I could do without the post-film interviews. Jesus’ response wasn’t wrong, but it convinced her a little too quickly. The character Nikki brings up her parents’ divorce and her father’s death when she was a teen. The answers may be a bit too easy for human tragedy. Though I think if the filmmaker tried to do better, any response might have highlighted differences among Christians. Throughout their evening of conversation, arguments and spirited debate, Nikki learns things she never knew about life, the universe, and most importantly, herself.
Jesus basically shrugs and says we can’t understand it. The Perfect Stranger tells the story of Nikki, a troubled attorney who one day receives a mysterious dinner invitation from a man claiming to be Jesus of Nazareth. It’s like apologetics: canned questions that would make a lot of people, especially skeptics, stop and protest, “What about my questions for God?” The usual suspects: Hitler, bin Laden, and variations on the Psalmist’s favorite: why do the innocent suffer and the unjust flourish? It doesn’t know what to say about the Trinity.
Another plus: it’s potentially thought-provoking. I think I can share the film triggered a memory of mixed feelings and we talked about it. I asked my wife about it she said she “really liked it.” When querying her about any dislikes, she said there were none for her. It hits hard against pelagianism, and leans toward non-denominational goodness of God. The good: it’s well acted, well set in what looks like a real restaurant, and few Christians of any flavor would find much complaint. There’s an escort to the car and then the lawyer is home for a night with her family, fresh with a new perspective on life and faith. Conversation over wine, fish dish, and dessert commence. Thinking her husband has set up an elaborate prank, she shows up but gets. The basics: a lawyer gets a dinner invitation from a mysterious man who presents himself as Jesus. A lawyer receives a dinner invitation from a man who claims to be Jesus Christ. It has gotten generally favorable reviews. It’s based on a novella penned by David Gregory. Then I hunted down some info on the 2005 movie. The cynic in me thought, “Apologetics: The Movie.” But it’s a bit more. Then I came out to watch the last three-quarters. I was listening to it from the bedroom for a few minutes. My wife found this film on a streaming platform the other night.