How to Watch a Movie (as a Christian)

I partnered with the Los Angeles Film Studies Center for a teach-in called “How to Watch a Movie (as a Christian).”

The parentheses matter. Because much of what we discussed wasn’t about watching as Christians per se, but as human beings who care about meaning.

And yet, even without constant mention of faith, the conversation was profoundly spiritual.

Every film, they reminded us, carries a theology—a vision of what’s sacred, true, and worth believing in.

Here are three lessons I learned from the LAFSC teach-in:

1. Modes of Meaning - Each film generally accesses one of four modes of meaning: Narrative, Literal, Metaphorical, and Subconscious. This framework helped me categorize different films to better understand how their creators set out to express meaning through their work. (start at the 21:00 mark)

2. Lars and the Real Girl - I have never seen the film, but the way Morgan breaks it down makes me want to finally give it a viewing. She showed how a movie can teach without preaching—how silence, glances, and quiet gestures can reveal deep truths about love and loneliness. (start at the 40:00 mark)

3. Mis-en scène - A French term meaning “to put on stage.” It describes everything within the frame—actors, props, light, space, and their relationships to one another. The composition itself becomes a kind of sermon. (start at the 60:06 mark)

Creatures of Story

At heart, we are creatures of story.

Narratives tell us who we are and what we believe about God, ourselves, and one another.

If we want a world filled with more love, justice, and empathy, we must invite people into better stories.

And to do that, we must become better storytellers.

That’s what this teach-in was about—gaining the vocabulary to recognize truth and beauty in film, and learning to tell stories those stories more effectively.

So if we want a world filled with more love, more justice, more empathy, then we need to invite people into better stories.

Not only do we need to have better stories, we need to be better storytellers.

That’s what this teach-in is designed to help you become. You gain the vocabulary of effective storytelling, so you can tell a better story in a better way.

Watch the replay.

When you’re done, make an investment in the LA Film Studies Center, and help them train the next generation of Christian storytellers.

What movie had Christian themes or theology even though it wasn’t explicitly Christian? Let us know which film and why you chose it.