The Shack

The Shack is a movie based on the book by author William P. Young. Young, according to an interview, wanted to write a story that expressed the gospel, specifically how God may see and want to interact with the peak of His creation (mankind), in a novel contemporary way. For my money I think that Young succeeded in doing so and though I havent read the novel it seems to me that the movie, an especially engaging account of a man caught in a nexus of personal pain, succeeds in capturing and delivering the same message about God. It is an account of salvation of a man entering into a real relationship with the trustworthy Creator of universe and discovering as he is brought into the relationship of the personality, desire, and interactivity of God who allows the man the freedom (and the consequences that go with it) of his choice to participate and to know and to interact with God; in short, to choose or reject God. People who would shy away from such an obviously Christian movie should know two things about the film: 1) the movie by way of how it presents God gives the viewer an obvious choice to believe the main character, Mackenzie, or to dismiss his accounts and (2) this is a drama that deals with painful and heartbreaking events that are not clean nor cleanly resolved; it doesnt present life, even one where the main character makes a choice to walk through it with God, as being wrapped up all nice and tidy in the end like some people think of the biblical Job story. Far from this, Macs life though it is going much better by the end of the story, is still one where he has had to live and move through incalculable pain and makes choices to continually forgive in the aftereffects of that pain. So the story parallels many peoples life experiences as they are, not in fairy tale fashion. That last bit is important because the clear-eyed view of the story and what it relates about God (certainly taken from the biblical characteristics of the trinity but expressed through a very human view--also certainly open to scrutiny and rebuke but being overly literal about this story will also being missing its many points) makes it an even more compelling case about God. It treats God seriously, as a personal entity, and offers some not often pronounced insights into His character. Many people (myself included) will be or were surprised by the presentation; some will go away offended but I might enquire why? God, in His agency, is depicted in trinitarian fashion and just as Jesus was Gods fullest represenation of God to humankind as clearly exhibited in the gospel accounts and through His own words so too does The Shack express God and His character to a mere man.

I was leery of watching this because Ive heard mixed reviews on this movie. So I asked for discernment and asked God to show me anything I might learn from this movie and help me not to be deceived in any ways from this film. In the first 15 minutes or so it didt feel quite right. But I stepped back from the literal interpretation of it, and seeing the bigger picture I can see it as a good way to explain Gods love for all of us. It didnt delve into evil really at all, which makes it a bit incomplete to me. One main message of this movie was that bad things are allowed because of Gods mercy and love for each of us, even those who do wrong or bad things. While that is truth, it is not the complete picture. Perhaps that aspect was left out because many or most Christians really dont take spiritual warfare seriously. Since we battle not with flesh and blood but against spirits and principalities (Ephesians 6:12), including that may have made it a truer picture. I didnt really think it was necessary to make God a female in the role, I think a male could have gotten the same message across. But that part really wasnt important, it was seeing the attributes of God that was the message, that He is loving and with us always. I am glad they included the message about forgiving others

The Shack alone is an amazing movie, I’ve watched it twice. I believe watching Restoring The Shack prior to the movie was so very helpful me though. Watching Restoring The Shack help me with all the parables in the movie. I have told everyone about these two wonderful movies. It is worth every penny. I wish I was a book reader and I would read that too, but will be a great gift for Christmas! I think my favorite part was meeting wisdom.

Wonderful movie and music.

After I read the book 4 or 5 years ago, I hoped that this would someday be made into a movie so that the message of forgiveness, redemption, and His love so deep and awesome could be shared with millions more. (Too few people read a good book or The Good Book anymore.) When I heard the movie had been made, I waited to see it so that I could first let go of a bias I had that made me assume the movie would not do the book justice. Aside from a few details throughout the story, which the book went into more depth to develop and a couple a deviations in the movie compared to the book, the message of this story in both publications was spot-on the same. I only wish the actor that played the Son looked more like how He was described in the book, which was taken from the description given to us in Isaiah 53:2, and not the handsome man that played Him in the movie. I knew the Holy Spirit was going to be a challenging role to fill, given the books description as One more ethereal and not of solid bodily form. However, the movie did well to cast a shimmering light about the actress at times so I give it a pass. As for the one that played God, there isnt an actress alive today that could have filled this role better or aligned more perfectly with how the book described Him. The only major story line piece missing from the movie was when Mack (after his car accident at the end) directed authorities to the cave where they would find the remains of his daughter. Watch the movie. Read the book. You will love them both.

A tough hard to explain and sensitive to discuss has been eloquently handled.

I absolutely love this movie and how it shows that God pursues us!

You have GOT to see this!!!

Although I cried the whole movie it happy and scary and sad and inspiring We loved it!!

Sometimes we all need a lift up right? Try this you probably need to watch it from time to time.