For my first artifact, I chose the recently released film, Pitch Perfect. The story follows a young
girl (Beca) as she adjusts to her freshman year of college. To please her
strict father, she joins the on-campus, all-girl a capella singing group
called The Bellas. Through the experience, Beca learns the importance of
community and working together along with discovering the values of diversity.
One significant aspect of this film is that it relates directly
to college students, highlighting key expectations and stereotypes present in
the collegiate atmosphere. The entire artifact has a secular basis, in that
there is no reference to God or religion. Rather it sets up success, competition,
and relationships as one’s ultimate goal in life. In one scene, the leader of
the a capella group announces that “There will
be no more wasting time with school or boyfriends. And I trust you will add
your own cardio.” In this way, Pitch Perfect exemplifies the ruthless
pursuit of success as a key characteristic in the Empire. Status obtained
through success is the main way people obtain value in the film, and as college
students, this tells us that social standing and success are the most important
things we can work toward. This idea is opposite the focus of the Kingdom, as
God desires us to live in parallel with his will. Communal living and the need
for relationships are also central themes in both the Empire (as seen through
viewing the film) and the Kingdom of God (as established in the Bible). In this way, we are able to see the positive effects
of the original creation in the fallen Empire; the ability to have and benefit
from relationship was seen in the original creation between Adam, Eve, and God.
In the film, Beca discovers her own need for community and relationships after she
tries to push everyone away. After her
main “fall” (a major fight with the leader of the singing group and also her
love interest), she severs her central relationships and ends up feeling alone
and without purpose. Although the film points to relationships with other
people as the solution to loneliness, we have been learning that it is
ultimately the investment in a relationship with God that will be able to fill
us with joy.
Discussion Questions:
- In your opinion, is this an accurate representation of college life? How is it similar? How is it different?
- In what ways does the pursuit of personal success over everything else harm the mission of the Kingdom?
- What are some of the pros and cons of being in community with other people, giving examples from either the movie or personal experience?
Good analysis, Kylee, and great questions. I would push back a bit on two points. It's possible to create an idol out of success and achievement, but what can be good about developing our gifts to high levels of professional excellence? Also, how do we experience God's companionship through other people (not just instead of)? Thanks for sharing about this film!
ReplyDeleteIt was great to read your post, Kylee. I really like this movie, and it's good to hear about it from a more critical perspective, taking into account some of the things we've covered in this class. While when taken at face value, this movie is funny, entertaining, and may not seem to promote much that is bad, but when you look at it deeper, it does emphasize some things that can be unhealthy. The majority of the relationships portrayed throughout most of the movie are not very healthy. And the emphasis that is put on competition and winning is not so good. But I do agree with Kirstin's post above. It can be good to use the gifts that God has given us, even in competition. All in all, I still think it's a good movie. We just need to make to realize what's actually going on and not just think that it's all ok.
ReplyDeleteI really appreciate your post, Kylee! I think this film has some seriously hilarious scenes. I think this film does a wonderful job of displaying the wonder gift of singing that God blessed humans with! I totally agree that the film suggests that success is obtained through social status. It is very tempting, especially as college students working towards educational degrees, to believe that the better grades we get and the more friends we have the more "successful" we are. I also really like what you said about Becca discovering her need for community. Sometimes I find myself struggling to live in community within my dorm and want to curl up in a ball and just stay in my dorm for the rest of my life. I am learning, however, that life is much more meaningful when I experience it with others.
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