It’s rare anymore that I stumble onto a movie that not only captivates my imagination, but one that I can literally watch over and over again and still find myself wrapped up in the characters like I do with the movie, The Adjustment Bureau.

When taking a break from my Unschooled Master of Theology Program I often find myself watching reruns of movies. That’s what I found myself doing about midweek while at Eden, and it was this movie that again caught my attention.

Not to mention, I discovered I have never actually written a review for this movie yet. Nows as good a time as any.

So, lets jump in and find out what’s so special about The Adjustment Bureau.

Here we go…

The Breakdown

As I stated, there are few movies that are so authentic, so original, so universal, that they just somehow speak to the inner soul, to the core of what makes us human, what makes us breathe in an out each day despite the ton of crap that is hoisted on our shoulders. The Adjustment Bureau is one of those few movies.

It’s about two people, David Norris and Elise Sellas. They meet spontaneously in a mens bathroom after David loses an election bid for Senate and Elise is being chased by security for crashing a wedding. They kiss and their worlds seem to collide into each other. She dumps her long time boyfriend. He can’t think straight.

They are driven apart by chance and he goes on with his life until bumping into her again a month later on the bus. This time, their meeting is serendipitous and they make plans to see each other again.

Upon arriving at work, David discovers strange men working on his coworker, boss, and friend. Everyone is frozen in place and they quickly take him into custody and deliver him to an empty warehouse where he discovers that there is no free will, that what humans do, the decisions they make, are actually corrected by the mystery men who seem to have magic powers.

This is the beginning of a crazy two hours as David tries to find Elise, tries to make a life with her, without her, and discovers they were meant to be together, but the powers that be do not see it that way.

Just writing about it makes me want to pop a bag of popcorn and kick back in my recliner and watch it all over again!

These are Angels

There is a hint made that these strange men are angels and, though they don’t necessarily admit it, I am convinced that’s exactly what they are. Of course, not the idea of angels that we somehow tricked ourselves into believing in. Mysterious, ethereal beings that have wings (though some apparently do), halos and are a little on the chubby side.

No, these are a distinct race of beings that have somehow in the past (or were created as such) became Sons of God. The bible calls them the Host of Heaven. They are as numerous as an army. They’ve been intricately involved in the most crucial and important events in human history, God confers with them about important matters of the state (1 Kings 22:19ff) and they are endowed with superhuman capabilities (able to move through matter, materialize, dematerialize) and are incomprehensibly skilled in the art of war.

In The Adjustment Bureau, there is a whole host, an army of supernaturally imbued beings. They claim to be other than human, but give no explanations of their origins (just like in the bible). They are researchers (just like in the bible – 1 Peter 1:12) by nature, curious, inquisitive, insightful. Seeking also understanding, knowledge, wisdom. Presumably trying to piece together that which is the profoundest of mysteries.

I think humanity has trivialized the spiritual realm. We have mythologized demons, rendered angels as cartoon characters for marketing and decorations, and like we’ve done to God, have stripped them of any power or prominence in the order or hierarchy of reality.

Judgment is coming. It is real. It is as real as our mundane, day to day lives. It will be bloody and severe and brutal and it will be the first moment in the history of Creation (whatever this does entail) that humans have been on the receiving end of God’s eternal and unrelenting wrath.

Angels will carry out his orders on command (Matthew 24:31) for they are the reapers of us all (Matthew 13:38ff).

In the movie, they are limited. They don’t actually have supernatural powers, but are simply more technologically advanced than humans are (which I think is true). They operate in what they call the “substrate” which is a series of doors that when opened with a particular hat on, it lets them travel through time and space, circumventing or warping the laws of physics, much in the same way Jesus could once resurrected (John 20:26).

There is so much left unsaid about these supernatural, super intelligent beings, it is no wonder we’ve discounted them, along with most every other reality claim made from the bible. And that’s okay.

I think when the time comes and the Christ does return, and the reapers are sent out to collect us all for Judgment Day, it will be a rude awakening for most of the planet.

Consider Daniel’s reaction to a visit from one of these creatures. “a hand touched me, which made me tremble on my knees and on the palms of my hands….While he was speaking this word to me, I stood trembling” (Daniel 10:9-11). I’m not certain why the appearance of an angel caused such terror in this Godly man. But, if it did, what would it do for me? How would you react if you found yourself face to face with an extraterrestrial being that was capable of so much more than you could possibly imagine?

I think you might just lose your lunch, too.

The Writing of the Plan

The movie has an interesting take on what they call the Plan. This is the predestination, the story that should unfold. Of course, in the movie, we are told the Plan is written by the Chairman (because, of course, it couldn’t be God) and humans had a few chances at free will but always ended up destroying everything.

The bible does not claim this at all. In fact, it argues that everything that has ever happened has happened by God’s will and approval. God answers for everything in the course of human events. This in no way removes our free will, though that can be difficult for many to understand. The reality is, we have both. We have free will with complete autonomy to make all of our own choices, while, simultaneously, God knows what all those choices will be. He knew, in the depths of his mind, all the choices each of us would make throughout our entire lives. We have been placed here to walk in those choices.

In the movie, these non-humans, as an organization, are tasked to keep people on track, to keep them evolving into higher states of existence. In one sense, this is true of the real movie we are all playing in. We too are evolving. Those who have been chosen by God, we are becoming Sons of God, just like the angels. And, because of statements like these, I am convinced the Angels, too, once had a redemption story of their own. Maybe a story that is distinct and separate from our own. Maybe they did not require grace to become what they are now. Interestingly enough, we see no female angels. Why is that? Could they once, before they were Sons of God, had wives and somehow all the females of their race were wiped out? When people are transformed into Sons of God, do the females give up their gender and their biological sex to become male? Are the angel’s we see in the bible actually male biologically?

It is such a bizarre and fascinating mystery.

The Mystery of the Chairman

The Chairman himself is not seen in the movie, though, at the end there are nods once again to the new age cultic world view of our generation that claim God is everywhere, in everyone, and in everything. You’ve seen him. I’ve seen him. Male. Female. You know the drill.

But, the reality is, the bible says no one has ever seen God before (1 John 4:12). But, it is Christ Jesus who has declared him (John 1:18). If you see Jesus, then you have seen the Father.

And, in the end, the plan God is unfolding is not known. It remains a mystery. Isn’t it strange that there is little to nothing mentioned in any text about why or how the angels were created? What is it, exactly, will we be doing after everything is said and done, the creation is purged of evildoers, those saved by grace will be transformed into Sons of God, will take their place alongside the Host of Heaven? Then what? Will we go on with God to another part of the universe, to another planet that has another race of living beings on it who have their own story and we, as now the heavenly host, will participate in the next plan of redemption?

Or, are we really the only creation of God and the universe and all the countless galaxies within it, and all the countless planets within them, are utterly and truly and completely empty and void of life?

Great Movie for the Whole Family

I would highly recommend this movie for everyone. It is one of those movies I watch at least once a year if not more. Whenever I’m feeling down in the dumps, or disillusioned about life, I watch this movie and think of the bigger questions before us. I hope I’m right and I’ll get a posting in a library in heaven where I have countless eons of timeless time to explore and read and discover all that God has done and will do in this existence of ours. Maybe even discover what might be waiting outside of our existence, too!

Until my next review….

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“Okay, mom.”

“Sorry for him,” the woman said to Katie as she walked by.

“He’s funny.”

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