I spoke to two friends of mine and each of them encouraged me to see the movie, Cadiallac Records. Both of them spoke highly of the actors, the acting, and the story. I treated myself last night to a movie after vending at the mall. It was a hard choice. Me, being the movie buff I am had a difficult time choosing which movie to see - Beyonce's Cadillac Records, Will Smith's Seven Pounds, or Will Smith's son's The Day the Earth Stood Still. In the end, I chose Cadillac Records. I figured it had been out the longest and this might be my last opportunity to see it on the big screen.
I must admit the actors, the acting, and writing were exquisette. Cadillac Records was just as good as my friends said it would be minus some of the nudity. Yet, I wasn't prepared for the sadness I felt after watching the stirring performances by Columbus Short, Gabrielle Union, Beyonce Knowles, and Jeffrey Wright. As I left the movie, I was overcome with a heaviness that hit me like a ton of bricks. I literally had to fight back tears on my ride home and was a little perplexed as to why the movie put me into such a serious funk of depression. Then, my Christian mind kicked in and I realized that all of the characters in the movie struggled with their own personal demons - drugs, sex, infidelity, anger, alcohol, hate, and rejection - wandering lost without any hope or any understanding of the love of Christ. I was reminded of how at times in my life I, too, was reckless and living without hope. I realized that I, too, had once felt the similar hurt, longing, and rejection. The only difference is that I have now surrended my life to Christ who continues to wash away all of the pain, the hurt, and the longing. I can only hope that the actors who played the parts and the real individuals whose lives are portrayed in Cadillac Records who are still living find peace of mind and solace in God. I pray that Ms. Etta James walks into her healing in Christ and that she is healthy, wealthy, and healed. I also pray that viewers gleam the other messages of self-determination and economic independence in the movie that the character Howlin Wolf represents.
In the end, I think Cadillac Records is an adult movie - worth seeing. It could serve as a dynamic ministry tool for those of us who see what the darkness in the movie truly represents and who have the calling to share God's light.
