  
WWJD: What Would Jesus Do?MPAA Rating:
 for some thematic elements.Reviewed by: Alexander Malsan Excellent!
Moviemaking Quality:
Primary Audience:
Kids Family Teens Adults
Genre:
Christian Family Drama
Length:
1 hr. 28 min.
Year of Release:
2010
USA Release:
March 12, 2010 (festival)
May 22, 2010 (limited) DVD: October 12, 2010 
 
Relevant Issues
Christian living
What advice do you have for new and growing Christians? Answer CHANGE THE WORLD—A single man or woman can help change the world. Read about some who did with faith and God’s help… How do I know what is right from wrong? Answer How can I decide whether a particular activity—such as smoking, gambling, etc.—is wrong? Answer CHURCH—Why should Christians go to church? How important is it? Answer
Should Christians be involved with lotteries or other forms of gambling? Answer
“What would happen if we walked in his steps?” Producer’s synopsis: “A powerful and thought-provoking story about four individuals—a singer, a newspaper editor, a wealthy philanthropist and a Minister who lost his faith—all vowing to walk in ‘the steps of Jesus.’ Every day and every decision becomes a turning point in their lives as they must ask themselves: ‘What Would Jesus Do?’ There are not many films that have I sat through and said to myself, “What a powerful film, I cannot believe what I just saw!” Very few films have been produced in which this kind of feeling occurs. As I sat, viewing this film from the comfort of my room, I realized, “What happens when the weight of the world starts falling on us?” When it happens, we need to ask ourselves one question, “What Would Jesus Do?” This has been one of the most inspirational and most wonderful films I have ever had the pleasure of viewing. Every aspect of this movie is perfect. I am especially impressed with the fine performances of John Schneider (the drifter), Kimberley Hidalgo (Lauren, whom you also may recognize from the latest film ‘To Save A Life’), Jim Gleason (Pastor Maxwell), and Maxine Bahns (Virginia Paige). The only thing that I wasn’t impressed with was the music. At times, I felt that the music didn’t always fit the scene that was occurring, but even that did not take away from the overall appreciation I have for this film. Objectionable Material?There is no sex in this film, and I didn’t expect there would be. The language is very minimal, and the only word(s) that caught my attention is when Alex York (a crafty politician) calls a group of Christians, “Jesus Freaks”. The violence is also mild. At the beginning of the film, there is a car accident involving Pastor Maxwell’s wife and son (later, the pastor is seen in a hospital with injuries on head—very mild). There are, also, a couple scenes where two main characters are thrown against a fence, but this is brief and mild. Spirtual LessonsLife is difficult. I know when I say that you’re probably thinking, “Well, yeah!” But that’s not where I’m going. Jesus told us that being a Christian would come at a price. He stated that though our lives would be better by having Him, it did not mean that our troubles would disappear. Unfortunately, some believe that when we become Christians, our troubles will disappear and that we will never have to worry about anything. But that’s not true. In the film, we see this. We see four individuals, the world fighting against them, and, in this particular case, the church. Jesus states in John 15:20…
However, though we suffer much, our suffering is not in vain. For we have Jesus Christ who will strengthen us in our trials and will carry our burdens for us. Jesus Christ died on the cross for us and carried our sins so that we wouldn’t have to. He will carry our burdens for us. The Psalmist David said…
And in the words of my favorite apostle, Paul:
Summary and Recommendations In short, I highly recommend this film. From a cinematic perspective, this film is incredible. There were moments I laughed. There were even moments I almost cried. This is one of the very few films that parents will not have to worry about having their children watch. Remember that when it feels like the world is against us and there’s nowhere left to turn, look to the cross and ask yourself, “What Would Jesus Do?” Violence: Minor / Profanity: None / Sex/Nudity: None See list of Relevant Issues—questions-and-answers.   Positive
Positive—I really enjoyed this movie. The overall moral fiber is excellent, and really makes you think about the actions you take in your daily life. Any movie that helps remind you to walk a truer Christian existence is a blessing, and this one does just that.
Moral rating: Excellent! / Moviemaking quality: 5 —Marie, age 30 (USA) Neutral
Neutral—Excellent morality, poor story telling. Actors are good, but something went wrong along the way, it just doesn’t work-I rate it B quality, fell asleep at the end. I wish it had been better.
Moral rating: Excellent! / Moviemaking quality: 1½ —Deborah, age 40 (USA) Neutral—First of all, the film has an excellent message; what if we all did what Jesus would do? How would our lives change? Could we be the difference we want to see in the world (paraphrasing Gandhi)? A homeless drifter, shunned by the townfolk, lets them know that if they truly wanted to make an impact, they should look no further than Christ Himself. The citizens are already facing a daunting task; keeping the church from being razed after it was foreclosed upon. Still, they manage to keep the faith in times of crisis.
Unfortunately, the film is not very well done. The background music is more appropriate for an action flick (the gospel music played by the musician in the film is actually quite good), the screenwriting is cliqued, and the acting is less than average, however, I liked John Schneider’s performance as the unnamed drifter. I liked the idea for the film, but the way it was carried out was not very good. It’s basically a watered-down version of “It’s a Wonderful Life,” except that it isn’t centered around Christmas. Moral rating: Excellent! / Moviemaking quality: ½ —Shannon H., age 29 (USA) Negative
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