A Great Awakening-A Movie Review
By Sight & Sound Films
Overview
Set in the year 1774 following the death of George Whitefield. It showcases a man of science, Benjamin Franklin, heeding the call of help from General George Washington on helping the Continental Congress come to an agreement on America's future pertaining to the liberty of its citizens.
As Benjamin Franklin Jr. digs through the tools to write papers at his father's print shop, both him and Benjamin Franklin uncover notes from Geroge Whitefield's journey from England to the Colonies.
George Whitefield
A young man working in an inn with his mother, wants to grow up to be an actor. After years of training, he finally master's the extravagant voice that comes with storytelling to keep you hooked and engaged. From here he is given a recommendation slip from his acting tutor to enroll in Oxford to pursue an education.
At Oxford, pursuing his education, he lived as a serviceman to afford the pursuit of knowledge. Being mocked by the other alumni, Geoge is then greeted with kindness from the Holy Club. A group of young individuals that studied the Bible and shared Jesus with their fellow man.
This act of kindness makes George rethink who he wants to be. He doesn't want to use his voice for preaching as pastors in the pulpit put people to sleep. He wants to be an actor so people will listen to him. Joining the Holy Club, he goes around to minister to those who are of lowly estate. In a prison, seeing all the cast-offs, George wants to do more than just car for people. So, he uses his voice to preach from the book of John to foll the prison with God's holy word. In doing this he himself is convicted of his own wretchedness and sin. This then makes him take this newfound zeal for the Christian faith and go to the extreme by fasting for a month to earn God's favor.
Nearly dying from the time of fasting, it is then that he realizes that he can't earn God's favor. His friend John Wesley points out that before Jesus even does miracles in his ministry; he was first baptized by John (John chapter 1:29-34). This leads to George being baptized as a public declaration of his faith. And now begins his ministry where he uses his voice, as an Orator, to proclaim Christ crucified to the masses who need it.
Getting kicked out of a church for accusing the reverend's the using the truth to put people to sleep rather than waking them up with fiction, George takes it upon himself to use his voice to preach outside (which was looked down upon by the clergy). His voice grabbed the attention of many, and he soon developed a following. He turned his sights to a coal mine where he was instantly rejected and stoned for his preaching. Until he used his voice to summon the whole mine to him. Convicting many of their sin, salvation from God swept through England. Until the church got so annoyed that they kicked Whitefield out of England entirely.
Benjamin Franklin
The man of science.
A child of 10, Benjamin Franklin wants to use his mind. We are shown his life as a child. Taking a kite and using it as a sail to be pulled across a lake (much to his father's disapproval). His father confronts young Ben about his purpose in life. Calls Ben his "tithe to God" because he is the 10th child. Wants him to grow up to be a preacher. But Benjamin doesn't want to be a preacher because preachers put people to sleep (theirs a trend here...). Instead, of being a candle-maker like his father, Benjamin is granted permission by his father to assist his older brother in his print shop. And thus the young mind is put on a path of purpose.
We then pick up in Philadelphia, on the day when George Whitefield is entering the Colonies. Now, Benjamin already knew he was coming (as word travels fast before the internet) but was astonished when the young reverend finally showed up.
While George gives his first sermon to the people of Philadelphia, Benjamin collects data just to see how much ground George's voice covers as a great Orator. Turns out George exceeds the distance of the local town to many blocks after there. People inside buildings hear him and are convicted.
Then they meet. George uses Banjamin's print shop, the Pennsylvania Gazette, to spread word of his many locations for evangelism. Creating an even bigger following. Sometime later we are back at the print shop where George invokes Benjamin's philosophies. It is then that, as a storm brews outside, Benjamin excitedly gives George a lesson in science. Capturing lightning. Which he would then use to help protect buildings from catching fire during storms. This moment is interesting as a man who is all about faith gets to witness the interlocking details of God's design.
The Scene That Stole the Show
It's the last scene in the movie that George is present for before he dies off screen. In the buildup to his last moments, his great many travels from England to the Colonies and back took a toll on his health. And it's this exchange he has with Benjamin that was the most impressive exchange throughout the films journey.
George is the Christian.
Benjamin is the atheist.
Benjamin rejects God and the Christian faith out of a rejection of his father's will. It's spite not conviction. George challenges him to not use his father's choices as a means of denying God. Of which Benjamin fires back with George's hypocritical views of slavery. It's the common argument we see today. Many people reject the Christian faith because the church isn't perfect and people get hurt sometimes. Then that hurt manifests into outright rejection of God's love, mercy and grace. As a rebuttal, people will use that pain as a justification for why they walked away from religion at all. Not realizing key figures in the Bible did some really nasty stuff.
The Gospel
It's rare for a religious movie nowadays to give a gospel message. But the story of George Whitefield being the voice of the revolution for the Colonies and his friendship with Benjamin Franklin, means you just can't ignore the gospel. And so, the film gives us plenty of scripture to hear. From the cinematic symbolism to outright New Testament quotes, sin nature was faced and the gospel was given as the only solution to man's natural, wicked state.
Conclusion
Go watch A Great Awakening. It's a wonderful film. Whether you watch for the history, the politics or the preaching, the movie gives something for everyone as it reflects on the roots of America's constitutional foundation.
Quotable Lines
"Sooth or Stoke? Yes."
"Arise oh sleeper. Awaken!"
"Do not use my flawed life as a means of ignoring your own soul (paraphrased)."
"Why didn't you tell me about Whitefield? I didn't think you needed to know. I needed to know."
"We don't like you here. Neither does Satan."
"Liberty saved us. But now it's becoming our demise (paraphrased)."
"I practice these virtues every day. Including humility. He just added that today (paraphrased)."
"I don't think you're capable of having liberty. Virtuous men are capable."
"One candle lights a thousand."
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