Victoria EverleighIt’s rare that I want to watch a movie more than once.
But AppleTV’s Christmas movie, “Spirited” got to me. I first saw it in 2022, then (twice?) in 2023 and I plan to watch it this year.
It has no overt intentions (as far as I know) to be Christian in nature, yet I couldn’t help but notice the underlying Christian message.
And I love when a story can’t help but reveal God’s nature.
If you haven’t seen it, it’s a twist on A Christmas Carol. The ghosts of Christmas Past, Present, Yet to Be (confirm) “haunt” people into transformation. (**SPOILERS BELOW**)
Unredeemable?
One day, the ghosts choose to haunt the character played by Ryan Reynolds. The problem? He’s deemed an unredeemable. He can’t be saved. Can’t be helped. Can’t be redeemed.
Will Ferrell’s character, the Ghost of Christmas Present, believes in him to change, though. Sound a bit like Jesus?
After someone is redeemed, their statue goes in the Hall of the Redeemed, a place for those who have changed into virtuous people. Sound kind of like Heaven?
Ultimately, ee find that Clint (played by Ryan Reynolds) is capable of change. He repairs relationships with his brother and niece. He rights wrongs. Even with knowing the ending, the beauty of the story is in HOW we got there.
The movie answers the question, Are we all worth redemption? Are we all worth saving? And the answer, of course, is yes.
Lyrics
I’m not typically someone who enjoys movie musicals, but I loved this one! So give it a chance even if you typically don’t like musicals.
The lyrics were some of the best parts of the film.
In the film, we hear the cry of those who feel like they’ve done so much wrong in their life that they can’t turn it around. Look at these lyrics from the song “Unredeemable.”
From “Unredeemable”:
Am I forever unredeemable?
Can I be the man who breaks
From a lifetime of mistakes?
Can my worst be left behind?
And do I deserve to find
The kind of love that I could lean on every day?
Or will I learn I have to stay
Unredeemable?
Later on, they sing about the corporal works of mercy (again, most likely unintended), like giving to the poor and helping your fellow man, in “Do A Little Good.”
You can be a cynic and a sinner
Who can only see the flaws
But even if you lost your way
You don’t have to stay a lost cause
So try to do a little good
Maybe give a little more
Work a little harder than you did the day before (Work a little harder)
It only takes a little good
And some doin’ what you can
Takin’ every chance to make the choice to help your fellow man
Of course, the mention of Christ as Savior is missing and any film, even with Christian intention, will never reveal the truth of Our Lord. But the overall message of this film, that we all have goodness within us and we can all live in hope feels like a fitting Advent theme.
P.S. – It’s probably not a family movie if you have littles. It’s rated PG-13.