The controversy over the movie UnPlanned was to be expected. Abortion is a controversial subject. But it should not be. No one who still maintains any moral sense at all should be in favor of a “procedure” that dismembers and destroys innocent life.
Yet in a society where Planned Parenthood makes billions promoting this “procedure,” one can expect a strong reaction to the truth this movie portrays. Livelihoods and political power depend on defending the indefensible.
Television networks refused to run ads for the movie. Twitter shut it down, then claimed (as it always does) that it was a mistake. When people chose to follow the movie’s Twitter account, their follow mysteriously disappeared, testimony to the strident anti-Christian/pro-abortion stance of that business.
Yet that attempt to silence the truth largely failed: the first weekend saw UnPlanned rise to #4 in the number of moviegoers. Surprising, said the experts.
I went to the film this weekend. Whenever I prepare to go to a Christian-themed film, I wonder if I’ll be disappointed. Unlike many who criticize all attempts to lay out the Christian message via movies, I can say I’ve seen some that were very good, in my estimation. I’ve also seen the other type. So I never know what to expect.
UnPlanned, from the very first scene, had my attention and held it the entire time. But it wasn’t just my attention it got; it also got my mind and emotions. I’m not ashamed to acknowledge that there were points where the tears came. That’s fine. They should.
The scene depicted above is of Planned Parenthood clinic director Abby Johnson seeing an abortion on an ultrasound for the first time. The scene is graphic; the theater audience was totally silent, gripped by the horror of an unborn child being ripped out of its mother’s womb.
Christian films shouldn’t be so graphic? Christian truth must often be graphic. Christ’s death on the Cross wasn’t a pretty sight. It was bloody and cruel. So is abortion.
The filmmakers have performed a valuable service for Christian truth. Ashley Bratcher, who portrayed Abby Johnson, was able to showcase the full gamut of beliefs and emotions throughout Abby’s life, culminating in her rejection of the horror in which she participated for so many years. If Ashley Bratcher is now blacklisted by Hollywood, it won’t be because she is a bad actress; it will be because she was so effective in communicating both the horror of sin and the beauty of God’s forgiveness once that sin is recognized and repented of.
The media moguls will always do their best to hide the truth of abortion and the abortion giant, Planned Parenthood. Their moral depravity and their greed (another aspect of moral depravity, of course) will always be their guides.
It’s up to those of us who reject that moral depravity and greed to stand up and be counted. If you haven’t yet seen UnPlanned, I urge you to do so as soon as possible. If the moguls have their way, it won’t be around much longer.