Thread: Seven Pounds... P.S. Don't read if you don't want to know the ending.

Someone asked me what I thought of Seven Pounds that starred Will Smith. The movie is a good movie as far as a plot and keeping your attention. It is rather mysterious and intrigues one to follow and try to figure out what is happening and where the movie is headed as far as a plot goes. The movie has a gentleman who has life by the horns so to speak. All of it is turned upside down by an accident and his carelessness leads to the death of people including his wife. In return he picks people to donate body organs to save peoples lives after his suicide. This is what I told the person who asked me what I thought of the movie.

I like the movie. I am persuaded that the main character's view of redemption is very worldly and wrongly motivated. There is no eternal value in suicide. In fact the motivation for the suicide was looking through the eyes of self pity, restitution, and self redemption. The main characters view is very short term in scope of eternity. It doesn't deal with the fact that we are all alienated from God and will end up in a far worse shape being unreconciled to God. Eternity without God is by far worse and the main character is only focused on this life.

The main characters outlook on life is wrong. He could have done far better if he would have repented from doing what was correct in his own eyes as the scriptures say.

There is a way that seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death.
(Pro 16:25)


He would have done better to repent from... doing things his own way and turning eveyone else away from God also.

All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the LORD hath laid on him the iniquity of us all.
(Isa 53:6)

It would have been more beneficial if he had seen the last part of Isaiah 53:6. The LORD hat laid on him (Jesus) the iniquity of us all.

It would have been better for him and everyone around him if he had done what King David did after having Uriah the Hittite's wife murdered.

Restore unto me the joy of thy salvation; and uphold me with thy free spirit.
(Psa 51:12)

Then will I teach transgressors thy ways; and sinners shall be converted unto thee.
(Psa 51:13)

Deliver me from bloodguiltiness, O God, thou God of my salvation: and my tongue shall sing aloud of thy righteousness.
(Psa 51:14)

O Lord, open thou my lips; and my mouth shall shew forth thy praise.
(Psa 51:15)

For thou desirest not sacrifice; else would I give it: thou delightest not in burnt offering.
(Psa 51:16)

The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit: a broken and a contrite heart, O God, thou wilt not despise.
(Psa 51:17)

So the movie will actually lead others to think something is good when it in fact is evil in the sight of Jehovah our Triune God. Go figure. The world is teaching worldliness.


Be Encouraged,
Randy

I agree with your assessment of the movie, I felt the same way when I watched it.

I agree Randy. The movie takes a pragmatist view.

1. "Good" people need organs
2. He's got healthy organs
3. He doesn't want to live anyway
4. Suicide is a practical way to get organs to "good" people

Frankly, from a naturalistic perspective, why is premise 3 necessary. Why can't we simply say:

3. He doesn't want to die, but...
4. Killing one person is a way to provide lots of organs to "good" people...

The movie had a good plot, one man giving to "good" people the organs they lacked. However, comments made by Will Smith's character where he said that these people were so much better than he was really disturbed me. It seemed to me like he was trying to overcome his guilt with good works. Suicide was not the way to help others! The idea of one man sacrificing himself for the good of many is honorable--e.g. Christ dying on the cross for our sins. However, Smith's suicide in the movie was not at all honorable. He didn't trust the Lord to care for his friends and help them. I know it was never meant to be a movie that glorified God, but when there is a theme of redemption in a movie's plot it is disappointing to me when the redemption comes through man and not through God. I must say, though, that I wasn't really that surprised. I thought the movie was good, but kind of depressing.