Brokeback Narnia

I saw two movies last weekend: Brokeback Mountain and The Chronicles of Narnia. For entirely different reasons, both were mildly disappointing but worth seeing. And while I’m not surprised by the uproar Brokeback is causing among Christian fundamentalists, I’m quite surprised by the support they are giving Narnia.

Among my favorite books from childhood, the Narnia series created a fantasy world of talking animals and wicked adults, explored and conquered by four young siblings. Though I may be forgetting crucial details thirty years later, I don’t remember many overt references to Christianity, and the overall tone and theme had no direct connection to religion whatsoever. The first of the seven books contains a Christ-like lion who sacrifices his life for others and is brought back to life, but allegory is as close as Narnia ever gets to Jesus.

Christian fundamentalists frame the world in black and white terms, stating absolutely and categorically that every single word of the Bible is the perfect, infallible word of God. So to them, the Bible cannot be interpreted as allegory. Why, then should any other book be seen as allegory? Further, Narnia revels in magic, spells and witchcraft--the very items that have made Harry Potter verboten among Christian fanatics.

If only Harry would lay down his life for a good cause--and be revived by justice-loving magic, he too, apparently, would get the fundamentalist seal of approval.

So here are a few other movies I’m expecting the God Squad to endorse, if they haven’t already.

Star Wars. Obie Wan Kenobi sacrifics his life and comes back, in spirit, to help his righteous friends. Sure, the Star Wars series suggests that the Earth isn’t the center of the universe and that the galaxy is full of other intelligent creatures, but Christian fanatics can overlook these heretical items, just as they overlooked the magic and spells of Narnia.

Groundhog Day. Bill Murray is perpetually reborn to the same day until he learns to be selfless and help others. Of course, he has sex with a woman who isn’t yet his wife, but Christian fanatics can overlook this trifle, just as they overlooked the White Witch of Narnia.

Vanilla Sky. Tom Cruise dies to the life of selfish fantasy and is reborn to the world of reality, authenticity, uncertainty and hardship. Yes, he lives in heathen New York City, and has sex with a lot of single women, but Christian fanatics can overlook these details, too, just as they overlooked the talking animals in Narnia.

Perhaps the Narnia endorsement is good news. It may suggest that Christian fanatics have some flexibility after all. In a hundred years, they might even entertain the notion that gay people are born gay, as God intended. Time will tell. Meanwhile, for all you aspiring screenwriters out there, write a script with a character who sacrifices his (but not her--Jesus was a man, after all) life for a good cause and is reborn, and you, too, can get the fundamentalist seal of approval. It might just get your movie made.