Bruce Almighty
How might this film affect a
person’s attitude to belief in God.
---Things to watch for---
What God looks like and how he works.
What Bruce does when he gets God’s powers.
How and why Bruce changes by the end of the film.
Anything that challenges ‘normal’ views of God.
The idea(s) of freewill.
The BIG message?
Want a miracle, be the miracle
(God-Bruce Almighty)
Be the change you want to see in the world
(Mahatma Gandhi)
My life is my message
(Mahatma Gandhi)
The tramp’s signs
Task 1
The tramp eventually turned out to be God.
His signs also had double meanings.
Write out each of the quotes and try and find at
least two meanings for each.
1.life is just
2.thy kingdumb come
3.all for won
4.god bee good honey
5.armageddon outta here
Quotes
Task 2
Pick one quote, write it out and explain what you think it means
Bruce “How do you make someone love you without
affecting free will?”
God “Welcome to my world!”
• “You have had my powers for little over a week
now, how many people have you helped?”
• “Since when does anyone know what they want?”
• “People want me to do everything for them and
what they don't realise is that they have the
power”
• “Want a miracle be the miracle.”
Some questions
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
Describe ‘God’ in this film, and list some of the things He did.
What things were ‘unusual’ about God, and why do you think the
producers showed these things about Him?
When, and why, did Bruce first recognise God?
Do you think that it is distasteful that God would be cleaning
the floor?
What do you think that the director was trying to say by
showing Bruce and God cleaning the floor together at the end
on the film?
What do you think the director was trying to show when ‘God’
stepped out of his janitors clothes and was wearing a white suit
underneath?
Traditionally Jesus has been shown as a white man in Western
Christian Art. Do you think that Christians could be offended
by the idea of a ‘black janitor God in a white suit’? Give reasons
for your point of view and show evidence of different points of
view.
At the start of the film, God said that he couldn’t mess with
freewill. What might a believer/non believer learn about God
and freewill from what happened to Bruce in this film? (e.g. How
did God influence Bruce’s freewill without ‘messing’ with it,
because he got Bruce to turn up on 7th 7th without making him?)
‘Films about religion help
believers to understand their
religion.’
Do you agree? Give reasons for your
answer, showing that you have thought
about more than one point of view.
(6AEmarks)
A Christian Messasge
• For by grace you have been saved through
faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of
God: Epehsians 2:8
• Revised King James New Testament (Bible)
• How does this quote from the Bible relate
to the film?
•
Clue Bruce’s girlfriend
‘Films about religion help nonbelievers to believe in religion.’
Do you agree? Give reasons for your
answer, showing that you have thought
about more than one point of view.
(6 AE marks)
‘Films about religion allow
directors to spread their religious
message to people who would not
normally be interested in religion .’
Do you agree? Give reasons for your
answer, showing that you have thought
about more than one point of view.
(6AE marks)
Quote from Tom Shadyak
(director)
http://www.crosswalk.com/1202906/
• "Well, I think for the very reason they may be
concerned about this movie is the reason they will
like this movie. I would say first of all don't prejudge it
-- go see it and I think they'll find a lot of goodness at
the core of this movie. People have knocked us
before they've even seen it and said it's
"blasphemous." I want to remind you that God never
gives up the reigns of this world. God is always God
in this movie and He knows what He's doing. And it's
not so much us making fun of God -- I would never
do that. It's really God having fun with us, making
light of our human foibles and tendencies. So I would
invite them to come see it, and I think that they'll find
at the core of this story is really a movie with heart,
fun and with a good message."