Movie Review: Joshua (2002)

The small community of Auburn is home to a lot of heartache. Though everyone knows each other, they have no sense of community. Maggie is aching to leave Auburn behind so she can forget about the car accident that took her husband's life and shattered her world. Joan and Steve's marriage is on the rocks so they are leading separate lives. A young guitarist named Kevin is at odds with his dad. Father Pat, a funny, awkward priest at the Catholic church is dismayed that he never seems to garner the approval of his superior Father Tardone.

But the appearance of a mysterious stranger changes all that. Suddenly, people are talking about Joshua, who seems to know how to get everyone to work together for the greater good--which seems to be troublesome to the serious Father Tardone.

This 2002 movie is based upon Joseph Girzone's novel, Joshua: A Parable for Today. The idea behind the story is that Jesus has returned to earth to help his people find their way and teach them how to love again. I read the book many years ago, along with Girzone's other Joshua books. My husband purchased Joshua, the movie, for me a few years ago as a Christmas gift.

While the premise is basically the same, as is typical with book to movie projects, Joshua barely resembles the written story. The story was modernized a bit, so the residents of Auburn now have cell phones, but overall filmmakers captured simple, small town American well. I was less than thrilled, however, with certain aspects of the movie: the romantic feelings Joshua's appearance awaken in Maggie (though handled in a family friendly way); having Joshua make a statue of Peter for the Catholic church instead of a statue of Moses for the synagogue (book); and the divisive relationship between Father Pat and Father Tardone.

Part of the appeal of the book, is that Jesus comes back and reaches out to all people, just like he did during his first time on earth. By having the movie focus on the Catholic church and Joshua helping rebuild a Baptist church that was destroyed by a storm, they remove the powerful element of Joshua reaching out to the Jews, which was a big part of the book. They make a point to mention there is a Jewish person in Auburn, but it's a humorous moment where this man enters the Catholic confessional to tell Father Tardone about one of Joshua's miracles.

Maggie's interest in Joshua, while depicted purely, adds nothing to the film. Perhaps they were going for a modern-day Mary Magdalene--as some people believe she saw the Lord as something more than a teacher--by portraying the character this way, but I felt it fell flat. Besides, Maggie wears her tops a bit too tight. In most shots, her "headlights" are on. Somehow, I think that's a no-no for a family film.

While the book did have the religious leaders of Auburn confronting Joshua about his motives, the man steering the destroy Joshua committee is Father Tardone. He preaches more about fear of God, than about God's love. At one point, Father Tardone invites Joshua to Mass, where he proceeds to give a sermon on how you cannot hide your sins from God. They exchange words after the service, and it's obvious they have a different version of who God is and the message he gives to us through his Word.

It is the moving scenes when Joshua interacts with certain people that save this movie. Joshua and the blind woman at the revival meeting; Joshua and Theo after his accident; Joshua and Father Tardone in Rome (where Joshua has been called to be interviewed by the cardinal about his actions); and the tear-jerking scene between Joshua and the Pope.

Despite its departure from the book, Joshua is filled with many talented actors who perform well with the material they were handed. I also feel, the message of God's love shines through.

Actors: Tony Goldwyn, F. Murray Abraham, Kurt Fuller, Stacy Edwards, Giancarlo Giannini
Format: Closed-captioned, Color, DVD, Full Screen, NTSC
Language: English (Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo), English (Dolby Digital 5.1)
Region: Region 1 (U.S. and Canada only. Read more about DVD formats.)
Aspect Ratio: 1.33:1
Number of discs: 1
Rated: G (General Audience)
Studio: Lions Gate
DVD Release Date: October 22, 2002
Run Time: 91 minutes
Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars See all reviews (206 customer reviews)
ASIN: B00006IUFW