Negative - I am a born again Christian and also a Christian film-maker. I viewed this film “Woman Thou Art Loosed” last week on DVD with my wife and friends. In this film, TD Jakes really exposes reality in the church today and what some people go through.

The problem I had with this film is that it really didn’t promote Jesus Christ at all. In fact, I don't think Jesus name was mentioned once. Some of my friends left because they found the movie too disturbing. This makes me think, born again Christians leaving my home because of a Christian movie, yet most secular movie they stay and watch. I think the producers maybe were not Christians, I’m not sure.

I personally wouldn’t recommend this movie to anyone. It showed the church in a very negative state. In fact, if I was a non-Christian, I would be saying to myself, “I will never attend church after watching this movie.” It left a bad taste in my mouth.
My Ratings: [Offensive/2]
—Scott, age 31

Positive - This movie portrays real life, Every person knows someone in their family who fits each and every character in this movie. Unfortunately, most Christians will want to deny this. It also has a very real view of how we as Christians are viewed by the world.
My Ratings: [Better than Average/3]
—Patricia Staten, age 45

Neutral - [Has not viewed this film.] It is important in today’s pop-christianity to not be blown by the winds of doctrine for the sake of modern ideals. Do not forget that TD Jakes denies historic Christianity and embraces Onenness Pentacostalism which teaches anti-Biblical heretical doctrines by denying the true character of God.
—Pastor Casey, age 30

Neutral - Don’t see that it really shows a positive ending.
My Ratings: [Average/3]
—Jacaue, age 62

Neutral - I know that they mean well by the film. The sexual content was a little much, but it has a strong message. We should not be narrow minded. God forgives us for all of our sins. Thank you Jesus!
My Ratings: [Average/3]
—Timothy Waite, age 36

Positive - This is the most openly Christian and evangelistic movie to come out in major theaters in some time. I would say that it is more explicitly evangelistic than The Passion of the Christ. I was deeply moved by the movie’s depiction of Jesus' redeeming power in the midst of the horrific suffering and destruction wrought by Satan in modern society, especially in the lives of inner-city women. The central focus of the movie is the evangelistic message of African-American Bishop T.D. Jakes (he was the guy on the pre-Rapture video in the Left Behind movie). Many scenes take place at revival meetings at Bishop Charles Blake’s West Angeles Church of God in Christ in Los Angeles.

People considering going to the movie should know that this is not a movie to which one should bring kids. Nor is it light, cheery entertainment even for adults. In order to show the redeeming power of Jesus, the movie pulls no punches in showing how drugs, alcohol, prostitution, domestic violence and rape can destroy lives. Bishop Jakes reminds viewers that 1 in 3 American women is raped in her own home by the age of 18. In the most distressing scene of the movie a young girl is raped by her mother’s boyfriend. This takes place entirely off-screen, and nothing graphic is shown on-screen at this point, but this moment of the film is gut-wrenching. Other distressing scenes depict the destructive effects of smoking of crack cocaine, abusive sex (depicted with grainy cinematography so that it is not graphic or titillating), and a shocking shooting.

But none of this material is gratuitous. It is all necessary to depict with authenticity the scale of destructive — including self-destructive -- behavior which Satan is using to wreck the lives of millions of people in our society. And that, in turn, is necessary for us to see just how wonderful, just how glorious, just how powerful is the redeeming, forgiving, delivering, saving love of Jesus Christ. The center of the movie is that redeeming love of Jesus Christ. In order to appreciate how wonderful it is, we need to be reminded of what it is that Jesus saves us from. One cannot help spending much of the movie thinking, “There, but for the grace of God, go I.” I found myself weeping again and again throughout the movie, and I find myself fighting back tears even now as I write this. During the movie I found myself repeatedly praising Jesus for his love, but also asking myself whether I am doing all that I should about violence against women in modern society.

Viewers who may have heard questions about whether Bishop Jakes affirms the eternal distinction among trinitarian Persons in God will be interested to know that nothing I noticed in this movie takes a position one way or another on that question.
My Ratings: [Excellent!/4]
—Joseph C., age 45

Negative - I thought overall this was a good movie. It hit areas that are hard for anyone to think or talk about. I feel that Bishop T.D. Jakes did a good job on showing how sexual abuse can truly traumatize a woman once she becomes an adult. But what I didn’t agree with was when the young woman shot her molester right at a church revival, when she was on the verge of getting her breakthrough and her molester, after just giving his life to God, was coming to her with open arms and in tears apologizing for the pain and turmoil he had caused in her life. I just felt that it should have showed her being the bigger person and showing us, the viewers, that God really can bring forgiveness in our hearts, even after experiencing a life full of trauma and distress due to the unexusable actions of one person. I didn’t feel that it showed the delivering power of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
My Ratings: [Average/4]
—Natalie, age 29

“…a quality production that fully engages…”
—Doris Toumarkine, Film Journal International

“…a TV-movie-caliber polemic…”
—Robert K. Elder, Chicago Tribune

“…renews an important tradition of African-American filmmaking: the movie as revivalist sermon…”
—Dave Kehr, New York Times

“…promotes awareness of child sexual abuse in the church but has bad language and brief moments of sexuality…”
—Alan Boyer, Preview Family Movie & TV Review

“…a feature film masquerading as a commercial for Bishop Jakes' ministry…”
—Phil Hall, Film Threat