Wicked: For Good helps Christian parents show their children no one is perfect

Film: Wicked: For Good

Age rating: PG

Runtime: 137 minutes

See this if you liked: Wicked

Synopsis:

After defying the Wizard of Oz (and gravity), Elphaba tries to grapple with her powers whilst simultaneously trying to bring the Wizard’s empire down. Meanwhile, Glinda is preparing to be wedded and struggling with the pressures of being popular. When Elphaba’s spells start to have monstrous consequences, will she be able to shake off the wicked image that she is under constant accusation of?

What I liked:

This movie was always going to be a struggle given that the second half of the Broadway phenomenon contains weaker songs and less cheer than the first half. However, there is plenty to enjoy within this concluding chapter, including two brand new songs – Glinda’s ‘Girl in the Bubble’ being the stand out thanks to Ariana Grande’s performance and some dizzying camera trickery that pulls in and out of reflections to the point where you don’t know if you’re in the mirror or looking at one.

The story is also brilliantly clever in how it ties in to the Wizard of Oz, I won’t reveal any spoilers, but familiar characters will be seen in a very different light after watching this film. Dorothy’s face is never revealed which means you can imagine it being Judy Garland without ever seeing her which I thought was a nice touch.

The title song ‘For Good’ is performed so beautifully that I was struggling to hold back the tears

Madame Morrible’s transformation into full villain, pushing propaganda against Elphaba and her constant disdain for Glinda is a masterclass performance from Michelle Yeoh. Jeff Goldblum dazzles as the Wizard, eccentric, charming but with a sinister edge.

Cynthia Erivo’s rendition of ‘No Good Deed’ is another highlight as the Wicked Witch of the West starts to take form. There’s no doubt that she has both the voice and the acting chops that will surely propel her further along her career.

The title song ‘For Good’ is performed so beautifully that I was struggling to hold back the tears. It didn’t have any flashy visuals, just two good/best friends singing to one another was all it needed.

What I didn’t like:

As I mentioned, the second half is a lot weaker in terms of musicality. There are no real big showstoppers or group numbers, so it lacks the energy of the first film. It becomes plot heavy too – a lot of dialogue and conversation and not a huge amount of action (except a comedic fight between the two witches which was excellent).

Notes for parents:

There is the obvious witchcraft (but as you’ll read, this has consequences) and a little bit of a steamy moment between two characters but it is kept very PG.

Faith thoughts:

Unlike her Wizard of Oz counterpart, Elphaba is anything but a one-dimensional villain. The author of ‘Wicked’ wrote the book, on which the musical is based, in response to the murder of James Bulger, desiring to challenge our understanding of what it means to be evil and whether this is something we are born as or a victim of.

Elphaba is constantly being framed as ‘wicked’, although the truth is that her actions are all about standing up for those who are being oppressed and manipulated by the Wizard’s lies.

So often we get caught up in the ‘us’ and ‘them’ narrative, each assuming the worst in each other

Glinda cannot understand why Elphaba won’t just give in to the Wizard and work alongside him. Elphaba replies “I need to be wicked in order for you to be good.”

So often we get caught up in the ‘us’ and ‘them’ narrative, each assuming the worst in each other – not helped by lies spread by the media and influencers. We can make the ‘other’ side appear to be wicked so that we can look good – constantly looking for things to pick up on and call out. The truth is no one is truly evil and no one is ever truly good either. Jesus didn’t die for our sins because we were perfect beings, he died so that our transgressions wouldn’t separate us from God.

The Enemy loves to pit us against each other – it’s easier for him to allow us to tear each other down than to do it himself. Often, we’re so busy fighting among ourselves that we forget who we’re really meant to be fighting against.

It doesn’t matter how many good things we do, it’s with what heart we do them with that is important

Where do we draw lines and allow ourselves to fall victim to the trap of blind hatred? What does it look like to disagree well without becoming volatile and defensive? Why do you pay attention to the speck of sawdust in your brother’s eye but pay no attention to the plank in your own? asks Jesus of us all.

The other side of the coin to the question of ”what does it mean to be evil?” is ”what does it mean to be good?.”

Elphaba reflects on this after her well-intentioned spells begin to backfire:

“Was I really seeking good or just seeking attention?

Is that all good deeds are when looked at with an ice-cold eye?”

Read more:

Wicked: For Good is ripe for helping Christian families see God’s hand in our relationships

It doesn’t matter how many good things we do, it’s with what heart we do them with that is important. There are two points in Matthew’s Gospel in which Jesus warns his disciples to not be like those who show off their ‘goodness’ to attract attention from others (Matthew 6:5-8 and Matthew 12:38-40).

Where have we been guilty of performing our goodness?

What does it look like to do good without claiming credit or reward?

The truth is, we are all guilty of sin and none of us can be truly good without being close to God. It’s only with God that we’re changed For Good.