A Tale of Two Churches

 

“A Tale of Two Churches”

A Review of Eric LaRue by Olszyk

 

Distribution Service: Theatrical

MPAA Rating, R

USCCB Rating, Not rated at the time of this review

Reel Rating, One Reel               

 

            School shootings are among the most horrifying phenomena in American society; when approaching the subject artistically, it requires severity and tact – even more so when involving questions of faith. Eric LaRue fails on every front. Occasionally, it seems the filmmakers will take the problem of evil seriously and confront the pain of loss head-on. Other times, the story is a black comedy with odd insertions of humor and weird tangents. Yet through it all, God is not only absent but useless. So is common sense or basic dignity. Unfortunately, I am still waiting for Judy Greer to have the great role she deserves.

            The story begins with Janice (Judy Greer) returning to work after an extended absence. She is shy, anxious, and talks little. Everyone around her keeps her distance as if she were a leper, except for Pastor Steve (Paul Sparks) who seems overly eager to meet with her. Gradually, the audience learns her son teenage Eric (Nathan Henrikson) shot and killed three classmates at school two months ago. She agrees to a meeting with Steve and the mothers of the three victims. Her husband Ron (Alexander Skarsgård) has been dealing with his own grief in a different manner, attending a prayer group at the invitation of coworker Lisa (Allison Pill), who actively flirts with him using religious language despite both being married. It is a scene that unfolds frequently in our culture when a child commits a crime. Everyone wants to help or reach out, but few know how.

            The film creates an intriguing contrast between two churches that rings true for anyone who has journeyed through the American Protestant ethos. First, there is the mainline Presbyterian church that Janice attends with Pastor Steve. He is happily progressive and modern, never talking about Jesus or redemption but couching everything in the language of feelings, emotions, and psychology. During the meeting between Janice and the mothers, he is constantly trying to steer the conversation in a “positive” direction. When one mother angrily lashes out, he tells her “that’s not what we are here for.”

            Meanwhile, Ron develops a relationship with Pastor Bill (Tracey Letts) from Redeemer, a new evangelical church. Bill also wants to arrange a meeting between Janice and the mothers as well. When Ron tells him Janice goes wants to do that with Pastor Steve, he explains that Ron is the spiritual head of the family. As such, he should “command” his wife to do Bill’s meeting. When Ron attempts to assert his newfound patriarchal authority over Janice, it does not go well, and he relents immediately. Bill talks a great deal about Jesus, mostly how he can “take all your troubles away.” “I don’t want Him to take my burdens away,” Janice yells at Ron, leaving him speechless.

            Both pastors seem uninterested in addressing Janice’s spiritual needs. Instead, they want the “win” of bringing this meeting to fruition, maybe with a nice write-up in the local newspaper. Both churches lack the sacramental economy that is found everywhere in the Bible and throughout Church history. Both reject the reality of sin and evil. Steve wants to explain her experience as just part of emotional growth. Bill wants to deny her grief entirely. As the famous two-line verse states: “Jesus wept.” It is necessary to be distraught about sin and seek penance that involves more than a few Hail Marys but active permeant conversion.

            After the meeting, the film ends with Jancie visiting Eric in prison for the first time. He tells his mom that he has “remorse” and wants her to tell this to anyone she meets. He reiterates this at least a dozen times, leading the audience to wonder if this is a line fed by his lawyer. There is mention of the victims teasing him but shooting them in cold blood is not a normal response. Oddly, Janice seems more interested in discussing her own feelings than listening to her son. He is rightly confused by this, and sadly their conversation goes nowhere. They act like strangers, not mother and daughter.

            Rather than a sober reflection of evil, Eric LaRue is a parody of Christianity’s role in society. Even given exaggeration, it is hard to believe how spiritually inept the characters act, especially Pastor Steve. Nobody mentions evil or sin or contrition even once, and Jesus is a magician who disappears all problems like a rabbit from a hat. All this obviously solves nothing. The lesson is that God can’t provide healing, and his messengers are frauds. It is what one might expect from a generation of people raised nominally Christian but left it for the secular world a long time ago.

            I had great hope for this film as a fan of Judy Greer who still wants to see her in a distinguished role. This was not it. In fact, the acting was across the was lousy. The dialogue and writing was stunted and haphazard. First time director Michael Shannon (a twice Oscar nominated actor) should take a few film school classes. The framing was often odd with objects and characters constantly out of focus. It was just a poorly done movie, even apart from the theological stumbling.

            Hollywood used to make wonderous, serious, big budget productions on religious matters like Ben-Hur, A Man for All Seasons, or The Ten Commandments. Now only independent groups like Angel Studios and PureFlix do that. Anytime mainstream Hollywood attempts to engage faith, it appears forced and inauthentic because the true faith of creative team is not present. Eric LaRue is just another – particularly aggressive – example.