SYNOPSICS
Fall from Grace (2007) is a English movie. K. Ryan Jones has directed this movie. Bill Bunten,Warren Carter,Kelly Franz,Jeff Gannon are the starring of this movie. It was released in 2007. Fall from Grace (2007) is considered one of the best Documentary movie in India and around the world.
The first feature-length documentary to explore the hate-filled world of Rev. Fred Phelps and his Westboro Baptist Church of Topeka, KS. Since the mid-90s, this group has participated in nearly 25,000 anti-homosexual demonstrations around the world. With signs that say things like "God hates fags," "You're going to Hell," "Thank God for 9/11," "God hates your tears," "Thank God for dead soldiers," the small congregation of 75 members has garnered international attention, especially now that they have targeted military funerals as a venue for their picketing. 'Fall From Grace' features interviews with Rev. Phelps, other members of the church, many of its dissenters, and two members that left the church and their family behind.
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Fall from Grace (2007) Reviews
A Powerful Examination of Hate-mongering
This film has its world premiere as Austin's SXSW Film Festival. It would have been very easy for first-time filmmaker Ryan Jones to make a one-sided polemic about hate-mongering Rev. Fred Phelps and the Westboro Baptist Church of Topeka, KS. Phelps despicable "God hates fags" theology and their protests especially at military funerals are clearly beyond the pale. However Jones opted to try to dig deeper. Much of the film allows Phelps and the member of his extended family (which makes up most of his "church") to speak for themselves. While the film provides plenty of space to Phelp's critics, it also allows Phelps and his family to hang themselves with their close-minded bigoted rhetoric. The interviews with two of Phelps' children who have left his church are particularly revealing. Most of all, the film shows that what they preach is anything, but the true spirit of Christian charity and generosity. The film shows that this is an ideology of hate disguised as Christianity. The film also explores some themes such as the extent of free speech which have long been associated with the famous Neo-Nazi march in Skokie. This film deserves to be seen by a wider audience so that people can see the true face of intolerance and the dangerous power of a charismatic leader to cause great pain and suffering. I suspect Jesus would cry at what Phelps is doing in his name. Jones should be commended for this powerful piece of film-making.
A decent commentary about a group of sick losers
This documentary is about one of the most despicable and evil men living in America today. The Reverend Fred Phelps is a leader of a small cult in Kansas that has risen to national prominence due to their protests of funerals and churches--with its followers holding up placards that are mostly too offensive to list here on IMDb! Among the mildest of them is "God Hates America" and "Thank God for IEDs". The group takes sick pleasure in offending and makes no effort to actually convert. Their message is that God hates pretty much everyone and that THE message of the Bible is God's wrath and all-consuming hatred of everything about the US, Sweden, Ireland, Mexico and, well, pretty much EVERYONE but the 60-some members of his odd little hate filled church. The documentary features many interviews with Phelps and his clan. It also features many interviews with community leaders, ministers and phone interviews with two of Phelps' own children who have left the cult and talk about the abusive nature of their clan. About the only aspects of the film I didn't particularly care for were some quotes from other ministers (such as Jerry Falwell and Pat Robertson). While their views on homosexuality might offend some, they never in their worst days came close to the evil hatred-spewing methods of Phelps and his smug followers, so playing the "moral equivalency card" seems inappropriate. For a slightly more succinct and more interesting view of the Phelps cult, try watching the one hour British documentary "The Most Hated Family in America". While featuring far less of Phelps himself (he was too surly and hate-filled when they tried interviewing him so they had little footage of this maniac in action), they let the kids in the cult do a lot more talking and the film maintained a tighter focus--as a few of the interviews from FALL FROM GRACE seemed a tad weak.
Reaping the whirlwind
What could be more perfect than a culture clash between the inflexible biblical fundamentalists of Westboro Baptist Church and the knee-jerk worshipers of the death dealing American war machine? Such is the subject of this fascinating if too brief look at the exploits of the lunatic Rev. Fred Phelps and his clan of angry and twisted offspring, who picket military funerals and believe American troops should die for the sin of gay civil rights. It's hard to know who's worse: the picketers, who spout the most venomous sentiments whilst desecrating funeral ceremonies that, regardless of one's opinions about the military or war, should be respected as private ceremonies; or those like Sean Hannity (oh irony of ironies) who would take away the Phelps' constitutional right to express themselves. In fact, much of the anti-Phelps commentary in this film is gleaned from Fox News, whose right-wing talking heads are probably appalled that Fred Phelps and co. have torn away the smiley face mask and revealed the wormy interior at the heart of the American 'conservative' movement. A remarkable and revealing document in more ways than one.
Does god hate Fred Phelps?
I cannot imagine anyone concerned with civil rights that is not aware of the Phelps family and Westboro Baptist Church, yet they did not hit my radar until they had been protesting for a few years. It was their appearance at the Matthew Shepard funeral that brought them to my attention. Their protests at the funerals of fallen soldiers in Iraq brought them to the attention of most Americans. My generation is used to hate-mongers. We have had Hitler and Stalin. We have preachers like Robertson, Dobson, Fallwell and others, but no one is above Fred Phelps in his pure hatred of anyone who does not agree with him. It is hard to understand what motivates such people. My personal feeling is that they were probably not breastfed. Just a theory, but it is probably as good as any. K. Ryan Jones put together enough footage to give us some insight into what drives Phelps, but he cannot know the complete picture. The anger inside this man in put forth by his own words, the words of his children and grandchildren, and the fact that he has managed to alienate all who come into contact with him to the point that he was disbarred and had to turn to hating gays, lesbians, and trans-gendered, or "fags" as he calls them to have an outlet for his anger. You hear from his own children who have escaped the physical abuse they endured growing up, and you see the new generation of grandchildren who are indoctrinated to hate without understanding what it is that they hate. His children are like Nike, they tell their children to "Just do it." Anyone who is interested in civil rights, and combating hatred in American should check this film out. It is currently getting wide play on Showtime.
Where is the love?
I have never experience such a range of emotions while watching a film, from anger and rage to down right disappointment and sadness. Something has gone terribly wrong in the mind of the Phelps family. They are the reason that Christians around the world are stereotyped into these kind of hate mongers. I am dumb founded by these people, in the ultimate act of love and sacrifice their God sent his only son to die for their and all of our sins. Sins that in Gods mind are all equally horrible yet Jesus at no time held up signs or preached that God hated anyone be it any kind of sinner. So from such an act of love these people have choose to express nothing but hate. I simply don't understand, I am so imperfect that to damn anyone for there sins would make me feel like the worlds biggest hypocrite, the only one qualified for that is God. A pastor in this film I thought said it best when he said he preaches what Jesus preached and chooses to stay silent on the issues Jesus chose to stay silent on. I would assume that if God felt that homo-sexuality was this huge issue then his son would have made a more clear stance in the Bible so it would not be open to interpretation by individuals. Personally I have my beliefs and I stand strongly behind them but I do not force those beliefs onto anyone else and my goal isn't to force anyone to believe what I believe but for the LOVE of Jesus to shine through me, the LOVE. That's what it's all about, that's the very cornerstone of Christianity, how do you loose that? So to the Phelps family I don't have words of anger or hate for you even though I disagree so completely with what you do, to the Phelps I have just one question, where is the love?