Left Behind

What will you do when the world as you know it suddenly comes to an end? How will the world react if all children, from every corner of the globe vanish? “Left Behind” attempts to paint a picture of the day this happens as untold millions of people disappear at the same moment and without a clue.

The day begins innocently enough when a young college student named Chloe (Cassi Thomson) arrives at her hometown airport to visit her parents on the day of her dad’s birthday. Unfortunately, her father Ray Steele, played with likable ease by Nicolas Cage, is piloting a commercial flight to London within the hour. An impromptu meeting with him is marred when she sees her dad openly flirting with a flight attendant named Hattie Durham (Nicky Whelan).

Also at the airport is well-known photo journalist Buck Williams (Chad Michael Murray) who is confronted by a stranger informing him that the “famines and earthquakes” that he has covered were prophesied in the Bible and are signs that the world will soon come to judgment (Matthew Chapter 24). Before Buck can say much else, Chloe, who happens to be walking by, takes on the stranger by questioning the existence of God. It becomes obvious that she and Buck have made a connection over this episode, and, as her dad goes to prepare for the flight, Buck is also talking and even exchange numbers before he too has to board the plane.

The flight takes off and Hattie is soon boasting to fellow stewardess Kimmy that she and Ray will be enjoying the weekend in London “together” for the first time. Meanwhile, Chloe has arrived home and soon accosts her mom (Lea Thompson) for recently finding God, which must have so alienated dad he felt compelled to work on his birthday, the whole point of her visit. Frustrated, Chloe decides to go to the mall with her little brother Raymie (Major Dodson), and it is then, during the middle of the day, on the plane her dad is piloting, and, in fact, all over the world that millions of people suddenly vanish with nothing but their clothes remaining.

Planes, cars and school buses, suddenly devoid of drivers, crash, and everywhere panic erupts as shocked and bewildered parents discover that their kids, the very young and innocent, have also been snatched from them in the twinkling of an eye.

The rest of the film divides its time between the danger on board Ray’s flight, as there may be no place to land in New York, his panicking passengers who have lost loved ones in mid-air, a hometown gone mad and Chloe’s journey as she, like her dad come to the slow realization that they had been warned about this before and now have no idea what comes next.

After an admittedly slow build up, “Left Behind” does get interesting, and the interaction between the passengers showcases the “everyman’s” reactions and biases that inevitably arise in any emergency situation.

Objectionable Content

Language. Minor. The closest the film comes to taking God’s name in vain is when Hattie discovers her co-worker is gone and exclaims, “Oh God, Kimmy!”, otherwise God’s name is either said in deference or else defiant as in, “How can a loving God allow this?” Profanity was almost non-existent save for a single “S***” word which was so out of place with the rest of the movie that I missed it the first time I saw the movie, but it is there none-the-less. Why it was included in an otherwise Christian film is beyond me. Ray intends to be unfaithful while on this trip, yet no explicit details are given by him or Hattie.

Violence: Moderate to heavy. Aside from the panic, seen locally and worldwide via television, there is wholesale looting of stores, people fighting each other, many crashes, and a man is shot trying to rob a jewelry store. People are threatened by guns and two “threaten” suicide, but no blood is ever shown, and neither are any deaths on screen, aside from the robber. A school bus goes off a bridge, but no driver or children are found. There is the peril of planes crashing into each other, and people everywhere are seen falling into a frenzied mob mentality.

Violence against oneself, in the form of drug abuse (still often erroneously referred to as a victimless crime), is also shown when a passenger resorts to this in order to escape the horror of what has happened (unsuitable for younger children, especially due to the intensity of the situations).

Sex/Nudity: Mild. Ray clearly intends to be unfaithful to his wife Irene, but no details are discussed, either by him or Hattie. When we first see Hattie, the camera focuses on her legs, and her blouse is probably a size too small, as she is practically bursting out of it. Chloe shows her own cleavage, though most often in threatening situations where the tension overrides the moment. I noticed nothing else bordering on inappropriate.

Lessons

A Muslim passenger suggests, after hearing numerous theories on the disappearances (alien abduction, invisibility), that they all consider prayer. While this instigates an argument on the plane as to, “whose God do we pray to?”, the point is a Biblically valid one and supported by the whole of the Bible, for good reason. At times of judgment, prayers to God have saved his people, as when Moses cried out on their behalf.

“I feared the anger and wrath of the Lord, for he was angry enough with you to destroy you. But again the Lord listened to me.” -Deuteronomy 9:19

God’s only begotten Son, Jesus Christ, advises us more than once what could be accomplished if we only put our faith in prayer.

“Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened.” —Matthew 7:7-8

Ray had not yet been physically unfaithful to his wife, but he is clearly planning to commit adultery with Hattie while in London (having first committed adultery in his heart). His alienation from his wife may have begun the day she was saved, a year earlier, however the Bible warns us that by dwelling on desires we know are wrong, no matter what the “excuse,” it will inevitably lead to acting out the sin.

“But each one is tempted when, by his own evil desire, he is dragged away and enticed. Then, after desire has conceived it gives birth to sin; and sin when it is full-grown, gives birth to death.” —James 1:14-15

The film depicts an instantaneous departure of God’s chosen, and I found the scenes an interesting modern interpretation of well known New Testament Scripture, including:

“Then shall two be in the field; the one shall be taken, and the other left.” —Matthew 24:40

Looking for answers, Chloe heads for her church, only to find it deserted, except for Pastor Barnes (Lance E. Nichols). Shocked, she asks him why wasn’t he taken (raptured), and he is forced to admit the reason when he says, “I knew the Words, I could quote them chapter and verse, but that’s not enough, you have to believe.” Our Lord himself warned us that many who call on his name would find themselves in the same position for lack of faith, and the deeds that follow faith as a matter of course.

“Why do you call me Lord, Lord, and do not do what I say?” —Luke 6:46

“Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven.” -Matthew 7:21

Based on the popular twelve (12) part book series, readers familiar with the works should be aware that the film only covers content from a few chapters of book one. The anti-Christ never gets introduced, so we don’t get to see the world government begin to take shape under his leadership. A few other liberties are also taken with the storyline, making it seem more like a real-time disaster film, but more in the tradition of an episodic TV series like “24”.

As an “end-time” film, it captures well the utter sense of hopelessness that must take place after the Rapture. The kind that will drive many to thoughts of suicide and yet others to God, and that will be what comes next for those “left behind”—the choice to then acknowledge Jesus as Lord or to continue to live this life rejecting him. Yet, as desperately as it is portrayed, real events will pan out much more tragically than can be captured by a writer’s imagination. Hopefully, the film will encourage many to do their own research on the subject, beginning with the most reliable source—that of God’s Word-because no one can truly know his timing and we all need to be focusing on Him lest we be caught unawares.

“Watch therefore: for ye know not what hour your Lord doth come.” —Matthew 24:42-44

“Left Behind” is a decently made, taut and suspenseful drama with enough humor to keep it interesting, but the small budget, by Hollywood measures, gives it a small screen (TV) quality that is occasionally hard to ignore. Messaging, however, is excellent (as far as it goes), and it made me wish this had instead been produced as a year-long TV series, as I do believe it deserves high marks for effort, though slightly lower for execution.

Violence: Moderate to heavy / Profanity: Mild—“My God” (2), “Oh God” (1), s-word (1) / Sex/Nudity: Mild

official site: LeftBehindMovie.com

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