Books > Humor & Entertainment > Movies

Hollywood Worldviews: Watching Films with Wisdom and Discernment [2009, PDF/EPUB, ENG]

by Brian Godawa

(141 ratings)
Book cover

Do you watch movies with your eyes open? You buy your tickets and concessions, and you walk into the theater. Celluloid images flash at twenty-four frames per second, and the hypnotic sequence of moving pictures coaxes you to suspend disbelief and be entertained by the implausible. Unfortunately, many often suspend their beliefs as well, succumbing to subtle lessons in how to behave, think and even perceive reality. Do you find yourself hoping that a sister will succeed in seducing her sibling's husband, that a thief will get away with his crime, that a serial killer will escape judgment? Do you, too, laugh at the bumbling priest and seethe at the intolerant and abusive evangelist? Do you embrace worldviews that infect your faith and then wonder, after your head is clear, whether your faith can survive the infection? In this thoroughly revised and updated edition of his popular book, Brian Godawa guides you through the place of redemption in film, the tricks screenwriters use to communicate their messages, and the mental and spiritual discipline required for watching movies. Hollywood Worldviews helps you enter a dialogue with Hollywood that leads to a happier ending, one that keeps you aware of your culture and awake to your faith.

.
Read more ▾

Book details


  • Author : Brian Godawa
  • Publisher : IVP; Revised and Expanded edition
  • Published : 05-26-2009
  • Language : English
  • Pages : 260
  • ISBN-10 : 9780830837137
  • ISBN-13 : 978-0830837137
  • Reader Reviews : 141 (4.6)
download Free Download
literature Read Online

info-popup This book is available for free download in a number of formats - including epub, pdf, azw, mobi and more. You can also read the full text online using our ereader.

  • File Formats : PDF, FB2, DOC, EPUB, TXT
  • Status : ● available for FREE download
  • Downloads : 3548

About the Author


Brian Godawa


Brian Godawa is an award-winning Hollywood screenwriter (To End All Wars), a controversial movie and culture blogger (www.Godawa.com), an internationally known teacher on faith, worldviews and storytelling (Hollywood Worldviews), an Amazon best-selling author of Biblical fiction (Chronicles of the Nephilim), and provocative theology (God Against the gods). His obsession with God, movies and worldviews, results in theological storytelling that blows your mind while inspiring your soul. And he’s not exaggerating.

His main website is www.godawa.com.

Find everything about him and his works there.

.
Read more ▾

Reader Reviews

J
SLIMJIM
Excellent
Reviewed in the United States on 04-22-2014
The author Brian Godawa is a prolific Christian movie maker, reviewer, screen writer and author. If one would expect someone to have the situational background to write on a Christian worldview analysis of films, then Godawa would be it. Making this even better is the fact that Godawa has good theology driving his worldview. He's also influenced by Van Til's Presuppositional apologetics (another major plus!). I've been wanting to read this book for a long time and was glad that I was finally able to order it and sit down and read it. The book defends the idea that film in of itself is not sinful--and that is just the preface. Conscious of the fact that film consists of visual imagery, the dramatic and a story, the author demonstrates that Scripture uses or record people using imagery, the dramatic and stories properly. The rest of the book is divided into three parts, or more appropriately as Godawa calls it, 'act.' In Act 1, Godawa focuses on story telling, which consists of three chapters. The first chapter is about the issue of sex, violence and profanity. This chapter is one that a Christian might want to read carefully and perhaps revisit even after a first reading of the book. It is something to chew on even if not every Christian will find themselves in agreement with the author. Chapter three focuses on movies with redemption which obviously is a big theological Christian motif since God has established the greatest act of redemption. I've thoroughly enjoyed Act 2 of the book, which focuses on three worldviews that's the undercurrent of many contemporary movies: existentialism, postmodernism and other worldviews, including Eastern mysticism. Act 3 focuses on movies protrayal of the spiritual with a chapter each on Jesus, Christianity, faith and spiritual warfare. What I like alot about this book is that many movies are brought up as examples of the worldviews subtle message in films. There are many insights, analysis and observations from various movies throughout the book. You will find yourself seeing movies you seen before in new light and also be curious about the story lines of other movies you have not seen before (and of course, some movies which I will not see as a result of this book's analysis). All in all, these example should stir a Christian to be careful with discerning and watching movies with Godly wisdom--and while watching out for swearing, needless violence and sexual sins are important, we as believers must also watch out for the IDEAS that film impart to us. I highly recommend this book as a great introduction..
Read more ▾
J
James
Excellent Book! Gives deeper understanding into worldviews and more.
Reviewed in the United States on 08-26-2015
This is a really great book that is a must-have in your library, especially if you are wanting to know about the worldviews in movies. In this book, Brian really goes into detail about the different worldviews (biblical, humanistic, neo-paganisic, etc) and how they are portrayed in movies. He also goes into detail about how the themes, concepts, and ideas found in movies are also in the Bible, and covers how they are used for very different reasons.
This is a resource needed in your library to help you gain clearer insight into what worldview is portrayed, and how to understand the agenda in Hollywood. I always knew that a creator's worldview is portrayed in their works, but I wanted a more deeper understanding of how they are portrayed. This book helped immensely, especially in helping understanding the worldview in the media I watch. Not just movies either. But also Anime, Video Games, Comics/Manga, etc.
I could go into more detail, but I will keep this spoiler-free. You'll have to buy Hollywood Worldviews to really dig in. It will be worth the investment..
Read more ▾
J
Mark Meynell
Profoundly helpful insights from a screenwriter with a film industry insider's perspective
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 12-10-2008
I wish I'd read this book sooner. There's a lot of stuff written out there about movies, music and pop culture generally, from a Christian perspective, but i find that too much of is ranty or frustratingly shallow. This book is written by an insider, a screenwriter with a proven track record, who brings a wealth of industry know-how to bear on what is arguably the most powerful medium around today.

After working through the basic worldview concepts (anyone familiar with Schaeffer or the work of L'Abri will recognise the approach), Godawa then examines a variety of different prevailing outlooks with plenty of cinematic examples. I often found myself re-evaluating familiar and favourite films because of a different angle or insight. His big thing is getting people to avoid the miserable extremes of what he calls cultural anorexia and cultural gluttony. So for example, there are constructive but realistic comments here on the issue of sex and violence on screen - which should be seen in a rather different light once compared with the explicit nature of much of scripture!

A hugely rewarding read for anyone who loves films as works of art in themselves, as well as for the insight they give into prevailing trends in our culture..
Read more ▾