LEFT BEHIND: the movie directed by Vic Sarin, written by Jerry B. Jenkins, Tim LaHaye and John Bishop, produced by Ron Booth and Joe Goodman, with Kirk Cameron, Brad Johnson, Janaya Stephens and Gordon Currie. A Namesake production. An Alliance Atlantis release. 95 minutes. Opens Friday (March 2). For venues and times, see First-Run Movies, page 73. Rating: N Rating: N
the american christian commu- nity rarely strays into Hollywood — that’s where those damned hedonistic liberals live. And hardcore Christians are about as welcome in Hollywood as Eminem at a Gay Pride parade.
Yet once in a while they gather their forces to make a film, and every once in a while we’re forced to sit through one.
Left Behind tells the story of a CNN-like TV reporter (Kirk Cameron) whose life is turned upside down when millions of people disappear, leaving behind only a pile of clothes. Cameron discovers that the missing people are part of a UN plan, headed by a charismatic leader, to save the world from starvation. But is the leader a hero or the Antichrist?
Cameron realizes this is the beginning of the end. The Rapture has started, just as the Bible foretold, and he and his religious friends know that only their faith will see them through the hard times ahead.
This is a goody-goody version of the X-Files, with Cameron coming across as a less magnetic David Duchovny, making him about as interesting as a scratching post. I know millions of people believe this tale, and, objectively speaking, it’s a great story. If it had been handled properly, it would have made a fun thriller/conspiracy flick.
But the writing is lame, with the tinny, preachy quality you find in a Touched By An Angel episode, and the actors are strictly C-list. If I have to sit through a biblical tale, I’ll stick with beard-and-sackcloth extravaganzas like The Ten Commandments.
