The Woodcarver

In WWJD II: The Wooodcarver, John Ratzenberger plays Ernest, a hard working, decent and faith filled man. It could be my Dad or many other people's Dad, Grandfather, brother or husband. I wouldn't say that the movie is perfect, but nothing is. That's why I liked it. It's just down to earth and shows the messiness that exists in this world.

I don't think the film is overly preachy. Yes Jesus is mentioned, but in a way that shows hurting people that if they want a fulfilled life like Ernest has, they might try putting God first. And just because they do, it doesn't cause everything in their life to be rosy--just meaningful.

Of course, a lot of people become bitter and miserable when life seems to fail them. This movie shows how prayers often need humans to act unselfishly in order for positive change to occur. In that sense, I believe that prayers are answered. This movie affirms my belief.

"You can either lend a hand or get out of the way, I'm pretty sure I know what choice Jesus would make." When high school dropout Matthew, upset with his parents, vandalizes a church his punishment is to help fix it up. When he is sent to help woodcarver Ernest Otto (Ratzenberger) Matthew begins to learn a valuable lesson. As I have stated many times before my biggest problem with the faith based movies are that everything is too perfect and there is no tension. This movie is one of the few exceptions that I have found. This is also the only movie like this I have seen that actually threw me for a loop at the end. This is a very good movie and very much worth watching even if you don't normally like the faith based movies. Overall, along with "What if" this is one of the best faith based movies I have ever seen. I give it a B+.

I was greatly surprised by the wonderful script. It is a movie which has a very strong Christian theme and which includes excellent lessons about life, especially in our society which is often very far away from the basics.

PROS

+ Great example how to constantly ask yourself the simple question 'What would IESOUS do in that situation?'

+ Great example how a good workfield, such as being a finishing carpenter, can strongly contribute to the stability of a youth. Nowadays we often have the focus on extensive education and office-career, which is in this movie shown to be responsible for the near-break-up of the couple's marriage and the breakdown of their son (aside from not being believers). His decision to break out from that circle and to pursue honest and challenging work, changes at the end the course of that whole family and brings a whole new unity.

+ The movie is also a great example of how important older people are in discipling younger people in faith and practical work, topics which went hand-in-hand already in IESOUS' and Paul's time, who both worked hard and discipled in their free time other people. If our society does not have such informal teachers as shown in this movie or e.g. In 'The Secrets of Jonathan Sperry', then we have a real problem.

+ This movie also displays a bad example of a pastor, by not knowing the attendance of his flock and not having authority over them while wearing a collar (which is probably not baptist-style). But his example of practical forgiveness is very great.

CONS

• Speaking about Baptists, it is surprising that we do not see any baptism in this movie, which would have been a beautiful conclusion of it. I have to say that I find it overall shocking how few North American Christian movies actually show a salvation and / or a baptism. Out of 90 movies reviewed to date, I remember only 2 including a baptism ('The Printing' and 'Bamboo in Winter').

• If Paul would have seen this movie including a very angry father and mother, he would have probably objected that the HOLY SPIRIT was absent from the story, because apart from job changes, a new family unity and some hugs we do not find any fulfillment of the Great Commission, to both make disciples and to baptize them. Not one of the family members found their salvation in this movie - they only became better people.

• Some of the dialogues had been hard to understand due to dialect spoken and / or unclear recording.

• Ernest speaks to his dead wife. This is not necessarily a problem because he clearly states that he hears her voice only from past memories, but to include such a scene and to repeat it even twice was probably not wise in a Christian movie.

• The scene with the chisel is hardly realistic. Even if someone were to flip it and it should be very sharp, there would not be nearly enough energy to penetrate trousers and cut deep into flesh at a distance of approx. Half a meter.

Always loved John Ratzenberger cast is amazing few commercials not pretentious and fake like Hallmark so genuine.

As a celebration of individual craftsmanship The Woodcarver is an interesting film. But it's failure to really find a reason young Dakota Dalby's rebellion it falls way short of the mark. I'm still not clear if the young man in his own mind committed these acts of vandalism for sufficient reason.

But vandalize his former church he did and the pastor Anthony Harrison calls in his estranged parents, Woody Jeffreys and Nicole Oliver. They spend more time sniping at each other than paying attention to their son. In fact Jeffreys sees the vandalism as an opportunity for work for his contracting firm and their prefabricated material.

The thing is the original carver of the woodwork in the church is still with us and as a craftsman John Ratsenberger takes a great deal of pride. Pride in yourself is a sin, but pride in what you do with your own hands if you're blessed with such a creative spirit should be encouraged.

Which is the lesson taught to young Daulby. With a leavening of those initials that have become so popular, WWJD, what would Jesus do? There's considerable debate in our society about that proposition.

The Woodcarver is a good tribute to pride in your work and the dignity of a craft well learned and practiced.