Golden Compass Movie

There is lots of press these days about a movie called "The Golden Compass". It is the movie based on the first book of a three book trilogy from Philip Pullman called "His Dark Material". The books are well written. Pullman has won numerous awards for this series and other books as well. However, there is a concern about content if you come from a Christian world view. Having an 'agenda' when you write a book is certainly common and acceptable. It is important from a parent's perspective to know it ahead of time so you can decide if a book is appropriate for your child.

In this case parents need to know that it is categorized as a 'young adult/teen' book. There are some very adult themes in the book around sexuality and violence. I don't know how the movie will be handling those issues. Pullman also takes a very definite tack against Christianity. He doesn't pull any punches about that - he is an avowed atheist and is entitled to write as he pleases. For the right age young person it could be the start for some good discussion with parents about important faith questions. But parents need to be clearly aware that the movie is not neutral to the Christian faith and decide accordingly, depending on the age of their children. And parents should also be aware that the later two books are even more blatantly negative about the Christian faith.

Sometimes it is hard to find good movies. A couple good options are "Flywheel" and "Facing the Giants" from Provident Films, Bella, and The Ultimate Gift.

You might be interested in a review of book "The Golden Compass".