, I thought that it would be more about John Newton, since it was named after the hymn.

What a gripping story! We all loved it, and when Amazon ran a sale on it earlier this year, I bought two copies—one for myself, and one for my mom.

Reactions: I took this over to my mom’s to watch with her yesterday. She cried, of course, and again reiterated her belief that Albert Finney should have been nominated for an Oscar for his portrayal of Newton. (He was very good.)

Amazing Grace is such an inspiring story. William Wilberforce (Gruffudd) spent years of his life fighting for what he knew to be the truth: All men (and women!) are created in God’s image, and no man should own another. I also love how Barbara (Garai) came into William’s life just as he was about to cease fighting; he had faced so much opposition—his bill to abolish the slave trade had been defeated when it should have passed, his best friend (Prime Minister William Pitt) threatened him with sedition if he continued speaking out, and his health was failing—that he thought it might be easier to quit. But Barbara encouraged him—even challenged him—to keep fighting for what was right. She was, I think, the true definition of a helpmeet. She encouraged him, esteemed him, and spurred him on to be a better man.

Verdict: Keep

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