Following on the heels of the original film, "A Perfect Stranger", the daughter known as "Sarah Cominsky" (Ruby Lewis) is now a teenager who is leaving her home in Chicago and traveling to Portland with the hope of being accepted into the Art Institute there. Having just learned of her mother's supposed dinner with Jesus at a restaurant, Sarah is suddenly quite anxious to leave home and skeptical of all religion-to include Christianity. What she doesn't know is that Jesus is sitting in a seat next to her on the airplane to Portland. What follows next is an enjoyable conversation between the two of them. At any rate, although quite similar to the previous film, this movie is almost as delightful as it manages to mix some humor with some deeply spiritual points-of-view. Now, I have no doubt that most Christians will like this movie. However, it might also appeal to non-Christians as well. That said, it's worth a look for those who might be interested.
9 Reviews
Decent theology - up to a point
godwallop28 January 2008
Warning: Spoilers
This film isn't a masterpiece, as the dismal rating (4.1 currently) would suggest, but it isn't a catastrophe either. The fact that 40% of voters gave it a 1 seems a tad unfair.
Its approach is sincere and reasonably well-informed; rather than stringing together banalities about Faith and Belief, it confronts relevant and legitimate problems in modern religion and philosophy of religion. Admittedly, it doesn't handle them in any particularly memorable way, but it's the thought that counts. It's unusual, and refreshing, to see Christ(/a Christ-analogue) talk, in a religious film, about how much he hates religion. This sort of wording is to be expected when the intent is to shock or provoke, but here it's expressing a perfectly serious, and valid, point about modern religious practice. Even though, ultimately, there's little enough doubt about the general beliefs of the film's creators, it treats questions in an open-minded way, with a spirit of unbiased inquiry, and without recourse to supposedly infallible doctrines and dogma.
The fact that this movie legitimately wishes to make its viewers "more gentle, more virtuous, more charitable, and in all ways better, and holier, and happier" (Twain) places it, ethically, if not aesthetically, above the vast majority of films, which do not for the most part have any discernible motive apart from garnering as large a chunk as possible of people's discretionary income. This review has, accordingly, acted largely as an apologia, but it should be pointed out that this film is miles from flawless, even in those areas already identified as strengths -- e.g., in its discussion of theological themes. Since the dialogue between the two protagonists concerns itself almost exclusively with these themes, and this dialogue is basically all the film consists of, it would seem fairly important that they not mess up too egregiously on this front. For example: the "Problem of Evil" is brought up, in the form of the girl's account of her rape, but never dealt with adequately (or at all, really). If rape makes the idea of a benevolent personal god difficult to accept, then Auschwitz or Rwanda surely make it laughable. It's been a while since I saw the film, admittedly, so I don't exactly remember how J.C. responds to this question, but as near as I recall it amounts to something along the lines of "God loves you", which would seem to be justifying an argument by repeating it (and which Spinoza would take exception to). The Problem of Evil can't be resolved over the course of an airplane flight, obviously, let alone an hour-and-a-half film, and I suppose the producers should be commended for even taking the problem on, but in this instance the movie bit off a fair sight more than it could chew.
The idea that Jesus would contribute to our modern consumer culture (buying an airplane ticket, buying coffee and cake) deserves a bit more scrutiny, I think, then this film offers.
And, finally, what I consider the movie's greatest error, its ending. The hero, what's her name, realizes who she has been speaking to all this time, and sprints around trying to find him. This seems to me a singularly useless turn of events. The idea of Jesus walking around in the 21st century obviously requires a certain suspension of disbelief, but we encounter such impossibilities all the time in fiction. There is such a thing as allegory. But the hero's discovery takes the film out of the realm of allegory and makes it a silly fantasy. No one who sees this film is ever going to actually get a seat next to Jesus of Nazareth, so what possible good could this do us, in this life, on this planet? Whatever happened to "faith"? The film at its more elevated, inspired moments is not such a far cry from the Socratic dialogues, but at its close it identifies itself more with other "Christian" movies produced recently, about which the less said the better.
In conclusion, it's not 'The Seventh Seal', but it's not 'Left Behind', either.
Its approach is sincere and reasonably well-informed; rather than stringing together banalities about Faith and Belief, it confronts relevant and legitimate problems in modern religion and philosophy of religion. Admittedly, it doesn't handle them in any particularly memorable way, but it's the thought that counts. It's unusual, and refreshing, to see Christ(/a Christ-analogue) talk, in a religious film, about how much he hates religion. This sort of wording is to be expected when the intent is to shock or provoke, but here it's expressing a perfectly serious, and valid, point about modern religious practice. Even though, ultimately, there's little enough doubt about the general beliefs of the film's creators, it treats questions in an open-minded way, with a spirit of unbiased inquiry, and without recourse to supposedly infallible doctrines and dogma.
The fact that this movie legitimately wishes to make its viewers "more gentle, more virtuous, more charitable, and in all ways better, and holier, and happier" (Twain) places it, ethically, if not aesthetically, above the vast majority of films, which do not for the most part have any discernible motive apart from garnering as large a chunk as possible of people's discretionary income. This review has, accordingly, acted largely as an apologia, but it should be pointed out that this film is miles from flawless, even in those areas already identified as strengths -- e.g., in its discussion of theological themes. Since the dialogue between the two protagonists concerns itself almost exclusively with these themes, and this dialogue is basically all the film consists of, it would seem fairly important that they not mess up too egregiously on this front. For example: the "Problem of Evil" is brought up, in the form of the girl's account of her rape, but never dealt with adequately (or at all, really). If rape makes the idea of a benevolent personal god difficult to accept, then Auschwitz or Rwanda surely make it laughable. It's been a while since I saw the film, admittedly, so I don't exactly remember how J.C. responds to this question, but as near as I recall it amounts to something along the lines of "God loves you", which would seem to be justifying an argument by repeating it (and which Spinoza would take exception to). The Problem of Evil can't be resolved over the course of an airplane flight, obviously, let alone an hour-and-a-half film, and I suppose the producers should be commended for even taking the problem on, but in this instance the movie bit off a fair sight more than it could chew.
The idea that Jesus would contribute to our modern consumer culture (buying an airplane ticket, buying coffee and cake) deserves a bit more scrutiny, I think, then this film offers.
And, finally, what I consider the movie's greatest error, its ending. The hero, what's her name, realizes who she has been speaking to all this time, and sprints around trying to find him. This seems to me a singularly useless turn of events. The idea of Jesus walking around in the 21st century obviously requires a certain suspension of disbelief, but we encounter such impossibilities all the time in fiction. There is such a thing as allegory. But the hero's discovery takes the film out of the realm of allegory and makes it a silly fantasy. No one who sees this film is ever going to actually get a seat next to Jesus of Nazareth, so what possible good could this do us, in this life, on this planet? Whatever happened to "faith"? The film at its more elevated, inspired moments is not such a far cry from the Socratic dialogues, but at its close it identifies itself more with other "Christian" movies produced recently, about which the less said the better.
In conclusion, it's not 'The Seventh Seal', but it's not 'Left Behind', either.
Another Perfect Step Forward for Christian Films
gouge_away9 November 2007
Warning: Spoilers
Another Perfect Stranger is very much a dialogue-driven film. While portraying a fairly straightforward and simple plot, the writer/director does a good job of hiding the planted seeds which will blossom into the film's eventual payoffs. This is important because many films, Christian films especially, fall into the category where the final act can be predicted in the first 5 minutes.
I should point out I have a bias in favor of APS because of my personal beliefs. I have watched thousands of movies - secular and Christian - over the years and this is an exciting time for Christian independent filmmakers. The availability of high-quality, low-cost technology is allowing more and more artists to create films of good production quality. Except for the opening flashback scene where the sound and video quality were not of the same quality as the rest of the film, the current title is a good example of this. (Since APS is a sequel, perhaps the flashback scene was taken directly from the earlier movie - I have not seen that film so I don't know.)
I was impressed with the lead actors, especially Ruby Marie Lewis as Sarah. Because this film is essentially the conversation that occurs between two characters who meet while flying to the same destination, its very survival as a work of art depends on the actors providing the extra magic that allows us to identify with them and be entertained by their evolving relationship. Ms. Lewis portrays a young woman who is independent enough to strike out on her own in pursuit of an uncertain career and to speak her mind clearly; and yet, she manages to convey the vulnerability of someone who is running away to find herself. She does a seamless job of taking us through the character's transformation: for good or for ill, I will leave you to the film to find out.
While I admit that some may be put off by the sheer amount of dialogue, I can't emphasize enough how impressed I was with the production value that is evident here: the acting, editing, and direction was exceptional. Several scenes were actually shot on location which is an extravagant rarity for a low-budget film. I think if you give it a chance, you will find yourself being drawn into the story.
This is a "message" film and there are no car chases or melodramatic elements to distract so its target audience appears to be those who might be seeking relevant answers to life questions from a Christian perspective. What is certain is that the thoughtful viewer will not be taken out of the story by inadequate craftsmanship.
I should point out I have a bias in favor of APS because of my personal beliefs. I have watched thousands of movies - secular and Christian - over the years and this is an exciting time for Christian independent filmmakers. The availability of high-quality, low-cost technology is allowing more and more artists to create films of good production quality. Except for the opening flashback scene where the sound and video quality were not of the same quality as the rest of the film, the current title is a good example of this. (Since APS is a sequel, perhaps the flashback scene was taken directly from the earlier movie - I have not seen that film so I don't know.)
I was impressed with the lead actors, especially Ruby Marie Lewis as Sarah. Because this film is essentially the conversation that occurs between two characters who meet while flying to the same destination, its very survival as a work of art depends on the actors providing the extra magic that allows us to identify with them and be entertained by their evolving relationship. Ms. Lewis portrays a young woman who is independent enough to strike out on her own in pursuit of an uncertain career and to speak her mind clearly; and yet, she manages to convey the vulnerability of someone who is running away to find herself. She does a seamless job of taking us through the character's transformation: for good or for ill, I will leave you to the film to find out.
While I admit that some may be put off by the sheer amount of dialogue, I can't emphasize enough how impressed I was with the production value that is evident here: the acting, editing, and direction was exceptional. Several scenes were actually shot on location which is an extravagant rarity for a low-budget film. I think if you give it a chance, you will find yourself being drawn into the story.
This is a "message" film and there are no car chases or melodramatic elements to distract so its target audience appears to be those who might be seeking relevant answers to life questions from a Christian perspective. What is certain is that the thoughtful viewer will not be taken out of the story by inadequate craftsmanship.
For soft hearts
gsellars-116 December 2007
It seems to me that virtually all Christian films seem alike. I'm always conscious that all the support staff and extras are acting, and feel like the quality of production and direction simply aren't on a par with major Hollywood releases.
That said, I nevertheless appreciate the attempts to convey the genuine issues, questions and problems people have with "religion" and not only like to see how well Christian films deal with them, but very much enjoy seeing people come to an understanding of the love of God for them that is ultimately the standard message in all Christian films.
Ruby Marie Lewis did a good job in what appears to be her first acting role and I never found the movie boring but rather enjoyed it more than the movies that try to "scare" people into becoming a Christian like the "Rapture" films do.
For those who like "feel good" movies, you should like this. Don't let the God-haters that IMDb is full of sway you by their negative votes. It's a decent movie.
That said, I nevertheless appreciate the attempts to convey the genuine issues, questions and problems people have with "religion" and not only like to see how well Christian films deal with them, but very much enjoy seeing people come to an understanding of the love of God for them that is ultimately the standard message in all Christian films.
Ruby Marie Lewis did a good job in what appears to be her first acting role and I never found the movie boring but rather enjoyed it more than the movies that try to "scare" people into becoming a Christian like the "Rapture" films do.
For those who like "feel good" movies, you should like this. Don't let the God-haters that IMDb is full of sway you by their negative votes. It's a decent movie.
Excellent sequel
dslbarney27 August 2007
Warning: Spoilers
Caught the movie on TBN a few hours ago. I hope to see it again sometime. The movie starts slowly but the beginning has a few twists. I thought at first that the character of "Rear Window Guy" might be Jesus. Thankfully, he isn't. While he's well meaning, he's also slightly obnoxious. The movie is making the point that sincere, well-meaning Christians can sometimes be overbearing in dealing with non-Christians, who want to be related too as people rather than as objects that need to be fixed by a "religious" message.
Once Yesh appears the movie is like the first film, "The Perfect Stranger." The main difference is that Sarah doesn't know who Yesh is. Like the Jesus of the New Testament, Yesh leads Sarah by asking her questions she's never thought of, and by relating to her as a person with dignity. He answers one of her questions by saying that ridding the current world of evil would be like changing the deck chairs on the Titanic. Unfortunately, the TV signal came in poorly at that moment, and I didn't get to hear his complete answer. I think he meant that God will eventually give us a better universe where pain, suffering and evil are no longer possible. Overall, while the first film starts more interestingly (meeting Jesus for dinner), the second film is a great continuation.
If you're interested in the question of what talking to Jesus must have been like, see both films ("The Perfect Stranger" and "Another Perfect Stranger") as well as "The Visual Bible: Matthew" (http://imdb.com/title/tt0301359/).
Once Yesh appears the movie is like the first film, "The Perfect Stranger." The main difference is that Sarah doesn't know who Yesh is. Like the Jesus of the New Testament, Yesh leads Sarah by asking her questions she's never thought of, and by relating to her as a person with dignity. He answers one of her questions by saying that ridding the current world of evil would be like changing the deck chairs on the Titanic. Unfortunately, the TV signal came in poorly at that moment, and I didn't get to hear his complete answer. I think he meant that God will eventually give us a better universe where pain, suffering and evil are no longer possible. Overall, while the first film starts more interestingly (meeting Jesus for dinner), the second film is a great continuation.
If you're interested in the question of what talking to Jesus must have been like, see both films ("The Perfect Stranger" and "Another Perfect Stranger") as well as "The Visual Bible: Matthew" (http://imdb.com/title/tt0301359/).
Okay movie until the big reveal.
ephraimcassion28 June 2023
Warning: Spoilers
In this movie Jesus appears to the main character, Sarah, on a plane trip to a college tour to reaffirm her faith in God. I found the premise odd because you would think Jesus would be doing something more important or impactful if he appeared on Earth which is sticking point in the movie which I will get into later.
At first glance Sarah seems like she is just a skeptic. I semi grew up in the Church so I found her relatable. Jesus in the role of a councilor assuages all of her doubts. Personally I didn't find Jesus' answers convincing but I appreciated the film for making the effort. I found the film enjoyable in the beginning until it resorted to the trope of making Sarah angry at God when we learn the root of her doubts.
A terrible thing happened to Sarah in her past which I think it made everything up to the reveal (most of the movie) in my opinion meaningless. It clashes with the premise of the film. If Jesus physically appears to Sarah to intervene in her crisis of faith why did he not intervene when the terrible thing happened to her? To be fair Jesus does give an answer but I thought it was cop out and downplayed what happened to Sarah.
You would think this terrible event would be the focal point in the movie but it's not. Which I think hurts the movie. It is faith based movie so I can't be angry for it targeting a Christian audiences. For nonbelievers or skeptics it feels condescending because it views them as empty, hurt people.
At first glance Sarah seems like she is just a skeptic. I semi grew up in the Church so I found her relatable. Jesus in the role of a councilor assuages all of her doubts. Personally I didn't find Jesus' answers convincing but I appreciated the film for making the effort. I found the film enjoyable in the beginning until it resorted to the trope of making Sarah angry at God when we learn the root of her doubts.
A terrible thing happened to Sarah in her past which I think it made everything up to the reveal (most of the movie) in my opinion meaningless. It clashes with the premise of the film. If Jesus physically appears to Sarah to intervene in her crisis of faith why did he not intervene when the terrible thing happened to her? To be fair Jesus does give an answer but I thought it was cop out and downplayed what happened to Sarah.
You would think this terrible event would be the focal point in the movie but it's not. Which I think hurts the movie. It is faith based movie so I can't be angry for it targeting a Christian audiences. For nonbelievers or skeptics it feels condescending because it views them as empty, hurt people.
valuable tool
jcdiedu15 August 2008
The movie Another Perfect Stranger is GREAT. It is entertaining and could be very useful in sharing your beliefs with your friends and also to get people really thinking about what they believe and does their immediate reaction to an idea hold valid when really thought through. In fact I want to buy a copy of this film for my own family to watch together. I would also like to see this movie aired at a time slot during the day so more people could view it. I saw it at 11 PM, so the viewing audience is smaller. I would also hope you could show it on non cable networks, not everyone has cable or dish. This type of film should be marketed to churches, not only for their use but for them to sell to their members to enjoy in their own living rooms at leisure. These films should be available to be rented at a video store like Blockbuster. I look forward to more films like Another Perfect Stranger.
Coming of Age film
digiteum27 September 2018
Young lady with doubts in her mind about her parents faith in God, meets a counsellor onaplane and all her questions about her doubts aboutJesus are answered as the listener one by one shows empathy and understanding about her perspective. She begins to grasp that Jesus is beside her, and that He loves her.
Fantastic movie every Christian will enjoy!
ned-harkey20 April 2022
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