The Movie I Never Want to Watch Again but Encourage Everyone to Go See
This past week my wife and I went to watch the new movie Unplanned. We were invited by Agape Pregnancy Center who rented out the movie theater to show it to supporters of their ministry. Unplanned is a true story about a woman named Abbey Johnson who started out as a volunteer for Planned Parenthood and worked her way up to the Director of a Center. After watching Unplanned I can say that it is a movie I never want to watch again but I believe every person in America needs to watch.
Unplanned brings to light the horror of abortion. The movie shows the realities of the gruesome details of what happens during an abortion. These scenes caused me to be sick to my stomach as I watched the destruction of life. Even though I am sure the abortion was simulated using movie magic just knowing that these procedures happen daily across the country made me disgusted, sad, angry, and heartbroken all at once.
As if the gruesome images and details were not enough the movie also brings to light the deception that people have fallen into regarding abortion. Abbey Johnson believed that what she was doing was good. She thought she was helping women and even convinced herself that the work she was doing was for the benefit of reducing the number of abortions. She believed she was doing God’s work. Worse yet the movie depicted the hopelessness of the women coming to have abortions, believing they had no other choice and when arriving at the Planned Parenthood being deceived into believing that the child they were carrying was not a baby but a lump of cells that was unable to feel pain.
These painful truths make me not want to watch the movie again because I’m not sure I can stomach the truths of what happens at Planned Parenthood. Yet, I believe this movie is a movie that everyone should watch. The American people need to know about what is happening within the walls of Planned Parenthood Clinics. Abortion is more than just a matter of a woman’s choice, it is the sacrificing of
Unplanned is rated R. I have seen some criticize the R rating, but I believe it to be justified. Several of the movie scenes are gruesome filled with blood and body parts. This is not the type of movie you want to show a child. Personally, I would take a teenager to the movie though. They are at an age where they need to know the realities of what is happening in the process of abortion and what Planned Parenthood truly stands for before they head out into the world on their own. Abbey Johnson was pro-life prior to heading to college because her family was pro-life and ended up falling for the deception of Planned Parenthood’s marketing.
The movie does a good job of not making the women who were having abortions people to be vilified. This is important because that is not the message of the gospel we want to send to these women. As Christians we want them to know that while they are sinners (just like all of us) Christ died for them. There is hope for these women because there is forgiveness in Christ (Matthew 11:28; Psalm 51:17; Psalm 147:3).
“But God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Since, therefore, we have now been justified by his blood, much more shall we be saved by him from the wrath of God. For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, now that we are reconciled, shall we be saved by his life. More than that, we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation.” – Romans 5:8-11
Make it a point to see Unplanned. In fact, when done reading here schedule it. Watch the movie and let the realities of what is happening across America sink in and then go and encourage everyone you know to see the movie. Abortion is the law of the land, but laws typically reflect the values of the people. To change the laws, we need to see people’s values change. The only way values are going to change is through prayer and through God’s people speaking the truth in love. Unplanned does a good job of speaking the truth in love and is a tool we can use to spread the truth.
