God's Not Dead (2014) was an unexpected blockbuster, striking a chord with Christian evangelicals who decry Starbucks cups and halal-certified turkeys as landmarks in our "culture wars." It's remarkably mean-spirited, couching its ostensibly uplifting message within a sour denunciation of secular humanists supposedly ruining our society. Harold Cronk's film draws from a shopworn Internet chain letter about a Christian student confronting an obnoxious college professor. Philosophy Professor Raddison (Kevin Sorbo) forces his students to agree that "God is dead," which Josh Wheaton (Shane Harper) refuses. Raddison forces Josh to defend God in several lectures and win over his classmates. Josh loses his girlfriend (Cassidy Gifford) and worries about his academic future, but his pastor (David A.R. White) convinces Josh to fight the good fight.
God's Not Dead shamelessly panders to evangelicals' persecution complex. Professor Raddison comes direct from William F. Buckley and David Horowitz's fever dreams about liberal academia. Besides humiliating Josh in class, he threatens to ruin his life for daring question him. Not hateful enough, Raddison also insults his Christian girlfriend (Cory Oliver) and badgers her to abandon Christianity. He's so smug and hateful, he probably supports Obama too.
In reality, forcing students to renounce their faith is grounds for a discrimination suit. The most left-wing university on Earth would fire Raddison rather than risk a massive lawsuit. Instead of appealing to the Dean, lawyering up or dropping the class, Josh takes Raddison's challenge. His argument that "The Universe exists, ergo God is real" convinces his classmates, if not the audience. Or maybe it's Raddison's admission that he lost faith after a personal tragedy, since no atheist harbors intellectual reservations about religion.
Myriad subplots cement the mean-spiritedness. One storyline follows Amy (Trisha LaFache), a liberal blogger who harasses Duck Dynasty's Willie Robertson and sports an "I Heart Evolution!" bumper sticker. After learning Amy has cancer, her boyfriend (Dean Cain) dumps her, driving Amy into the Lord's arms. Said boyfriend is a greedy businessman who neglects his senile mother. Mom gains lucidity enough to say he owes his success to Satan. So much for the Prosperity Gospel.
Meanwhile, Muslim student (Hadeel Sittu) secretly converts to Christianity, being disowned by her father (Marco Kahn). This storyline almost works because it's plausible, though one doubts the filmmakers would sympathize with a gay child disowned by Christian parents. There's also a Chinese student (Paul Kwa) who's unfamiliar with Christianity, and comic relief with two pastors (White and Benjamin Onyango) experiencing car trouble.
After Josh slays Raddison with impenetrable logic ("How can you hate God if he doesn't exist?"), Raddison slithers home before rushing to reconcile with his girlfriend. Naturally, he's hit by a car. The pastors arrive, thankful that Raddison didn't die instantly so he can convert to Christianity. Raddison obliges, and the pastors rejoice in his death. Having slain the unbelievers, God's Not Dead grave dances with a triumphant Newsboys concert.
Most Christian movies are earnest and well-meaning, but hampered by limited budget and niche appeal. God's Not Dead breaks that mold, opting for positive polarization over understanding. Naturally there's a sequel forthcoming, promising more socialist strawmen and Duck Dynasty cameos.
