Purple State of Mind

This is a little documentary that was screened for ye ole LAFSC on Monday. It's the true account of the conversations that come from two old college roommates entering middle age and recounting the same year one's Christian faith started and the other's stopped. The doc follows them as they meet three or four times to pursue honest conversation about their beliefs. What happens can be maddening from a Christian perspective, but is sure to start many good conversations between friends like the very ones depicted. Like any good doc, the two friends and theological opponents are interesting characters that are both humanized. John Marks makes all the good points, but I felt for the floundering Craig Detweiler. In class, there were some students who said they didn't think Craig represented Christians well, but I don't think he claimed to represent all Christians. The point of the whole film seemed to be to revisit the lives and beliefs of two friends who took separate paths after college. Their conversations had the common thread of spirituality, but I saw it more as a means of gaining insight into these two men. As a film about spirituality, it offers few answers. As a film about two friends, it offers a wealth of good ole insight.

Not an astounding work of genius (with bare bones production and a basic question and answer back and forth between the two participating old friends) but a provocative movie for anyone utterly confused or convinced of their views about Christianity and God.

Sparked the absolutely most heated, opinionated, open, honest, and beneficial conversation in the Theology in Hollywood class to date.

Purple State of Mind on the web

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