Monday, December 25, 2006

Not Just for Kids

My girls got the movie "Cars" for Christmas. Of course we watched it this morning. I am the only one in the family that had not seen it. So, I watched and enjoyed the whole thing. The folks who make these kids movies have figured out that most of the time there are adults in the room too. In order to keep them interested it is good to through in a few nuggets for the grown-ups. Wise move Hollywood (one of the few).

Although there were several nuggets aimed at the big people in "Cars," I found the main thematic statement particularly good. Toward the end of the movie Lightening McQueen intentionally stops before winning the big race for the "Piston Cup" and goes back to check on the senior driver who had spun out. When asked about throwing the race and then passing on a big endorsement deal the little red hot rod shares words of wisdom from his old friend Doc: "It's just an empty cup."

Wow! All the things that we chase after in this life. If we could only get that message early on, wouldn't we be much better off? Actually, the Preacher said it a little better I think. "Thus I considered all my activities which my hands had done and the labor which I had exerted, and behold all was vanity and striving after wind and there was no profit under the sun." Ecc. 2:11

Do you think the producer of "Cars" has read Ecclesiastes? Me neither. Do you think we should tell him?

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

The gospel according to Cars?

Madness!

Anonymous said...

Hermey.
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0058536

Jon Cyrus said...

Yep, Hermey wanted to be a dentist. Another kids flick with redemptive undertones. Remember how the "Bumble" was transformed?