Faith, Film, & Philosophy, ch. 8

Dallas Willard takes up the moral/good life by reviewing Pleasantville, American Beauty (one of my favorites), and the Cider House Rules. What Willard clearly points out is that these movies offer us a picture of the good life as being following every desire and whim of the heart; particularly sensuality. A key point was Willard's assessment that "this crucial point of reference is altogether absent from the vision of life communicated by cinematic productions that represent sensuality as the path to moral liberation." The problem of all three films is contrasting only with a moral rigidity that is itself wrong too. So, these three films swing the moral pendulum too far to the other end of the spectrum not seeking a proper ethic to live life.