  
A Mighty HeartMPAA Rating:
 for horror violence, some sexual content and languageReviewed by: Maggie Hays Average
Moviemaking Quality:
Primary Audience:
Adults
Genre:
Drama, Thriller, War, History
Length:
1 hr. 40 min.
Year of Release:
2007
USA Release:
June 22, 2007 (wide—1,350 theaters)
             Relevant Issues
About Buddhism Why I stopped following Buddha and started following Jesus Christ? Answer About Islam   Fear, Anxiety and Worry… What does the Bible say? Answer
“It was an event that shocked the world. This is the story you haven't heard.” Producer’s Synopsis: “On January 23, 2002, Mariane Pearl's world changed forever. Her husband Daniel, South Asia bureau chief for the Wall Street Journal, was researching a story on shoe bomber Richard Reid. The story drew them to Karachi where a go-between had promised access to an elusive source. As Danny left for the meeting, he told Mariane he might be late for dinner. He never returned. REVIEW I believe you will be affected by this film, which has a “docudrama feel” to it. This is the true story of the kidnapping and murder of Daniel Pearl, American journalist in Pakistan after 9/11. His widow, Mariane (also a journalist), wrote her memoirs of the event and is convincingly played by Angelina Jolie. Even though we all know how things turn out, the movie is gripping early on and moves quickly. Here is the “bad news” from a Christian perspective:
Here is what I, coming from a Christian world-view, especially found frustrating (or sad) about this whole story, although it is, of course, based on fact:
My humble predictions for this compelling film:
Violence: Moderate / Profanity: Heavy / Sex/Nudity: Mild See list of Relevant Issues—questions-and-answers.  Positive - “A Mighty Heart” is a gripping movie which puts a personal face on an international event. Christians and people of all religions should pay especially close attention to the death of Danny Pearl. It shows what can happen when religion is corrupted, and through the story of Marienne Pearl, it also shows our ability to transcend personal loss and tragedy and become better people.… Positive - The film is powerful. Angelina was breathtaking in her portrayal of Mariane Pearl. It was a movie that I believe is worth seeing and experiencing. Angelina deserves to win an award for this film. Her performance was outstanding. I appreciated the accuracy of the setting of this film. I liked being brought into the culture of Karachi and experiencing the beliefs and culture of the people. …It is based on a true story, on true events and on the lives of real people. Maybe the Christian faith was not portrayed in the film, but that is because the actual people the film is about were not Christians. How can it be offensive to witness and experience people worshiping and living out their individual faith? It's not the faith that I have chosen for myself as a follower of Christ, but if a movie happened to be made about me, I wouldn't want my faith to be changed or altered. The writers needed to remain true to the story. I think that showing the different faiths made the story even stronger.… Neutral - This is a perfectly decent movie, made in documentary style, about the kidnapping and murder of the Wall Street journalist, Daniel Pearl, played by Dan Futterman. It focuses not on Daniel but on the resilience of his wife, Marianne (Angelina Joli), in the midst of a harrowing and terrifying ordeal, which ultimately led to her husband's brutal murder. The movie alternates between Marianne's agony and the frantic police search for Pearl. There is a terrific performance by Iffran Khan as the Pakistani policeman heading up the search. Comments from young people
Positive - This movie was extremely well done. I was disappointed to learn that Mariane was a Buddhist, and also that Daniel Pearl was “not a religious man.” As a Christian, I felt sad for these two as I watched the wedding scene in which Danny and Mariane married, not as a couple before God, but as two people wrapped in post-modern/New Age religion. Although almost everyone who watches this movie knows its turnout, it will still cause you to hope, hold your breath, grieve, and better understand the efforts that went into getting Danny back. Angelina definitely deserves an Oscar. Kudos to all who manage watching this with dry eyes! Comment
I have not seen the actual film, but am familiar with the events surrounding the Death of Daniel Pearl, as well as I have read the book which is what the movie is based on. The movie is about to be released in my country sometime this week. I am a practicing Christian… I however think that the book is beautifully written and think that we are too narrow minded as christians. Not being religious doesn't mean that the person doesn't believe in God, it means to me that the customs and practices that binds us to tradition they do not take part in it or it doesn't bind them. I also think that their love was real though not conventional. He respected her and loved their life together, they were happy people who despite of their differences were faithful to who/what they believed in. We are to be more open minded to different cultures and try to understand where an individual is coming from rather than being bashful… |
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