A Review of The Story
of Everything by Nick Olszyk
Distribution Service: Theatrical
MPAA Rating, Not rated at the time of this review
OSV Rating, Not rated at the time of this review
Reel Rating, Four Reels
The
Catholic Church has always understood, going all the way back to St. Paul’s
sermon in Athens, that reason alone is sufficient to know the existence of the
divine. Even without the direct revelation of God, His fingerprints are all
over this world. The Story of Everything is an excellent new documentary
that highlights these natural glimpses of God from the astoundingly big to the imperceptibly
microscopic. I’m sure atheists, especially those raised on TikTok arguments,
will find rebuttals, but it’s hard not to deny the power of the film’s beauty,
grace, and joy.
The film
starts with the origins of reality, demonstrating that 1) our best evidence
shows the Universe had a definitive beginning, and 2) that this beginning
necessitates a creator. Even outlandish models like bubble universes, mirror
universes, or multiverses still require an ultimate starting point. It then
moves on to the fine-tuning argument; the Earth is perfectly aligned to allow
life and humans to arise. If any natural law or placement of the cosmos was off
to the smallest degree, we wouldn’t be here or would have died a long time ago.
The films progresses to the advent of life, which again seems impossible to
have generated itself. Finally, it does a deep dive into the structure of DNA
and proteins, which is perfectly designed to create the unique characteristics
of an individual person. Every step is not just a well-structured argument but
a gift of love by a God who wanted man to use his reason to find Him.
Like many
documentaries of this type, the arguments are illustrated through talking heads,
archival footage, and graphic images. Yet, the imagery in this production is
far more sophisticated than usual. The animation used to illustrate how
proteins fold and DNA replicates is strikingly beautiful and clearly
demonstrates that a creative force is at work. This kind of intimate nuance on
the molecular level is something that can’t be seen with an ordinary microscope
but can be appreciated through good CGI.
Whether one
is observing the immensity of the whole Universe or the particles inside an
atom, everything is perfectly designed. There are many who disagree with this
philosophy, but no human truly lives the atheistic worldview. When a person
tries to catch a dropped pen or do quick math to make sure there are less than
15 items for the express lane in the supermarket, he is assuming the Universe
is intelligible and that his brain correctly processes information. No one
doubts cause and effect. The Story of Everything shows this with
striking clarity.
To the film’s great credit, it never once
mentions anything about “religion,” although many of the speakers are familiar
to a Christian audience. This is a production that could just as easily serve
the needs of a Muslim, Hindu, or questioning deist. Yet at the same time, there
is a sense of invitation. If this amazing Universe is marinated in God’s
meaning and purpose, what is my response? This is the greater question. Now
that I have arrived at the knowledge of God, what is our relationship? Here
Christianity has a ready answer. It’s not so much the “Story of Everything,”
but how “all things” leads to Christ who is our “everything.”
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