Movie Review: The King

Movie Review: The King

by Pete Berardi

I am not much of a movie buff. In fact the last time I rented a DVD before renting The King last Tuesday night was in May of 2005. Sure I watch some TNT and TBS movies but only because they are on. Although I am not proud of the selection that I made because of some of the graphic sex and violence in the film, I thought that it would be worth mentioning.

The King is about a pastor, his family, his church and his sin. William Hurt plays a pastor in a Corpus Christi Church. He has a beautiful sixteen year old daughter, Malory, who is involved in the Church, has her mind set on God and is pure in every way. His eighteen year old son, Paul, plays guitar and sings for the worship team. His congregation is alive and growing, and his sermons are inspirational, powerful and truthful. He has a beautiful house and all seems well. In comes Elvis.

Elvis is the bastard son of William Hurt and a prostitute he used to visit before becoming saved. Elvis wants to know who his father is, and seeks him out upon release from the military. Hurt shuns Elvis. He is ashamed of his sin and seeks to protect his family and his church from what damage could be done by his past. Elvis seeks out Malory, brings her into sexual sin and she begins to fall away from the family. Paul, Hurt’s good son, follows Elvis to his hotel room. He demands that Elvis stays away from his sister and threatens to blow the whistle on the whole affair. This enrages Elvis; he stabs Paul and kills him. He hides the body and gets away with it. Meanwhile, Hurt believes that his son is missing.

Hurt seeks God, and is drawn to his other son Elvis. He brings him into his home not knowing of the relationship between him and his daughter. Malory also does not know that Elvis is her half brother. One Sunday morning in church, Hurt decides to bring everything out into the open. He brings Elvis on stage, admits his sin to the congregation, and calls him his son in front of everyone, including Malory. Finally a light bulb goes off in Malory’s head and she breaks down and tells her mother. Before things can get out of hand for Elvis, he shoots them both while Hurt is at church doing paperwork. He then proceeds to burn down his house. After the murder and the arson, Elvis seeks out Hurt at his church office. The movie ends with Elvis, with blood on his hands, asking Hurt how he can get right with God.

There are many lessons to be learned from this story. The most obvious one is that sin is damaging to people’s lives. There is just one thing that I want to mention. Although it is not Hurt’s fault for what Elvis did to him, he might have been able to prevent it. By facing up to his sin immediately, telling the truth to his family from the start, and being true to his son, this all could have been avoided.