A Girl's Movie Review - The Twilight Saga: New Moon

Starring Kristen Stewart, Robert Pattinson and Taylor Lautner
Rated PG-13 for some violence and action

Finally, it’s here. After months of anticipation and a media blitz ad nauseum, The Twilight Saga: New Moon has finally hit theaters. Thousands of women will flock to cinemas across the globe this weekend to gather an early Christmas present for themselves. Thousands have already been intoxicated by the film with midnight showings earlier today. I am one of those. With little sleep and much needed coffee, I offer my review on The Twilight Saga: New Moon.

New Moon follows the ongoing story of Bella Swan and Edward Cullen. After Bella's birthday party turns into a near death experience for her, Edward and his family decide to leave Bella and the community of Forks, WA. Bella is left behind to face a crushing hole in her heart and start over - yet again. Cue the new boy in the picture - Jacob Black. In the Twilight movie, we only saw a glimpse of Jacob, but his story is critical to the entire Twilight saga. Jacob helps Bella recover from her devastating loss, and a new relationship buds between them. New Moon takes the Twilight audience into a darker portion of this teenage love story. It is filled with hopelessness. Bella thinks she will never recover from Edward leaving her. Bella cannot figure out how to reconcile what she thought was real with this new supernatural world she now knows. And Bella knows that she is using her best friend Jacob to occupy her time until her own death.

The Twilight Saga: New Moon takes its liberties with the original storyline in the book. Unlike its predecessor, the changes made for this movie make sense for the portrayal of the story on screen. The dialogue is edgier and sounds more like real-life teenagers. The sexual tension between Bella and Jacob is increased significantly. (I can’t tell you how many times I thought they would kiss.) Some favored scenes from the book are left out, but it seems forgivable in the film. And The Twilight Saga: New Moon blows its predecessor away when it comes to special effects and action. The after-school special feel is gone and replaced with a solid film.

While New Moon is a story about hopelessness, The Twilight Saga: New Moon gives a light and almost logical appeal to the darkness of depression. The movie reminded me that everyone interprets stories differently. While I thought Bella was suicidal through most of the book, many of my friends thought she was just acting a like a teenager. That is how Bella is portrayed in The Twilight Saga: New Moon. In the movie, her overwhelming depression is covered at lightning speed. In the book, Bella has a miserable existence. She feels hopeless and powerless to change.

Like Bella, we all feel powerless at times. No matter how hard we try to control our circumstances, we fail. We don’t have any control over people. This realization can send us into a search for meaning in life. Like Bella, we can walk around like zombies, not knowing how to function. As a Christian, I know that every human has hope in this dark and sometimes weary world. The Bible has a lot to say about feeling powerless. In Ephesians 2:1-10, the writer describes the hopelessness of human life and how God jumps into the water to save us.

It wasn't so long ago that you were mired in that old stagnant life of sin. You let the world, which doesn't know the first thing about living, tell you how to live. You filled your lungs with polluted unbelief, and then exhaled disobedience. We all did it, all of us doing what we felt like doing, when we felt like doing it, all of us in the same boat. It's a wonder God didn't lose His temper and do away with the whole lot of us. Instead, immense in mercy and with an incredible love, He embraced us. He took our sin-dead lives and made us alive in Christ. He did all this on His own, with no help from us! Then He picked us up and set us down in highest heaven in company with Jesus, our Messiah.

Now God has us where He wants us, with all the time in this world and the next to shower grace and kindness upon us in Christ Jesus. Saving is all His idea, and all His work. All we do is trust Him enough to let him do it. It's God's gift from start to finish! Ephesians 2:1-7, The Message

God has given us a gift of everlasting hope. We can have joy and real life in Christ. You know, the Twilight books have caught a large amount of slack for Bella’s unhealthy dependence on Edward. I will agree with the “unhealthy” assessment of that relationship, but I think that Bella is a good representation of humanity. We all seek to put our happiness and hope into Someone bigger than us, and we feel defeated when that person fails us. Hope can only exist in God. Outside of Him, we are left to our own devices and limited abilities.

My own hopes for The Twilight Saga: New Moon were tempered after my ongoing disappointment with the first movie. But I think that most Twilighters will be pleased with the second installment. Plus, the guys will like it as well. The one major downer in the movie is Taylor Lautner’s acting as Jacob. Once Edward leaves Bella, the movie slows down and almost leaves its exciting pace. The introduction of the wolf pack keeps the story moving, but Lautner’s poor acting was distracting to me. All becomes well in the Twilight universe when Edward returns at the end of the movie, and we are left with a cliffhanger to be solved in the third installment, The Twilight Saga: Eclipse (coming June 2010). While the New Moon book and movie may differ at points, they both leave us with a solid message – hope changes us.

Rating: Thumbs Up

Twilight Bible Study: Small Group Discussion Questions

These are some questions that our small group used as we walked through our own Bible study based on the Twilight book. I taught this class twice over the summer. One class was focused more on the youth group audience. The second group was open to anyone of any age. We had women of all ages and walks of life, and we had a few mother-daughter combos in the class. It was an engaging way of using the Bible to view the culture and stories around us.

We reviewed about six chapters of the Twilight book and then connected those chapters to some biblical themes. These questions are broken up into four parts based on the twenty-four chapters in Twilight. In order to save space, I have included only the page numbers of passages we read.

Part 1 - Bella

How would you describe Bella? Read the preface of Twilight. What does this entry tell us about Bella? Read page 10 of Twilight. How does Bella describe herself? Is it an accurate description?

Read pages 4-5 of Twilight. Describe Bella's parents and her relationship with them.

Read pages 23-24 of Twilight. Describe Edward's first reaction to Bella in biology class. What does Bella think? What would you think? How does their relationship change after the parking lot crash?

Bella becomes overwhelmed with information after her trip to La Push and her internet search on vampires. She takes a walk in the forest to clear her thoughts. Read pages 137-139 of Twilight. How could she feel so strongly at this point about someone she barely knew? Did she have a choice in her feelings for Edward? Can we control who we love? Can we control who we are attracted to? How does fate play into our lives?

Read Ephesians 1:3-14. What are God's actions in these verses? (Look at the verbs.) Because of these actions, what does God offer us? How do we take God up on His offer?

While Bella is overwhelmed with her feelings, she still makes a choice to love Edward and enter into a relationship with Him. Our loving Father lets us have a choice. In Genesis 3 and in the beginning of the Twilight book, we find that humanity was destined for immortality but was separated from God by sin. He has given us a plan for reconciliation. He has pursued us in various ways, but we still have a choice in how we respond to Him.

Part 2 - Edward

How would you describe Edward? As Bella searches for answers and Edward eventually gives them, what do we learn about the vampires in the Twilight series by Stephenie Meyer?

Read pages 173-174 of Twilight. Edward follows Bella on her girls' trip to Port Angeles. Is that appropriate? How would that make you feel to know someone was following you without your permission?

Read pages 187-188 of Twilight. Edward sees himself as a monster. Why is that? How can we sometimes feel like monsters ourselves? How does God see us?

Read pages 244-245 of Twilight. Edward heavily pursues Bella after the Port Angeles trip. Do you think this was appropriate on his part? Do you think he is using his powers to "dazzle" Bella in the wrong way? Do you think his warnings to Bella are fair? Why or why not?

Read page 251 of Twilight. Bella puts her faith in Edward when she hardly knows him. At what point in a relationship can we put faith in someone?

In the Port Angeles scene in Twilight, Edward lets his anger spiral to almost out of control. Anger is a real issue for him throughout the Twilight series. Read Ephesians 4:25-32. Is anger a sinful emotion? What does anger tell us? When does anger cross the line? How do we stop anger from becoming a problem in our lives?

Part 3 - The Relationship

As we move into the middle of the book, how would you describe Bella and Edward's relationship at this point?

Read page 248 of Twilight. The day in the meadow is a pivotal moment for their relationship. While the feelings are strong, both still make a choice to continue see each other. How does reveal his true identity in the meadow? Do you think he was showing off? How does Bella respond?

Read page 306-307 of Twilight. What is the reasoning behind the Cullen family's decision to keep a "vegetarian" diet? How does this same reasoning play out in our lives?

As Bella and Edward progress through that weekend together, they come into a new understanding of each other by revealing their real hearts (no masks allowed). In fact, Edward is almost giddy over the newfound freedom of being fully known. The same is true for our relationship with God. Read Ephesians 1:17-18. How has God revealed Himself to us? How can we reveal ourselves to Him?

Edward shares the reasoning behind his choice to protect human life when possible. He uses the term "rise above." Read Ephesians 4:17-24. Can we overcome any sin? How can we live without being driven just by our feelings? What are some things that are difficult to rise above in your life?

Part 4 - The Fight

Bella and Edward have faced opposition already in Twilight. Billy Black has warned Bella about the dangers of dating Edward. Rosalie has vowed to make things as difficult for Bella as possible in the Cullen house. And the couple is always fighting Edward's temptation to kill Bella. In the last chapters of Twilight, Bella and Edward face a new opponent. Read pages 375-376 of Twilight. How are the nomadic vampires different from the Cullens?

How does Edward's fury cloud his vision while trying to protect Bella?

The Cullens outnumber the trio of nomadic vampires. Besides numbers, in what other ways do the Cullens have the advantage in this fight?

Read page 430 of Twilight. Why is Bella so willing to die for what she sees as right? How has Edward's love changed her?

As Christians, we have an enemy in our lives who is catlike and tracks us like the nomadic vampires of Twilight. His name is Satan. Read Ephesians 6:10-18. What weapons do we have to fight our enemy? How do we obtain this armor?

Bella is changed by Edward's love, and this love drives her into action with James. Read Ephesians 3:16-19. How big is God's love for us? How can we grasp it? What is your response to God's all-encompassing love for you?

You can find the answers to most of these discussion questions within the entries about Twilight on this website. If you need more information or want to share your ideas with me, then please feel free to contact me at celebrate1976@yahoo.com. I pray that God will guide you into a deeper understanding of His love for you.

A Biblical Look into Twilight: The Fight

They emerged one by one from the forest edge, ranging a dozen meters apart. The first male into the clearing fell back immediately, allowing the other male to take the front, orienting himself around the tall, dark-haired man in a manner that clearly displayed who led the pack. The third was a woman; from this distance, all I could see of her was that her hair was a startling shade of red.
They closed ranks before they continued cautiously toward Edward's family, exhibiting the natural respect of a troop of predators as it encounters a larger, unfamiliar group of its own kind.
As they approached, I could see how different they were from the Cullens. Their walk was catlike, a gait that seemed constantly on the edge of shifting into a crouch. They dressed in the ordinary gear of backpackers: jeans and casual button-down shirts in heavy, weatherproof fabrics. The clothes were frayed, though, with wear, and they were barefoot. Both men had cropped hair, but the woman's brilliant orange hair was filled with leaves and debris from the woods.
Taken from chapter 18 of Twilight

As we move into the final chapters of Twilight, we see that Bella and Edward have moved into a more serious relationship. They have confessed their love to each other, met each other's families and publicly announced their relationship in Forks. Their relationship seems to be clicking until the opposition arrives. Bella and Edward came together with a well-established problem in the beginning - Edward's desire to kill or leave Bella. But this Twilight couple begins to face other conflicts as well.

With Bella going public about her relationship with Edward, she is confronted by Billy Black, a local Quileute leader and close friend of her dad. Billy's character seems to always bring a sensibility and calm into every interaction. We see this same approach as he warns Bella about Edward and his family. With Edward going public about his relationship with Bella, he is confronted by Rosalie, his gorgeous and powerful sister. Rosalie works hard to make things as difficult as possible for Bella as she integrates into the Cullen family. And, of course, Bella and Edward must face another enemy - the nomadic vampires.

We see a trio of nomadic vampires enter the story at Bella's first baseball game in the clearing. This trio is described quite differently than the Cullen family. They have a different diet. They look disheveled, almost uncivilized. They walk like animals with deception and the hunt in their eyes. As this trio interacts with the Cullens, we understand that the nomadic vampire's life driven by animal-like desire drives away any committed relationship. The nomadic vampires live by desires of what they want with no direction or purpose to guide them.

A fight ensues between the trio and the Cullen family after one nomadic vampire (James) expresses his interest in killing Bella. The two groups of vampires seem paired with the same weapons, but the Cullens have the upper hand in this battle. From a physical perspective, the Cullens have more people, special gifts and an insider (Laurents) to share the secrets of the enemy. From a greater perspective, the Cullens are driven by an everlasting purpose - love. Their love for each other and Bella guides them into an undying commitment to each other. And the Cullens' love for human life presses them in a direction of protecting and mentoring other vampires who want a more fulfilling life.

As humans in the real world, we have an enemy in our lives who is catlike and tracks us like the nomadic vampires in Twilight. Our enemy's name is Satan, and the Bible says that he hunts like a lion looking for prey (I Peter 5:8). Yet we have the upper hand in our battle against him. In Ephesians 6:10-18, Paul describes the armor that God puts on us. It is a physical description of our spiritual transformation in Christ through the Spirit. Here are our weapons according to Ephesians 6:10-18:

• The belt of truth - We live in truth, so there is no need to hide our real identities.
• The breastplate of righteousness - Our hearts have been perfected by God, which protects them from the enemy.
• The peace-filled shoes - We are rooted in God's plan of reconciliation, which we offer as we look to bridge the gap in our relationships.
• The shield of faith - We have a firm belief in who God says He is and will do what He says He will do.
• The helmet of salvation - Much of our battle lies in the mind, and we are protected from lies by having a mental assurance of our eternal placement.
• The sword of the Spirit - We combat Satan's lies with the truth of God as found in His word.
• The prayer - We can communicate anytime and anywhere with the Creator of the universe. His plans and presence are clear.

God the Father puts this armor on His children when we come into a relationship with Him (John 3:16). God doesn't promise to provide a perfect life on earth for His children. He promises to be faithful, loving and good while we wait to live with Him forever. And He puts us into His family so we can fight Satan like the Cullens fight together against the nomadic vampires in Twilight. We fight together because we are bonded by love.

Bella is changed by experiencing the love of the Cullen family. Her outlook is turned from self-centeredness to gratitude as she faces certain death. She expresses this transformation beautifully in the preface of Twilight:

I knew that if I'd never gone to Forks, I wouldn't be facing death now. But, terrified as I was, I couldn't bring myself to regret the decision. When life offers you a dream so far beyond any of your expectations, it's not reasonable to grieve when it comes to an end.

Bella knew that this greater love was a gift, and her life became defined by gratitude for it. I have to admit that her gratitude manifests in unhealthy ways. Yet our gratitude becomes healthy when we express it to our Maker, our Defender and our Deliverer.