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A Summer of Movie-Discussion Nights[Part Three: "The Wizard of Oz"]
By Steve Lansingh | As I'd contemplated in the previous installment, this time I had people write something down in response to the question before we talked. It worked out well; that way everyone had something to contribute and I could talk without feeling like I was stealing the show. (Of course, this time we only had 8 people instead of 12, so that might also have contributed to the more egalitarian feel of the evening's discussion.)
This time, we tackled "The Wizard of Oz," and instead of coming up with the all questions myself this time, I borrowed about half of them from these books: "The Motion Picture Prescription," "Reflections on the Movies," and "Video Movies Worth Watching." (Sometime this summer I'm aiming to create a page that lists all the books I know of dealing with Christanity and the movies; there's about 20 or so you might want to check out someday.) The other book I relied on, in order to set the tone for the evening, was Frederick Beuchner's "Telling the Truth: the Gospel as Tragedy, Comedy and Fairy Tale." If you can get it from your library or something, you can precede the movie-viewing with a reading from pages 89-91, which compares the upside-down nature of fairy tales to the reverse-expectations of the gospel. (The frog becomes a prince, the ugly duckling a swan, and the homeless man the king of kings.)
We watched about a half-hour of the movie, starting from when the foursome starts down the long hall to meet the wizard. (This is about 1:10 into the tape I got from the library.) Then I passed out the pens and paper; I just used blank notebook paper rather than something with the questions on them, because, as usual, I didn't use all my planned questions and I changed the order depending on where I felt the conversation headed.
And one last thing: I gave a homework assignment this time. We'll see how it goes, 'cause it's kind of a scary one. After asking people which quality they wished they had (patience, courage, decisiveness, etc.), I challenged everyone to ask God for it this week and to see how he answers. Some of us weren't so sure we really wanted God to change us -- we get comfortable with our weaknesses, perhaps. There's a difference, maybe, between asking God to "keep us from evil" and making us the people we most want to be.
And now, onto the questions, in no particular order:
"The Wizard of Oz" has been loved by generation after generation; it's worked its way into the national iconography. Are you the kind of person who enjoys that connection with the past and sheer numbers of people who love the film? Or are you the kind of person who likes to find movies on their own, and is more comfortable liking unknown films?
Which are you in your faith? Do you lean toward tradition or invention in your Christianity?
There's a yearning in the film for home. What place most means home to you?
There's also a yearning in the film for transcedence, for finding a "place with no trouble." How do you try to "get away" in your life?
Heaven is both our true home and a "place with no trouble." How come it's hard to long for heaven?
The good witch says that Dorothy had to discover the truth for herself, not just be told. What truths have you learned that way?
(If you have the Buechner book, read the first paragraph on p. 96. If not, bring up the idea that modern-day Christianity has taken a lot of the fairy-tale mystery out of our faith, and with it some of the power. Buechner says the faith that can raise the dead has been turned into the faith that makes life bearable until we die.)
Do you wish your faith had more of that mystery, or is that too scary?
Do you ever fear that the curtain will be "pulled back" on God and not reveal what you think?
Do you ever feel like you need just "one more thing" to be whole? What is it?
Have you ever asked God for it?
The wizard hands out titles and medals to affirm that the lion, tin man, and scarecrow already had what they were looking for. When in your life has someone helped you find out what you were really like?
What recognition or encouragement can you give to someone else this week?
Tune in next time for "Sense and Sensibility" -- same Bat-time, same Bat-website.
Don't forget that we want your feedback -- discuss any of the questions above, or share tips about discussion groups!
Kimberly Jones
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I am currently doing a bible play on the Wizard of Oz and I needed some help with
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