Is the world over yet? Is it okay if I am disappointed either way? I don't mind being left behind and unchosen as long as I get some answers. I'm used to being picked last and if God turns out to be some giant bully in the sky collecting belief and love like lunch money, I'm fine with that. Honestly if I were God, I wouldn't care if anyone believed in me at all, I'd stomp out the human race as a failed experiment regardless and leave the Earth to the plants and animals. I wouldn't stand for modern culture mucking up my terrarium. I'd ferment all the fruit in the trees and let the monkeys and elephants get wasted! It's not like they have to drive home or anything. If God created drunk caterpillars, willow trees and fish tacos then I certainly do love him but am I really expected to worship an entity who is more passive-aggressive than me? It's difficult.
1991's MICHAEL TOLKIN film THE RAPTURE is simply unforgettable which makes it all the more strange that it is mostly forgotten; I guess asking questions and not saying exactly what people want to hear isn't the best way to be popular-who knew? MIMI ROGERS brings new meaning to the word revelation as Sharon, a woman bored out of her skull by her stupid job who has a bunch of random sex because it's almost like not feeling bored anymore. One day she notices that folks who have found God are even happier than folks who have foursomes that include DAVID DUCHOVNY and so she decides to get born again. God's love has a price though and soon the invisible taskmaster is forcing her to jump through many a hoop. I've watched enough Oprah to identify a toxic relationship when I see one. Face it Sharon, he's just not that into you.
When I first saw THE RAPTURE it shook me like a shake weight. No matter what your personal beliefs are it is sure to challenge them. Rather than painting Sharon as a loon waiting for a ship that never comes in, it pushes her smack dab into the middle of the apocalypse, trumpets blaring and all. Yes, the end of the world does arrive as predicted but not before Sharon has lost everything that made the world's destruction worth giving a crap about. I think Sharon's spiritual journey is rather an admirable one. What's infinitely less admirable is the fact that once she has a child, she drags her offspring along for the ride too. She's not a bad person, it's just that her belief system has painted her into a corner where critical thinking is no longer an option. To even question God is an act of treachery. Her faith is strong just not strong enough to withstand a moments scrutiny.
Because it concerns religion, THE RAPTURE is sure to offend some folks but writer/director TOLKIN is hardly being provocative for the sake of being provocative. The film takes its subject matter seriously and has a sincere curiosity about exactly what the unequivocal existence of God would mean. THE RAPTURE bypasses the usual stalemate of belief vs. non-belief and jumps ahead to the next ladder rung. God exists alright but he has some serious explaining to do. Judgment Day arrives but, in a crazy switch-a-roo, it is God who is judged. It may seem blasphemous to some but if the act of wondering and questioning is a sin then damn me now. I don't know what God you believe in, but mine can handle some constructive criticism without a hissy fit.
You really do not have to believe in anything to enjoy THE RAPTURE besides good storytelling and the power of film. Somehow its low-budget makeshift end of the world is emotionally devastating on an epic scale. TOLKIN's insistence that the demolition of one spirit be accountable for, coupled with ROGER's undaunted performance is ultimately as moving as any hymn. If THE MIST got you hot under the collar than you might want to take a rain check but if you welcome an investigation into the spiritual without the usual cowardly boundaries I say step forward, there's no reason to linger in limbo.
Good call, Unk. Cool, strange, unique but forgotten film. Love me some Mimi. Too bad she's a Scientologist… I mean, she's the person who got Tom Cruise into it!
WE,
I never thought much of MR until I saw this movie. She's really amazing in it & how could she have not been nominated for an Oscar? The Scientology association adds an interesting element.
She is actually now considered a "former member" I wonder if this movie had anything to do with that decision?
http://www.eonline.com/uberblog/ask_the_answer_bitch/b136515_have_any_celebs_ever_actually_left.html
I really don't think I have the ability to do this movie justice. When I was grabbing the images I was amazed at Tolkin's use of the environment to express Sharon's mental states; the Kafka cubicles at her job, the red
room as a sort of hell, the gnarled barren desert- amazing. So glad they did not spoil the ending with special effects.
Plus of course I had to be careful not to give too much away. Even though I've watched this many times over the years there are several scenes that still hit me really hard.
Love your review Unk. I'm a big fan of this movie, although I've only seen it a few times, and that was more than 15 years ago. But so much of it stayed with me. I love… mmmm… I think pacing isn't the word, but there's so much space between lines and space inside many of the images. It just puts you in this place that is so unlike any other film. And yeah, it really makes you think about things… both sides. I don't feel like it's a condemnation of religion or god, it's just meant to make you ask yourself some very important questions. Which you actually said above, but better! 🙂
One of my all time favorite films. So glad to see you review it here. What I love about this story is how unjudgemental it is of Sharon. At least within the confines of the film itself. It's not making fun of her or satirizing her in any way. It takes her life experience very seriously, and takes her beliefs very seriously. In fact, the whole story seems to answer the question "What if these fundamentalist are right?"
It appears the answer is quite horrible!
It's brilliant filmmaking and a brilliant critique of a belief system.
Thank you for pointing out Mimi Rogers performance. I often forget about that when I think about the film. She really is pretty remarkable here.
I would disagree with you about the comparison to "The Mist" though! 🙂 In the "The Rapture" the ending is the very point of the film, and as we often talked about, the ending of "The Mist" always felt tacked on and unnecessary to me.
If you take away the ending of "The Rapture" though, you have an entirely different film looking to justify why it's even being made.
TV,
Well, I was thinking that not everybody's problem with THE MIST was on a storytelling level. I get what you're saying though- you were not offended by WHAT happened in THE MIST as much as you didn't like the way it was done or didn't feel it was earned.
As I was reading reactions to THE RAPTURE (why do I do that?) it seemed to me that many people were just mad that it existed at all. On Amazon about 40 percent of the people make a point of saying that they threw the dvd in the garbage after it was done. In other words I don't think those people are reacting to the storytelling they're reacting to the subject matter.
I guarantee it will offend some of the same people even if you are not one of them!
Anyway glad that you like this movie as much as I do. It's a sin that it is overlooked as much as it is. I don't think it could be done any better and it makes me kind of mad that Rogers was not handed better work afterword. There is one scene (between her and the police officer) that just chokes me up every time.
Speaking of the police officer, that was WILL PATTON (Desperately Seeking Susan, After Hours, Mothman Prophecies). I love that guy…so underrated too.
http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0001599/
"the ending of “The Mist” always felt tacked on and unnecessary to me. "
– That's because IT IS tacked on and unnecessary. If you read Stephen King's short story, the ending shown in the film is completely different. In my opinion, it was a cheap device to make the audience feel profound regret.
In the script writer's defense, Stephen King saw the new ending and loved it, saying he wished he had thought of it. Nonetheless, I like King's ending much better.
I love 'The Rapture'… AND the ending of 'The Mist'… absolutely NOT tacked on… it's the perfect, ambiguous, bookend for crazy Mrs. Carmody.
The 'what if her nutty demands for a child sacrifice DID chase the monsters away?' is the counterpart of 'The Rapture's 'What if Revelations is literal truth? How nutty would that be?'
Both putting out the question, even if the Bible were true… could you really love/respect a god like that?
There is a part of me that actually finds the ending of THE MIST sort of uplifting, as if it's saying you should never give up absolute hope because in two seconds everything may change.
It's really interesting to compare the two films, both in their approaches to religion and that ultimate sacrifice. I wonder if Darabont ever saw "The Rapture"?
Love your writing!