Amazing Grace tells the story of William Wilberforce's efforts in Parliament to abolish the slave trade in England around the turn of the 19th century. The son of a wealthy merchant, Wilberforce was elected to Parliament in his 20's. As the movie details, after becoming a Christian he became unsure whether to continue in his political career or become a Christian minister. Eventually, he comes to realize that he does not have to choose between glorifying God and changing the world--he can do both in his political career by ending the slave trade. Wilberforce would attempt to outlaw the slave trade in England for the next two decades, with many difficulties along the way.
I certainly don't want to give away the general plot of Amazing Grace. However, it is worth noting that it is one of the few movies in recent years to portray a Christian in a noble light, and not as a crank, bigot, fool, or wierdo. It was a nice change. The movie is well acted, with Ioan Gruffold playing Wilberforce. Other excellent performances include Albert Finney as John Newton, the writer of Amazing Grace; Ciaran Hinds as the villanous Lord Tarleton; Romola Garai as Barbara; and the scene stealing Michael Gambon as Lord Charles Fox. The movie moves along at a solid pace, for which the director Michael Apted is to be credited. I was inspired to make a difference in the world after watching Amazing Grace, and it is my hope that after seeing this excellent movie you will be also.
1 comment:
Good post. I just was able to read more of your blog. Great minds think a like. I posted one entry on it in 2007 on the same topic. You can scroll down and you can see it. Mine was on Feb 26, 2007.
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