The Genesis Code (2010)

Simply Perfect

Not sure how, but this is easily one of the best movies all summer. Multiple levels of funny, never takes itself seriously, super colorful, and creative.

This is one of the best movies I’ve seen in a very long time. You have to go and see this on the big screen.

The story, direction, characters, and writing/dialogue is akin to taking a tranquilizer shot to the neck, but everything else was so well done.

I guess I can't call this film "manipulative," because most people read the plot before seeing it, and know it's a Christian movie that's going to promote the religion. Although the appearance of a few old stars and an Ultimate Fighting star in the cast make you wonder to what degree.The female protagonist looks the part. She has a very wholesome persona. I believe her. The male looks like the quarterback of the football team, not a hockey player. He's too pretty. He looks almost exactly like a young Brat Pack Andrew McCarthy.You've already read the plot. Two college students meet. One's a hockey star and one's writing for the school paper. She wants to do a bio on the athlete, but he's guarding his privacy. They have a little chemistry, but with both going through life crises simultaneously, they never get around to any real romance.I didn't believe that part. Just because she is a Christian does not mean she would not kiss, cuddle, and whatever else. They were two gorgeous young folks in the prime of their life. Christians have relationships.The film is used as a vehicle to either help young folks who are on the fence about their faith, reinforce the faith they already have, or to teach parents, teachers, and clergy how to minister to the "unchurched" or confused.The central conflict is science vs. religion and the centerpiece is a way too long, yet mildly creative lecture done in a planetarium by a group of physics students who want to reconcile the story of creation with science. Why not just forget the movie, and have the whole thing be a youtube lecture? They would save a lot of money.No one mentioned that C. Thomas Howell directed. I generally like him. I didn't know he was a Christian. Well, it was too slow and contrived. The actors while good, showed very little emotion. The worst aspect of the film was a role given to Catherine Hicks.She did show emotion and played an extremely awkward role well.The film makers have contempt for the secular elitists who run the modern universities. So the Hicks character, a PhD academic adviser spews a monologue about the silliness of faith, and how it will block the way to our protagonist finding liberated bliss in the "post modern" world.Even at liberal schools, which is virtually every one, she would probably get fired for that. The girl just sits and listens and doesn't fight back at all. Was she turning the other cheek? I didn't believe that she would remain silent.They have the adviser say all the buzz words that characterize the type of liberal that conservative Christians can't stand. She expresses her excitement about serving the "New World Order," joining the "elite," and moral relativity. This scene was painfully forced. Even the dumbest university liberal egghead would have found a more nuanced way to say all that.My favorite part that made me laugh, was placing a minister, a professor and a hockey player in a shooting range, while they discussed God. They managed to squeeze in God, Guns, Hockey, Weightlifting, Football, and contempt for elite academics in one movie. Ha ha.The best aspect was the acting. Despite the lack of strong emotion, I did feel their pain at times. There is some genuinely good dialogue, but again I think they would have been better off just doing an interesting and informative youtube video, instead of forcing some contrived plot.Or someone could do a video about how the early Christian fathers purposely mistranslated Hebrew in order to prove that the Torah was wrong and the Jews are evil. Read the scriptures. Those points are emphasized on every other page.

This movie was awesome. I loved the mix of science and absolute biblical truth. A few years ago, I actually read the paper that the theory in this movie is based on. It really gets you thinking. The casting was wonderful. I especially liked the portrayal of the minister... a real-life, down to earth, sports loving man. It was very refreshing. Catherine Hicks as the guidance counselor was a curve-ball of a casting choice, but she did a fantastic job. I was so emotionally stirred by her performance, I wanted to through something at the screen. Family Friendly, Christian movies have come a long way. This one felt natural and real. Multiple story lines with complexity and depth. If you have analytically minded secular friends, this would be a wonderful movie to take them to. It just might provide the little opening for God to touch their lives. The movie could stand on its own even without the science vs. God storyline, so they won't be disappointed. A must see movie for all ... young & old, believer or skeptic.

It is refreshing to watch a movie with so many positive elements and family values, clean and very entertaining. Needless to say I was at the edge of my seat and will be buying it as soon as it comes out, for 2 reasons, I want to own such a brilliant piece and I want to support the work done by people like these. For me and my family this movie is 2 thumbs up, 5 gold stars, a movie worth watching.Since the evolution theory is so widely accepted but not researched, (at least I know I did not evolved from an ape, neither did my grandparents and ancestors) It is easy to see that we want to question everything and come up with the strangest things when we cannot explain. I read in Readers Digest magazine about how at one point in history Charles Darwin saw an ivy plant on a tree trunk in south America and based on his observation, he thought that the ivy was feeding from the trunk, thing that of course was inaccurate, proving that Charles Darwin, as human that he was made mistakes too.

"If God didn't want us to think, He wouldn't have given us deductive reasoning." The one thing that this film does accomplish that no one can argue is that it makes the viewer think. Personally, I believe the movie is crafted in an extremely intelligent and engaging manner. It's a fine character piece almost interrupted by a scientific/theological presentation. You truly come to care for the characters. Then, everything leading to the debate is put forth in as clear a manner as possible. Unfortunately, the subject itself is not very easy to understand. So, I can see the average viewer tuning out or even their eyes glazing over by the presentation despite the best efforts of film makers to make it relatable and interesting. One really needs to pay attention to follow and if you're going to present this information, you might as well make it complete and near incontrovertible. I applaud the effort if not the actually execution. On a side note, one of my favorite parts of the film was the scenes with the academic adviser. It perfectly illustrates narrow-minded thinking and the often times liberal yet ignorant indoctrination present in too many institutions of "higher" learning. Wonderful presentation and writing in those scenes.I'm Christian and I'm glad they included all points of view and rationally show positions some individuals do take. This is no "pie in the sky" movie. They legitimately discuss and reflect dissenting views and those that question the complete accuracy of the Bible. Going in to this film, I guess I would've put myself in the place of the lead character. Believing most information but having serious doubts about the factual validity of the book of Genesis. This film mostly changed that perception. One way or the other, it never was really crucial in my relationship with God but it's good to explore all aspects of Divinity and theology.Paraphrasing another quote I remember from this film, "Those people that question how a person arrives at their personal relationship with God is either arrogant, (ignorant) or blasphemous." If this film adds anything to a person's belief system then more power to them. Why do non-believers and haters have a problem with that and when other people find peace? Could it be that something is lacking in their own life?