“I want to leave! I want to leave!” cried the young child sitting in the chair to my right. I couldn’t see his or her face. The theater was too dark. But I knew why the young child was crying. It’s because we had just reached the scariest part of the movie A Wrinkle in Time, based on the novel by Madeleine L’Engel which I read as a preteen. A creature known as the “IT” was attacking the heroine, Meg Murray. The scene was loud and frightening.
“I want to leave! I want to leave!”
This movie should sport a warning label: NOT FOR LITTLE KIDS.
Though I had some reservations about watching this movie due to the lack of Christian elements I knew had been removed, I went to see it anyway. No disrespect to those with other religious beliefs, but when Mrs. Which told Meg she needed to “become one with the universe” (definitely not a Christian philosophy) it made me want to gag. The notion that darkness is faster than light was also offered as food for thought. This idea totally clashes with the Biblical concept that God’s light triumphs over the world’s darkness.
“I want to leave,” I thought. “I want to leave.” Yet, I stayed in my seat, unwilling to move. After all, I had paid seven dollars for my ticket (thanks to the special Tuesday discount), and I was going to get my money’s worth to make up for the time I had to spend seventeen dollars to see the Thor movie because the cheaper versions were sold out.
I don’t get why they made the theater seats so fancy, by the way. Is it just in Annapolis or is that how it is all over the country? I liked the way they were before, and I wish that the Wrinkle in Time movie bore a closer resemblance to the actual book. I feel the same way about the Narnia series, but of course the production companies had to rewrite stuff to please the audience. Argh!
Anyhow, back to the movie. So, if a Christian looks at the idea of fighting darkness as “resisting the devil,” I suppose he or she can draw some merit from the Wrinkle in Time film, because in order to fight the darkness, Meg must resist it with all her might. Love is the answer to conquering darkness, and love is a powerful Christian theme. However, the Bible tells us it is God’s love, not our own, that saves us. The evil “IT” referred to in the film is supposedly THE source of evil in the universe. There is no God, no devil, no angels or demons involved, just three astral travelers, Mrs. Who, Mrs. What’s It, and Mrs. Which, who give Meg gifts to help her in her fight against the IT.
Even Meg’s flaws, which have nothing to do with sin, come in handy. They are like a blessing in disguise. The main thing she has to learn to do, however, is to “tesser,” which looks like a mix of yoga and some sort of transcendental meditation. To do it properly, Meg must close her eyes and find her “center” – not so she can hear from God (a Christian concept) but so that she can tune into the right frequency. It’s all about finding the right frequency. That’s what enables her to move billions of miles at one time throughout the universe.
The idea of astral travel is, of course, an eastern religious concept that I believe originated with God, the source of all such power. However, I don’t recall any mention of God in the movie.
I want to leave. I want to leave. Both the message and the way it is presented are too strange. I can’t stand to watch it anymore. As the final credits roll, I grab my purse, get up, and step over a batch of spilled popcorn kernels – undoubtedly a product of unhappy, whiny child wanting to go home. I feel bad for the mother, who apologizes to me as I leave the theater. I laugh it off and tell her it’s okay. I imagine she probably can’t wait to leave, and neither can I.
Signs, Wonders, Miracles 