This is part 2 of Ed McNulty’s exploration of cinematic depictions of church congregations in cinema. Part 1 can be read here. There are SPOILERS throughout these articles. – Editor
Like Tender Mercies, director/writer Robert Benton’s Places in the Heart, is set in Texas. Part of it is based on the director’s grandmother’s experience of hiring a black itinerant farm worker when she was young. Its theme of “pay the mortgage or lose the farm” is right out of the old melodramas, but is done so artistically that Sally Fields as the widow Edna Spalding, helped by an African American to harvest the cotton crop in time to win a prize, won the 1984 Best Actress Oscar.
The church scene relevant at this point takes place at the climax of the film. It is a relatively long scene in which the pastor is reading from 1 Corinthians 13 as the trays of Communion elements are being passed around. Seated close to the front are Wayne and Margaret Lomax, a couple who have scarcely spoken since the wife discovered that her husband had been cheating on her with her best friend. Deciding to stay married (this is the 30s’ South), she had told her repentant husband that she would not seek a divorce, but that he would not touch her again. But now, both of them having helped Edna harvest her crop, something has changed, induced perhaps by the Scripture reading and the sharing of the bread and “wine.” In a close up we see her taking Wayne’s hand in hers. He looks at her with relief. But this is just the beginning of this remarkable scene.
The camera follows the trays of elements and – surprise! – there is the black farm worker receiving them. But he had been run out of town by the KKK for providing Edna, his employer, with the necessary knowledge for beating a rival planter to the prize! And even had he been in town, this was the mid Thirties, a time when no black person would have been admitted to the church. But there is more to come.
In a medium shot we see that the trays have reached the Spaldings seated at the back of the church. First the young son and daughter, then Edna, and then…! She hands the tray to her husband, and he hands it to the black teenager seated next to him! These two have died at the beginning of the film – Mr. Spalding, a peace officer, had left his breakfast to stop the drunken teenager from shooting off his pistol in the streets, and the youth had accidentally shot and killed him, whereupon the villagers had lynched the boy. What is going on here? Upon a little reflection it is apparent that director/scriptwriter Robert Benton, writing as a Christian, is giving us a visual representation of the Communion of Saints. This is perhaps the only film that ends with an affirmation of what millions of Christians affirm each week in the Apostles’ Creed: “…and I believe in the Holy catholic church, the communion of saints…”
And now for an even longer depiction of the church, every bit as much as in Mr. Benton’s film, a place where love is spoken and practiced – Lars and the Real Girl. Although several of the above films show the church as a warm, embracing fellowship, none provides as much detail as this quirky film. It is one that I intended to avoid because of its bizarre premise – a sex toy that brings out the best in people – but then my friends urged me, “Ed, you’ve got to see this. It’s your kind of movie!” How right they were!
Lars Lindsrom lives in a small Upper Midwest town in the converted garage of his family home. He is so shy that he constantly turns down the dinner invitations of his brother and wife, Gus and Karin, who live in the house itself. But, after he unpacks the anatomically correct inflatable doll he has ordered over the Internet, he shows up at the front door with “Bianca,” whom he fantasizes as a missionary whom he has met. He wants to use the old wheelchair once used by their father.
Gus is reluctant to go along with this, but the compassionate Karin shushes him. Meal time is a bit awkward with Bianca sitting silently in the wheelchair, so the pair takes Lars and Bianca to see the family doctor Dagmar on the excuse that Bianca needs some help. The wise Dagmar, a psychologist as well as a medical doctor, counsels the pair to go along with Lars, that Bianca is serving a deep need of his. Lars is convinced to return on a weekly basis so that Bianca’s medical problem can be monitored, though of course it is really he that is being counseled.
When word about Bianca and Lars spreads, a group meeting in the church basement discuss what they should do if Lars brings his companion to church? Mrs. Gruner says that they simply will accept her as they would any other newcomer. This disturbs the others, so they turn to Rev. Bock. He simply says that there is only one question, and that is, “What would Jesus do?” Right away we move to the church sanctuary, and there sits Lars, Bianca, and Gus and Karin. The pastor’s sermon is about God and love. Several people cast curious glances back at the Lindstroms and their “guest.” The service concludes, and Mrs. Gruner welcomes Bianca and talks briefly with Lars, as does Margo, the girl at Lars’ office who has a crush on him.
The humor increases as the church and town folk go out of their way to make Bianca feel welcome – all because of their concern for Lars. Pretty soon they are inviting her to various functions at church and around town. At the beauty parlor, the women give her a make over. Lars is not too happy to be left alone when others are taking Bianca all around town. The townspeople even elect Bianca to the school board! One night Lars is so upset that Bianca is leaving him again that he throws a tantrum, and gets into an argument with the long-suffering Karin in their driveway. At one point he says that she does not care about him, and she explodes in anger and hurt love:
Karin: We don’t care? We do care!
Lars: No you don’t.
Karin: That is just not true! God! Every person in this town bends over backward to make Bianca feel at home. Why do you think she has so many places to go and so much to do? Huh? Huh? Because of you! Because – all these people – love you! We push her wheelchair. We drive her to work. We drive her home. We wash her. We dress her. We get her up, and put her to bed. We carry her. And she is not petite, Lars. Bianca is a big, big girl! None of this is easy – for any of us – but we do it… Oh! We do it for you! So don’t you dare tell me how we don’t care!
She walks into the house, slamming the door behind her.
Lars and Bianca’s relationship is brought to a satisfying conclusion, with Mrs. Gruner and her sewing circle ladies playing an important role in the healing of Lars’ psyche. So does Margo, “the real girl” of the title, this strange little tale ending in true comedic form (Rev. Bock even conducting a “funeral” service for Bianca) that “all’s well that ends well.” This is one of the best films demonstrating the kind of loving fellowship that Jesus meant the church to be.
So, the next time someone complains about Hollywood hating the church, you might suggest that the above films present a different picture. Hollywood is not a monolithic entity bent on relentlesly attacking the church, but a mixture of nonbelievers and people of faith, many of the latter participating in local congregations and providing us with depictions of a caring fellowship that enriches life.
Edward McNulty is a Presbyterian minister with a D.Mim. in art, film & theology. He is the author of three books from Westminster/John Knox Press:
Praying the Movies, available via Amazon, which includes meditations on Star Wars, Schindler’s List, Pulp Fiction and 29 scenes from 29 more films.
Praying the Movies II: More Daily Meditations from Classic Films, which includes McNulty’s reflections on Gandhi, It’s a Wonderful Life, Harry Potter, O Brother, Where Art Thou? And 28 more.
Faith and Film: A Guidebook for Leaders, which includes a section on film & theology and how to set up and lead a film group, plus discussion guides for Amistad, Erin Brockovich, the Matrix, Shawshank Redemption, and 23 more.
Currently his exploration of 8 different versions of Victor Hugo’s Les Miserables can be found at the online religious journal Read the Spirit
Ed’s own website is Visual Parables, where you can see issues of his bi-monthly film journal of that name.