New Age Movie Review: A Christmas Carol and Spiritual Transformation
When I saw a trailer for Disney’s new Christmas Carol movie, I had thought, wow, that looks cool. So, when the movie came out, I went to see it for the visual delight of the 3-D effects, and because I’m a fan of Jim Carrey. Not because I was interested in yet another retelling of Dickens’ venerable tale.
Not surprisingly, once the novelty of the visual spectacle wore off, I found myself a bit bored in my seat, and I spent a good twenty minutes wondering why Disney went to the trouble of presenting to us a story we already know. And then as poor Scrooge stood there terrified before his future grave, it hit me. This is a story of spiritual transformation. And that is why it never gets old.
By the time Scrooge was dancing with joy at having a second chance, I was swept up and fighting tears. All these years I’d remembered A Christmas Carol as a story about learning to be nice at Christmas. But it’s really a classic transformation story in which Scrooge comes face to face with reality by seeing the entire sweep of past, present and future all at once. And through this glimpse of what is real and important, he is able to step free of his ego – his fear, his smallness of mind – and align with his soul.
In those giddy last few minutes of the story, Scrooge is no longer trapped in his pain and loneliness, but is able to face the world as an open-hearted person for the first time in his life. I felt joy rise in my own heart to watch his rebirth, and inspired to keep on the path of my own efforts to be free of ego and align with soul. And I promised myself to make it a point to watch or read some version of this timeless tale every year come Christmas.
I don’t suppose many people would think to call “Christmas Carol” a New Age movie. But with ghosts marching around, and time compressed into one eternal now, all culminating in a profound spiritual transformation… well, how much more New Age can you get?
Tags: A Christmas Carol, new age movement, Spiritual Transformation
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