Starring Edward Pattinson and Kristen Stewart
Rated PG-13
You might have heard that vampires are all the rage these days. With the frenzy over the Twilight series by Stephenie Meyer and television's success with True Blood and The Vampire Diaries, vampires seem to be invading our landscape at every turn. The Twilight movie is based on the first book in this four-book series. The story follows Bella Swan, a teenage girl who has moved to Washington to live with her dad. Bella is a quiet girl who has trouble connecting with other teenagers. Bella's perspective on life changes in her first few weeks of school, as she meets another "different" group of teenagers - the Cullen kids.
Twilight follows the beginning of a romance between Bella and the eldest Cullen boy - Edward. Bella must confront the strange realities of Edward's behavior - his speed, strength and ability to read other's thoughts. While exploring the possibilities, Bella also realizes her own love - really complete infatuation - with this teenage boy. Bella and Edward both share the truth of their backgrounds and starting building on this foundation in a romantic relationship. Like any good Hollywood romance, this seemingly doomed couple must overcome impossible odds to stay together.
Rated PG-13
You might have heard that vampires are all the rage these days. With the frenzy over the Twilight series by Stephenie Meyer and television's success with True Blood and The Vampire Diaries, vampires seem to be invading our landscape at every turn. The Twilight movie is based on the first book in this four-book series. The story follows Bella Swan, a teenage girl who has moved to Washington to live with her dad. Bella is a quiet girl who has trouble connecting with other teenagers. Bella's perspective on life changes in her first few weeks of school, as she meets another "different" group of teenagers - the Cullen kids.
Twilight follows the beginning of a romance between Bella and the eldest Cullen boy - Edward. Bella must confront the strange realities of Edward's behavior - his speed, strength and ability to read other's thoughts. While exploring the possibilities, Bella also realizes her own love - really complete infatuation - with this teenage boy. Bella and Edward both share the truth of their backgrounds and starting building on this foundation in a romantic relationship. Like any good Hollywood romance, this seemingly doomed couple must overcome impossible odds to stay together.
The Twilight movie falls short in many ways. The key interaction places within the book are reduced or completely eliminated. For example, Bella cooks dinner every night for her dad and they eat together at home. This nightly ritual gives the reader a sense of Bella and her father's relationship. In theTwilight movie, they eat at a local restaurant, which diminishes some of the tenderness between Bella and her dad. Also, the Twilight movie skips over key dialogue that is essential for setting up future movies based on the series. The entire meadow scene is portrayed almost like a cheesy after-school special. I think the actors aptly portray what was written. I just think the screenplay writing and directing were poorly done.
While the stories may differ, the Twilight book and movie have a central theme - the truth of a greater reality. Bella has no idea that a greater world exists outside of humanity. When she is confronted with this truth, she is prompted to respond. Her life is forever changed by knowing something greater exists than what humans can see. As a Christian, it doesn't take you long to see the parallel to a similar theme in the Bible. When we come into a relationship with God, our existence is expanded into Christ. He is greater than this world. He is greater than our reality. He is greater than anything or anyone. Christ connects us back into relationship with a holy God. When we know this truth, we are also prompted to respond. As Bella makes a choice to love Edward after contemplating the consequences, we must also choose how to respond to God's love. He doesn't force us into a relationship with Him. We always have the choice. One of my favorite passages about greater realities can be found in the book of Ephesians. I love how Eugene Peterson interprets the apostle Paul's words about this topic:
How blessed is God! And what a blessing he is! He's the Father of our Master, Jesus Christ, and takes us to the high places of blessing in him. Long before he laid down earth's foundations, he had us in mind, had settled on us as the focus of his love, to be made whole and holy by his love. Long, long ago he decided to adopt us into his family through Jesus Christ. (What pleasure he took in planning this!) He wanted us to enter into the celebration of his lavish gift-giving by the hand of his beloved Son.
How blessed is God! And what a blessing he is! He's the Father of our Master, Jesus Christ, and takes us to the high places of blessing in him. Long before he laid down earth's foundations, he had us in mind, had settled on us as the focus of his love, to be made whole and holy by his love. Long, long ago he decided to adopt us into his family through Jesus Christ. (What pleasure he took in planning this!) He wanted us to enter into the celebration of his lavish gift-giving by the hand of his beloved Son.
Because of the sacrifice of the Messiah, his blood poured out on the altar of the Cross, we're a free people—free of penalties and punishments chalked up by all our misdeeds. And not just barely free, either. Abundantly free! He thought of everything, provided for everything we could possibly need, letting us in on the plans he took such delight in making. He set it all out before us in Christ, a long-range plan in which everything would be brought together and summed up in him, everything in deepest heaven, everything on planet earth. Ephesians 1:3-10, The Message
While I made the choice to see the Twilight movie, I think my better choice was reading the actual book. Although, the Twilight movie does reflect some of the positive aspects of the book series. Bella and Edward have some strict physical boundaries in their relationship. Their primary form of communication and relationship-building comes through face-to-face dialogue (versus texting or getting to know each other on social websites). Also, Edward's family have chosen a life of helping people versus destroying them through murder. Again, I would highly encourage you to read theTwilight book series if you are interested in this story. The more I watch theTwilight movie, the more I don't like it. This movie just doesn't adequately portray the deep theme of love as Stephenie Meyer wrote it. Although, I have high hopes for the next film in the series, New Moon. Maybe the next movie won't disappoint.