Joshua (I) (2002) User Reviews

It's all about love

[mattedesa · 8/10 · 24 May 2004]

It's not about what church you go to, it's not about doing good or

doing bad, it's not about who likes you or how 'important' you are.

It's all about love. We love others because God first loved us.

That's the message this movie portrays as Joshua comes in this

completely hypothetical portrayal of Christ coming to modern,

small town America. He reminds the townspeople in plain, simple

ways what it means to truly care for people. It's not trying to be a

prophetic second coming film, only a fictional story designed to

prove a point.

Maybe the film's a little idealistic, maybe it's a little corny in a

couple places. Who cares? I felt better after watching this movie

than I have after any movie in a while. It's a nice change from the

normal film of today's market which glorifies hatred and revenge.

8 of 10

Why label?

[TxDeadhead · 7/10 · 12 October 2003]

Well, I'm very glad that I didn't look at the IMDB entry before I made the decision whether or not I should watch it. I wouldn't have watched it. The movie was nice for a lazy Sunday morning. The message was uplifting and should be to any viewer, regardless of his/her religious affiliation. A stranger comes into town and turns it upside down by being helpful, polite, friendly and courteous. He teaches various characters lessons that are appropriate to the listener. And he seems to have some sort of otherworldly power. The message, that the community would be a much better place if people would drop their prejudices, stop being so selfish, and help one another, is one that all people, regardless of religion, color, nationality, sexual orientation, political affiliation, or whatever difference one may chose to emphasize.

To bring myself to my point, I'm a non-Christian, and I felt this movie was entertaining, educational, uplifting, and had some valuable things to say. It would be really too bad if the fact that it has been labeled a "Christian" movie, caused non-Christians to ignore it, or dismiss the lessons taught as Christian propaganda. I, for one, am glad I took the time to watch it, but not because of the "Christian" message, but because of the message of love. If it hadn't been for the comments made here, I would not have considered it a Christian move, but a movie about Good.

So, for you non-Christians out there, Don't ignore this movie. It's got a great message. There are other explanations for the things that happen in this movie, but the core message, that of community and love, is important for all.

Portrayal of Jesus in Modern Times

[user-386-586660 · 6/10 · 2 June 2012]

Joshua is a film about a man who wanders into a town. He rents a barn and works out of it for his woodcarving shop. He performs miracles that no ordinary man could do, shows the towns people that God loves them, which makes Father Tordone suspicious.

There is a very obvious parallel between Joshua and Jesus. Many of the miracles and actions Joshua performs are the same as those done by Jesus. Such as when a con men set up a Tent Revival, Joshua tells him he doesn't have to con people. This is similar to Jesus and the Pharisees. Pharisees were strict observers of laws and rules, but Jesus thought differently, he preached love. Where he sought sinners out rather than scorn them.

The film seems to show that Joshua is a messiah. Especially as in the Bible, one key part of being a messiah is to rebuild Solomon's Temple. In the film it seems to be symbolized when Joshua rebuilds a Baptist Church destroyed in a storm. Joshua also performs miracles like making the blind see, and raising the dead. Vatican City then catches interest in his actions, a lot like how Jesus' actions caught the attention of the Roman Empire.

But I don't think the movie wants Joshua to represent the Second Coming. As Joshua in the film hasn't returned the Jews to their homeland, which Jesus couldn't do, but is stated in several biblical verses. The Christian response to this assertion of Jesus not being a messiah is he will accomplish this in the Second Coming. The same can be said of unfulfilled biblical verses. This film seems to be capturing how Jesus will be perceived in the modern times, and how society has changed from the ancient times.

What I took away from this film is that Jesus came to Earth and died for our sins. But he did not come to do work for us, he began preaching love, and it is the responsibility of Christians to continue this work to continue to spread the message. Joshua changes the faith of the town's people and showed them love, but it is up to the people to decide if they believe in what Joshua showed them, some like Tordone at first are skeptical and suspicious but others who are healed see the truth of Joshua's actions.

Nice Story For Believers & Unbelievers

[ccthemovieman-1 · 10/10 · 16 April 2006]

Now here is an honest-to-goodness Christian movie, based on the best-selling book in the mid '90s by Fr. Joseph Girzone. This parable, I would think, would be a lot more effective evangelizing film than The Passion Of The Christ, only because this is so much more pleasant to watch. But it is no watered-down version, either. While Mel Gibson's film shows Christ's love in the incredibly- painful sacrifice he made, this movie shows the nature of His love in ordinary, everyday life with ordinary people.

This is a not a Second Coming story, rather just what Jesus might be like if he re-appeared and mingled with human beings today, in this case in a small southern town in the United States.

Here, "Joshua" (Tony Goldwyn) is pictured helping a diverse group of townspeople, ministering to them individually and helping them to come together as a community. He isn't arrogant or pushy about it; he just leads by example. A sub-plot involves his influence with two local priests: an older skeptical pharisee-like cleric (F. Murray Abraham) and his younger and personable assistant (Kurt Fuller).

It's nicely done, with good production values and some solid acting. It's not too heavy-handed for the unbelievers while at the same inspiring to believers. As one of the latter, this movie just made me feel good all the way through. This kind of movie isn't just unusual.....it's downright rare.

Shows How Jesus Would Be Like Today...

[bullshette · 25 November 2004]

The purpose of the film is clear: portray what Jesus would be like if he was doing his ministry today. How Joshua treated the people around him, how he lived his life, the miracles, how he spoke to blasphemers, his enemies, and everything, it was a great portrait of what we know and imagine Jesus to be like.

The film crossed all of the denominational boundaries - reaching to evangelists, revivalists, Catholics, and others - with the message of God's love. And the film did a great job of using Tony to portray what Jesus' love would be like today.

What you can take away from this film is a glimpse of what a Christian should be and should portray. As a Christian, your goal is to be more Christ-like. One of Christ's main teachings was love and he demonstrated that in his ministry. This movie gives you a glimpse of one of what an outward appearance, evidence, of a Christian should be. I mean, doesn't make sense that a Christian should be nice, friendly, loving, helpful, and show humility?

I think the movie did a great job showing that. As for the miracles of the movie - they were similar to stuff from the gospels. Take that with a grain of salt. This movie isn't about the second coming of Jesus or retelling the Jesus story. It's a fantasical conjecture to the question of "what if Jesus came to earth again to reiterate His message and work? what would that be like?"

This movie isn't supposed to be deep or evoke something like the Passion. This movie is supposed to make you stop and evaluate, take stock of yourself - to invoke in your heart. If the movie stirred your heart, then you should seek to find out more about this Jesus.

As for the music - according to the first commenter who is clearly not a believer - the music is secondary. The movie featured Third Day, a pretty well-known CCM music band. The music served its purpose.

Whoever the first commenter was, he/she missed the point of the movie entirely. He/she might not even be a believer, or is a believer who is so caught up with him/herself that he/she has no idea what he/she is talking about. The first commenter used the word blaspheme - stop using such big words, you're giving yourself a headache!

Don't miss this film. Let the message speak to your heart.

excellent film

[dvapr · 10/10 · 4 October 2003]

i saw this film on cable today - a lazy saturday afternoon. and to my surprise, it really touched me. tony goldwyn was absolutely perfect and wonderful, as was f. murray abraham (as always) and kurt fuller (great part for him). the film spoke to me, relaying some things that i really needed to hear at this time. a great film for adults who need to take a minute and reaccess. and good for teens, kids, families to see together i would think. for me, this picture was like a little spiritual meditation wrapped in a family friendly package. it was the last thing i wanted/expected to find while channelsurfing. but i'm sure glad i did. thank you.

Pretty good flick...

[tdi-2 · 6/10 · 26 December 2005]

I enjoyed this movie. I actually went to see it in the movie theater about 3 years ago. I think it is pretty ironic that this movie replays itself on the Trinity Bible Netork. In the scene when Joshua confronts the "faith healer", I couldn't help but think of Benny Hinn, or Steve Martin's Jonas Nightengale... Anyways, Joshua is a good movie that does an excellent job of capturing the Girzone books. It is also a much better Christian flick than the Left Behind and Omega Code series that present all of Christianity as only an end-times oriented religion. The foil between Father Tardone and Father Hayes is an enjoyable one to watch, especially as a pastor...there is definitely some real life truth there. Joshua is a film that gives a bit of hope to the "Christian Movie Business." I am excited about what will be coming out of the Christian alternative to Hollywood in the future.

Biased and Theologically Flawed Piece of Non-Fiction

[big-62314 · 4/10 · 25 August 2019]

This movies portrays Catholicism as boring and unfruitful. It depicts Christian Music as the most important and pleasing thing to God. There's very little here excepts somebody's blatant attempt to try to persuade people that Jesus approves contemporary mega church Christianity but disapproves of the Established church of the past 2000 years. Very little actual substantive here and quite a bit of blatant misrepresentation.

Fantastic...A 'Must' see

[vcurtis1 · 10/10 · 6 March 2004]

I found this film by accident. It is a wonderful find. I've watched it several times already and each time I see something different. It is an almost contemporary life of Christ parallel. You can show it to your kids, no bad language, no nudity, no sex, no violence just a wonderful, wonderful story with some surprises...and a nice twist at the end. Joshua is a very unusual person and a simple woodcarver. You will enjoy watching him and the interaction with the town. Please do watch him and listen to him closely and to the people around him. It is an experience not to be missed.

Do yourself a favor...see it. Watch it with friends and family...

good movie, but nothing like the book

[fnd26 · 7/10 · 3 October 2005]

A good uplifting movie, but only remotely similar to the book. Where the book was hard hitting and critical, the movie took the "feel good" path and avoided most of the conflicts. The book challenged you to think about your relationship to others and the church's role in religion, the movie lacked a depth. The characters in the book were much more believable and were presented as real people; warts and all. The movie sanitized many of the character flaws and completely changed the plot line. You were left with a nice story, but most of the believability was gone. I expected a lot more from a movie based on a truly inspirational book.

Where to even start....

[jer-7 · 1/10 · 28 April 2002]

I have to say that this is the worst movie I have ever seen in my entire life. There is no plot. There is the obvious religious theme, but the characters just go from here to there for no reason. Tony Goldwyn and F Murray Abraham did a good job with their parts, its just unfortunate that they really didn't have much to work with. All of the supporting cast was a joke. As for the music, none of it seemed to fit. From the opening song to the end, it just wasn't very cinematic. And lastly, for the message it self. According to the same religious beliefs that brought us this film, if the second coming of Christ were to happen, the world would end. So, in making this movie, the creators committed blasphemy. Interesting, no??

Spiritually Moving

[popcorn paul · 9/10 · 19 April 2002]

Simple, heartwarming story of latter day Jesus mingling with a small town and changing the lives of everyone in it. Couple of hard jabs at modern day organized religion are a nice touch as Joshua shows the townsfolk that love of God and your fellow man are all that's needed to gain lasting fulfillment. This movie is low budget to be sure but blessed with some fine performances, especially Tony Goldwyn as Joshua and Kurt Fuller as Father Pat Hayes. Expect to get a few lumps in your throat during several very moving and personal scenes that may or may not strike a chord with you. A very uplifting movie and heartily recommended. I give it 10 stars just for the sheer purity of it's message.

Call It Like It Is: Family-Friendly Christian Movie

[postofficecb · 6/10 · 29 May 2020]

There's no question about it. The movie is about Jesus come again ("Jesus" and "Joshua" are cognate btw). But aside from "Joshua" being the subject of the film, and the endorsement that necessarily brings, we're not hit over the head with Christianity. In fact, the film goes out of its way to present the notion that the scripture can be confusing and can be interpreted in multiple ways, none of which is necessarily wrong, as represented by Father Pat's struggle to find his voice in the shadow of Father Tardone (Pat's joke at the pulpit was a great example). I think this is the main message. By recognizing our differences, we can come together, which is what Joshua achieves - indirectly (or is it?) - among the townsfolk.

As for why he's in Auburn? No good reason other than it's a super nice place and fits with the feel-good G-rated production. Thankfully there are some star actors that make the G-rating bearable: the lead played by Tony Goldwyn, Father Pat's Kurt Fuller and Father Tardone's F. Murray Abraham.

The only serious criticism of the film that brings it down a couple stars is the odd, left-turn it takes in the last quarter, with the trip to Rome. This didn't fit with the message of the film up to then, which was a parable, and instead turned it into an apocalyptic message. Perhaps this was added to appease religious-minded producers eager to send that message. It's like injecting politics into Leave it to Beaver, or vinegar into wine.

Read the book

[smeyer-08084 · 5/10 · 10 April 2017]

This movie did not do justice to the beautiful and thought-provoking story as told in the book. It just didn't have the same level of detail or narration to fully explore the concept of how Jesus would be received in modern society.

In addition, the acting by much of the supporting cast was not very good and made it difficult to take the movie seriously and watch it until the end.

I am glad I did watch it until the end, though. I found myself surprisingly moved by the last scene.

I highly recommend the book!

Touching

[LHartness · 14 June 2004]

There are a few holes in this movie, both theologically and cinematically, but I must say I was touched by it. For a moment I felt Christ's love for us. And while we cannot forget that His love is also a part of His holiness, it was nice to get a brief glimpse of that perfect love. Kudos also to Michael W. Smith, who took on the task of writing a decent score for the film. Fans of the Christian group Third Day will also be pleased to see a nice cameo as well. And on the DVD there's a nice documentary that exhibits the filmmakers' desires to share God's love with the viewer. And if you enjoyed the movie, there's a whole series of Joshua books out there to continue the exploration of "what if Jesus came as the Joshua character"...

This isn't a great film, but I did go to bed last night feeling grateful to be a Christian, and grateful to feel His love for me in a simple movie.

Much better than I expected

[Mercury-4 · 9/10 · 28 February 2003]

I usually don't like religious movies, I find them heavy-handed, preachy, and fairly poorly done in general. I thought this one was excellently done though, the insights of the Joshua character struck me as genuinely meaningful and profound. Other than a few embarrassing stereotypes I thought the writing was good and most of the acting. Very nice work by F Murray Abraham and very convincing work by the Joshua actor.

Beautiful movie

[EighthSense · 10/10 · 27 April 2006]

This was a beautiful movie-period. Apart from all the wonderful comments other people have written about it, it pointed out subtly that we CAN react to people who attack us in a positive, non-defensive way, while telling the truth at the same time.

I thought this was very useful for us today, because we are bombarded by the media with all the things we 'must' do to keep ourselves safe, be it safe economically, politically, physically, educationally,emotionally, etc.

This bombardment of course is not just for our own good-it is meant to sell us all kinds of things and services to 'keep us safe'. It sets us up to always be on the lookout, on the defensive, as if the world is strictly a dangerous place. It is dangerous often, but if all we do is protect ourselves from it, we miss all the chances for happiness this world also offers. This movie clearly shows what a Christian is supposed to be like-a sure, confident person, unafraid to love and help others.

There is only one thing that spoiled the enjoyment for me-the very loud music. This loudness is common in many modern films, and forces people who watch movies at home to change volume all the time, as if music is not anymore an integral 'component' of the movie, but mainly meant to sell itself. Needless to say I don't buy any film music whose volume is too high because it connects with that annoyance....

Good family film but fell far short of the book.

[GoldenOldie · 6/10 · 5 May 2003]

I watched this film with the hope that it would be as good as the book. It was not. -- There are (at least) two reasons for this. One is that the screenplay did not come anywhere near close enough to the novel. The second, and far more important, is that Tony Goldwyn simply had NO power of personality in this part. He was not believable in the role of Jesus or a Jesus-type figure.

This is still a good family film. It is a wholesome film that can provide a springboard for parent/child discussion. I would recommend it; but with the recognition that it should have been much better.

The message is basic and moving but misses a major point

[Snootz · 5/10 · 22 October 2019]

Some may consider this religious claptrap, but one need consider this is an imaginary fantasy movie, not a presentation of reality. It is a "what if" presentation. The directing and acting is decent (if cliche at times). It does feel as if they crammed too much into a short time slot and may have done better as a 2-part miniseries.

The message presented is basic and the way it's presented emotionally stirring. The movie does disregard an important doctrinal issue: the diverse and divisional teachings of Christianity. To some this contradicts "one hope, one faith, one baptism" and the requirement to "worship in truth". This is a conceptual issue rather than production, but to some viewers the overall interdenominational presentation may be a little hard to swallow. The point of the movie comes across, but some viewers will question or dislike the method and find some parts ridiculous. This will depend on the viewer.

I personally give it 5 stars based solely on rushed, cliche plot devices as well as a decidedly weak ending. I have seen far worse religious movies and do not judge this on religious aspects, but rather the simple question of "is it a well done movie?". For those emotionally influenced by such things it will be a tear-jerker and may be very stirring and inspirational... but technically it qualifies as a "made for TV" movie with a script that gets weaker as the movie draws to a close, leaving viewers with a lack of closure. That's deadly in any film.

Good Film

[dig · 10/10 · 3 November 2002]

This movie is one that I felt the need to comment on. I do not usually comment on many films, good or bad. Joshua was very entertaining through out the entire movie.And the acting of Tony Goldwyn as Joshua was 5 star. He is very believable in his role. He has always impresses me with his acting. Relaxed and not forced. If you need to buy or rent a movie that will make you glad you bought it or seen it, then this is the one. Even with the religious theme. (As I am not a religious person) I believe anyone can watch this movie without being offended. If you pass on seeing this film, It will be your loss.

Wow

[danielhm · 2/10 · 6 October 2015]

The book was really not bad but the movie is just neo fundamentalist tripe.

They've taken a fairly nuanced and subtle interpretation of a Jesus story and did absolutely nothing interesting with it.

The characters hope to be one dimensional when they grow up. The story is very similar to being hit over the head with a brick.

Repeatedly.

I don't know why they bought the rights to this book and then decided to do absolutely nothing with it.

It's a shame.

A Pretty Powerful Movie.

[JoshL007 · 10/10 · 18 April 2002]

Joshua, what a film. Though it's not great, and the screen play is a bit weak, it seems to really be carried by the wonderful acting performance, and the touching music. It makes you look at life in a new way...and it's a pretty Powerful movie. It still has flaws, but it's a good movie for those who like confusing ones, that make sense as it goes on. If you get a chance to see it...it's not a waste of time. It's really good...really.

Rating: 7 / 10

I felt sickened by the end

[rba154 · 1/10 · 16 April 2010]

I have to admit, I went into this film with a bad attitude. Joshua, the book by Joseph Girzone, is among my favorite books. This film was a low-budget, ninety-minute rehash of the base elements. That's what I expected. I was disappointed. As someone that holds Girzone's book in such esteem, I have to ask what on earth he was thinking.

The film had very little to with the book. Barely anything, in fact. Names were changed for no apparent reason. My favorite parts of the book, like the conversations between Joshua and the residents, and the debates with the churches were excised entirely. The ending was completely ruined. In the book, it was meant to be a modern-day Jesus, where a man comes to Earth, does his work, and leaves. In the film, they go for a downright pathetic cop-out, trying to be as sugary sweet as possible.

But by far the worst thing about the film is Joshua himself, played by Tony Goldwyn. To be frank, he is abysmal. The Joshua of the book was calm, friendly, loving, honest, and above all, wouldn't preach unless he was forced to. In the movie, he's calm, friendly, but in the worst possible way. Honestly, I felt slightly unnerved by Goldwyn's performance. It was like if Klaus Kinski did a ton of morphine before being told to act like a God. It's difficult to explain, and I might not be making sense, but Goldwyn was simply miscast.

Really, there is nothing I can recommend the film for. There are really only three types of people who will see this film: The Average Person who will see it, hate it, and forget it, The Christian, who will enjoy it regardless of quality, or the Person Who Loved the Book, and will be invariably disappointed. Regardless of which category you may fall into, I'm wasting my time talking about it. Skip it, and read the book. It's a masterpiece of modern Christian literature.

A Rare Wholesome, Family Movie.

[pazicky1 · 30 December 2003]

Sans four letter words and violence, this movie is enjoyable family entertainment. Its message is not only "Christian" in nature, but also reflects back to those times in the first half of the twentieth century when we were able to walk the streets in safety, never lock our doors, and actually know our next door neighbor and the entire neighborhood for that matter. While it is predictable, the movie still holds one's interest from beginning to end. Don't look for the technical flubs or the adaptation of Joseph Girzone's book, and don't scoff at the ecumenicism, because the movie stands on its own. It is only based on the book and was scripted well. Just enjoy the sense of community and love. Tony Goldwyn is commendable in the role of Joshua and Academy Award Winner F Murray Abraham is notable as the skeptical and fear driven parish priest. The characters forming the community of Auburn display those neighborly times spoken of earlier in this review. Academy Award Nominee Giancarlo Giannini as the Pope is warm and genuine even in his short appearance on the screen. So, get the kids, mom and dad and grandma and grandpa (and the neighbors) into the living room and enjoy this movie together.

Awesome movie!

[kenday1 · 10/10 · 13 August 2003]

This is on the top of the list of my favorite Christian films! It is so amazing to watch Tony Goldwyn in this role compared to his role in "Ghost"!

This is a wonderful movie that the whole family can watch and learn from, whether you are Christian or Non-Christian.

Contrary to some of the comments including the plot line; I never thought that this movie was about Christ's return when I was watching it. But how it might be if Jesus came back secretly to visit and show us how to live an love. Great acting,Tony! 10/10

Just a thought: The Bible says for us to not forget to entertain strangers, for by so doing some people have entertained angels without knowing it.