Just in Time

There are strong spiritual themes related to a person who feels lost finding hope in God. I was ambivalent when Hannah prayed and received an immediate answer, albeit one of mystery and ambiguity. I was afraid that this movie was going to make her spiritual journey overly simplistic. It didn't take long to see that she was going to be led on quest regarding the watch which was going to be the process that led to spiritual solutions. These Hallmark-like quest stories often have deeper implications, but in this case the quest has the underlying spiritual purpose.

Yes, this movie is unapologetically about God. There is even a brief sermon about Jesus. And there is preaching, some by the pastor, and some by the newfound friend, Franklin. The story is really about his spiritual mentor relationship, not nearly as much about the relationship between Hannah and her husband, Rowan.

I watched the premiere on GAF network with an introduction by Candace Cameron Bure. She categorized the story as one about rebirth and resurrection with the obvious tie-in to Easter. While the central focus of Easter is the resurrection, the underlying purpose of it is not a simple rebirth. Romans 4:24-25 tells us that the Father raised Jesus from the dead because he was "delivered up for our trespasses and raised FOR our justification." (My emphasis.) In other words, Christ died a sacrificial death to pay the penalty for our sins, but the resurrection was needed to prove that it was sufficient to that end. And to show that God indeed gives life after death. This part of the Easter message was glossed over by the movie, and worse, there was no discussion of the need for repentance or faith. The message of this movie is incomplete. It would be easy to conclude that this sacrificial atonement applies to all, everyone, regardless of faith.

The acting and script were good. The background score was just as it should be - background.