I was reluctant for whatever reason but must have been bored enough at some point, as I picked it up and decided to give it a go.
I am glad I did.
Although the book received a lot of controversy, (read here, and here), I thought it was well written and engaging.
Flash forward all these years and the release of The Shack MOVIE is out and my mother decided to pick both it and the book up at once. Something about it had caught her attention.
Although she has yet to read the book, she decided to give the movie a go and stopped part-way through. She didn't expect to continue.
If you have not read nor seen The Shack, I will offer this much: a very difficult scene unfolds after the waterfall. It is tragic and sickening and all-together wretched.
So my mother got to said after-the-waterfall part and decided that the movie was not for her. She told me so much. How can this be a good movie? Why would she want to watch that?
It is worth it, I urged her. There is a great unveiling which can only occur after the difficult. It is worth the pain.
After some time -and it was funny how long that time took- she decided to finish the movie.
This past weekend I was visiting with her. We prepared the Littles for bed and, after they were in La-La-Land, she and I curled-up in her bed and turned the movie on.
Friends, IT IS SO GOOD.
I remember enjoying the book. The images I conjured-up in my mind of how things looked and felt. Watching the movie was satisfying in the way that I both excepted somethings to unravel (those pieces I recalled) and I had simultaneously forgotten so much of it that it felt new.
Given the range of emotions, the way one's mind is stretched, and the way this movie can affect both the Believer and Non-Believer* alike, my review is this:
The Shack is a story of redemption.
It takes horrific situations and offers grace and hope where anger and misunderstandings abide.
It beckons to ask for-real questions. Those everyone -regardless of religious affiliation- has wanted to ask:
Where was God in this?
How can God claim to be good?
Why do bad things happen to good people?
The Shack takes one man and walks the audience through his life's pain. His reactions to situations are genuine, not "overtly-religious" - there is no "God is good". Period. As if just saying that can take away someone's hurts.
This man is given opportunities to see God in a new way and still - to God's face- asks the hard questions and even (to my delight) asks God to stop speaking in riddles. Don't we all wish Jesus just spoke to us straight? (Although, and this fact is pointed out in one of the controversial links above, if we were face-to-face with God, it would be a holy fear and awe that overcomes us, not self-righteousness. Still, for the sake of portraying how I imagine the majority of people to feel, the emotions felt and questions asked of God seem appropriate.)
Outside of story-line, the cast is well-picked; each character, well portrayed.
The soundtrack, as well, is great.
One WILL require an OPEN MIND while in the midst of The Shack. Ideas, possibilities, and understandings will likely be shaken.
One last note:
As a Christian woman, I have both read and watched The Shack. My eyes are biased in the ways of looking to bless God and stay as close to His face as possible. This, of course, is partial to my understanding of Him based upon His Word, the Bible, and my time in His presence during both prayer and worship.
I think The Shack is a BEAUTIFUL REPRESENTATION of God's glory. It offers REDEMPTION, HEALING, and it CHALLENGES OUR UNDERSTANDINGS. As the main character experiences these realities, so also, does the audience.
I doubt one can experience The Shack and not be moved. Not have a deeper understanding or perhaps admit one's vast non-understandings, these being different from misunderstandings. Do you understand what I am trying to write?
This has my great recommendation. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.
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