The Shack

Its hard to find fault with a film that is so amazingly well-intentioned. THE SHACK is one of the most beautifully photographed films I have ever seen. The rich scenery and vibrant colors will send a burst of energy to your brain. Also, imagine the hope for the world if lovely and talented Octavia Spencer were God! THE SHACK is a story that tries to explain the unexplainable. Why do bad things happen to good people and why does God not intervene to stop the evil in the world? Sam Worthington stars as Mack Phillips. Hes happily married to a gorgeous and loving wife and has three perfect children. He has a childhood secret that haunts him but life as an adult is perfect until an unimaginable tragedy occurs to rock his world. Its here that the story sometimes veers off the believability path. God invites Mack to a secluded house in the mountains. God is in the form of Octavia Spencer and Jesus and the Holy Spirit are there for good measure. The Holy Trinity cook meals, do dishes and all sorts of domestic chores as they try to revive Macks faith in God and mankind. Its a lovely attempt to give one man hope through his despair but its hard to imagine why God, Jesus and the Holy Spirit reveal themselves to Mack. Yes, God is busy even when she (Octavia) seems to be relaxing. There must be billions of people to help at any given time. THE SHACK does go over the top at times and is a bit long. There is a blend of Scripture and stories from the Bible. Jesus does walk on water which adds some gentle humor. THE SHACK is a sweet movie that will inspire some and confuse others. Its amazingly beautiful to look at. Its a pleasant diversion from the average film but it may leave people with questions than answers.

I first saw this movie years after it was released on Netflix and had me crying. Im not much of a crier but the meaning of the movie is what many of us struggle with, finding and knowing God and finding Him again. We all have our losses and this movie helped me not only to heal after losing my mom but also to find God again. This is a must watch and must have.

I really loved this movie. Very well done and makes you think :-)

If you tune in to your spiritual side and watch this movie more than once it WILL astound you

The Shack alone is an amazing movie, I’ve watched it twice. I believe watching Restoring The Shack prior to the movie was so very helpful me though. Watching Restoring The Shack help me with all the parables in the movie. I have told everyone about these two wonderful movies. It is worth every penny. I wish I was a book reader and I would read that too, but will be a great gift for Christmas! I think my favorite part was meeting wisdom.

For some reason, I believe Hollywood had nothing to do with this movie. 5 stars.

Let me set the stage a bit. The Case for Christ was getting ready to be released and I heard some women in my theology class talking about the Shack. Shortly after this, I saw a trailer. I was a bit put off thinking Octavia Spencer might be representing God.. hopefully not. I decided not to see it at the theater and instead read the book. The book helped me get past the God as a woman with its explanation for it but some of the things in the book were hard for me to visualize. I liked the book though and had no trouble finishing it. then I preordered the movie. This movie is a GOOD thing. I dont understand why people are trying to make it bad. If more Christians operated on the basis of love, forgiveness and trusting God to be the judge there would be... wait for it more Christians. Call me crazy but Im pretty sure God would approve. Ive started reading this piece called The Shack -- the Missing art of evangelical discernment thanks to a commenter. I have a lot to read still but one thing I have noticed is that the writer doesnt seem to get the concept of the trinity saying that the Father and the Holy Spirit werent suffering with JKesus on the Cross. That is like saying Jesus wasnt there at creation when the bible clearly states he was John 1:1, 14. The trinity is very hard to wrap our heads around but the movie did a good job representing it when Mack asked: Whch one of you is... The answer says it all. Watch it if you love God, watch it if you dont believe in God but arent so opposed to God you cant stand any references to it. Watch it if you have a semi-open mind. The message in this movie is something the world needs so much more of and though I am a professing active Christian Im not referring to the believing in Christ part. I thought this was a beautiful movie wonderfully acted and it almost brought my stoic husband to tears. I am so sad to see so many Christans not supporting something that could be so helpful to the faith if they just practiced the Biblical principals of love and forgiveness this movie does so well at conveying.

I was given the book by a friend who meant to comfort me after my sons tragic death. It was a remarkable book, but unfortunately not in the way she meant. I spent some 35 years in evangelical Christian churches, mostly full of very nice people. Not thoughtful people, but nice. Since I didnt grow up in a church, I kept noticing a difference between what my fellow churchgoers said about Gods and his trinity-partners Jesus and the Holy Spirits natures and what the Bible actually said about them. This book, and movie, finally brought it out in the open. It was an ah-ha moment that pushed me away from the church entirely. These characteristics are what American Christians would *like* their deity to be like. Its an ideal depiction of justness combined with mercy in the exact proportions that only an all-knowing and all-loving God could provide. But unfortunately, if one reads the Bible without the influence of the typical interpretations and slants given to the narratives, that is not the God of the Bible. *That* God is not merciful, but vengeful. Not just, but capricious. Not loving, but hating all but a small group of the worlds people. Not logical, but amazingly bloodthirsty. God isnt even omniscient enough to recognize individuals when he wrestles with them. The God of the average white evangelical church in America is not recognizable as the one in the Bible, which is why most of the time Christians ignore the Old Testament and its violence and incomprehensible cruelty. For the amount of time I spent reading the Bible, going to Bible Study, tithing (and more) to the church, Im sorry that I didnt read and see this sooner, as it may have given me the insight to know that wishing a God into existence is not the same as having a God who actually has these good characteristics.

I was suggested to read this book. I started to read the first four chapters and I had to put it down. I couldnt go any further. The anguish was too great for me. After a couple of days I picked it up again and paragraph by paragraph stepped through the anguish the father was experiencing. On his journey he makes a decision that puts him in touch with people who really changes his life and feeling of so much anger, hatred and getting even with the cause of the recent past. The book puts word pictures in your mind which makes the book much more understanding than the movie. The descriptions of the surroundings actions of what is going on with the people he met, makes him confused at first. All of this is going to come together later on. One is the doing the cooking at the Shack, one is working in a shed, working on a wood project and the other is working in the garden. The garden is a mess but she asks him (the father) to help her with a project she is working on. They finish their work and the soil is ready for a new planting. What are you going to plant here? The father asks. Youll see. One of those books you just cant put down. Even those first few chapters were difficult for me, I am a father too. The love for your children makes you want to do only the best for them. Even when one of your children goes missing, youre not going to stop until you find the answer. A very intriguing and exciting story of people who are struggling with their faith. Ive offered this book to many other people I know, but they said they already read it.

Its very interesting what we might experence thru life, what might come into our life uninspected