It probably won't win any Oscars, but that doesn't make the film Amazing Grace any less powerful. Overall, it's a fairly straight-foward account of William Wilberforce's struggle to abolish the British slave trade. However the story is told in an interesting way that keeps the audience on their toes, having to navigate through the lengthy flashbacks to keep the chronology of events straight. Not to worry, though – it's no 21 Grams or Memento in this regard.
A passionate performance is offered by Welsh actor Ioan (pronounced “yowen”) Gruffud, whose other notable films include the Fantastic Four sequels, King Arthur, and Black Hawk Down. Gruffud displays a convincing urgency and intensity to Wilberforce's character and the cause that he gave 25 years of his life to. It could be said that director Michael Apted could have gone a bit further in drawing out the humanity of Wilberforce rather than opting for a near hagiographic portrayal, but in the end, Wilberforce's battle with illness provides enough of an equalizer.
It was a privilege to be able to have both Ioan Gruffud and Apted there at the screening to field questions from the audience. In the end, however, I was a bit disenchanted with their response to the question of whether or not either of them were inspired by the story to be a part of various causes like ending modern day slavery or poverty. Their answers were what you might expect from Hollywood celebrities.
Apted was honest enough and explained that he gets behind causes for a brief time, but usually doesn't stick with it. Gruffud's answer was essentially, “Well, I'm really focused on my career and I really don't have much time or opportunity for that kind of thing.” Yo yo, Yowen! After your performance, you were about to replace a certain Irish rock star to become one of my heroes. Now you're just another narcissistic celebrity.
This is how the conversation went when I walked up to shake Gruffud's hand: “I understand you're having a problem deciding whether to pursue Hollywood fame or to use your celebrity status to help make the world a better place. I'd like to suggest you can do both. C'mon, Yowie. Don't you remember that bit in the film? I coulda swore you were there.” (see clip from yesterday's post)
Okay, no, I didn't really say that. But I shoulda. Instead, all I could manage was, “Brilliant performance.”
So here's your chance to be a good role model to our Welsh friend, Mr. Fantastic. Head over to TheAmazingChange.com and sign The Petition to End Modern Day Slavery. (Friends in Europe, nevermind the fact that the address windows force you to pick an American state. I know, I know. Typical.) Then go and watch the film if you haven't already. If you feel your kids are old enough, take them too. Then maybe talk with them about how they can dream big about making the world a place that reflects God's love, compassion, and justice - especially towards the poor, the helpless, and the marginalized. And finally, why not encourage them to chase after those dreams with the tenacity of a young, 21 year old Member of Parliamant by the name of Wilber.
Over the Easter weekend, Kristy and I rented the film "
