The Ottery
“If an otter can’t have fun doing something, it just simply won’t do it.”

Hop on the Wilberforce Wagon

February 7th, 2007

So, how many of you have heard of the movie Amazing Grace (to be released Feb. 23), a new film about William Wilberforce’s campaign to abolish slavery in Britain?

I encountered news of it only by chance a few months ago, when I was conducting an IMDB search for the future projects of either Ciaran Hinds or Rufus Sewell (can’t be sure which, because I check both of their lists pretty frequently, and they’re both in Amazing Grace, much to my joy).

But not a word of it from the movie blogs I read. Not a word from Entertainment Weekly, who left it off their fairly extensive list of this spring’s movies. In fact, the only online mention I’ve seen has been from Christian social justice sources, such as Sojourners.

Social justice people are excited about the movie not only because of its subject matter, but also because there’s a campaign associated with it, a campaign to end modern-day slavery. If you look at the groups that have signed on as partners with the movie and the campaign, it’s pretty impressive in its mix of “conservative” and “liberal,” “red” and “blue” groups. I have to say, I’m encouraged to see so much cooperation across the alleged American cultural divide.

Check out the movie trailer and the Amazing Change web site. Also, if you attend a church, you might want to look into encouraging your congregation to participate in “Amazing Grace Sunday” on February 18.

Given all the noble causes connected to it, I really hope the movie is actually good. It has excellent actors in its favor, so at least there’s that. From the trailers, it looks like Ciaran Hinds is once more playing the bad guy–but Rufus Sewell gets to break out of his usual Hollywood-villain box to play an abolitionist. An abolitionist with a silly wig. Ioan Gruffudd stars as Wilberforce himself, and he sports some nifty hairpieces, too.

Entry Filed under: Movies, Uncategorized