There's something I didn't get. Supposedly the God that the people worship in this movie is omniscient, omnipresent, and omnipotent. That means, God is supposedly able to see the boy's upcoming cancer, and can directly prevent it, but decides to allow the cancer to ravage the boy anyway.
So, umm, how exactly is that supposed to be uplifting?
I'm not uber religious, but i will say this. If you don't understand, read the bible. I'm not saying you'll believe it, but that's your choice. I'm just saying, it's the reason why "God" does what he does...
So yeah... Not a plot hole. Just the way the world works.
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The whole story was about God's will...Realize that we are put through something that is referred to by Malachi as the Refiners Fire. Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ both love us very much. We have trials...They boy was going through a hard trial of pain because the cancer, yet his faith helped him through. Also The trials that his family was going through and everyone else around him. Don't forget about Job...
All of these things shall be for thy good, all the experience. Even though the mouth of Hell shall gape open wide after thee, know thou my son that these things shall give thee experience. For the Son of Man hath descended below them all. Are thou greater than He?
Not a plot hole, but a learning moment for you to really find out why you have trials in your life.
To help make some sense of why this is uplifting, you have to remember that nobody's life is all hunky dory. There are problems that we all have to deal with. As I am writing this, i haven't yet watched the movie, but will very soon. As a Christian, I have given up control of my life, meaning I put my trust in God and listen and see what He has planned for me. It says in Revelation Chapter 22 "I am The Alpha and The Omega, The Beginning and The End." He knows all things because He created all things, and without Him there would be nothing. So since He created you and me, He knows whats ahead of you, He knows you down to a science. As a Christian, i have accepted the free gift of salvation and chosen to accept what Christ did for you and me on the cross.
But as it is shown clearly in the book of Job, life isn't all hunky dory even as a Christian. As a Christian, we aren't exempt from the things that happen in the world, like disease and famine and even down to war. But as a Christian, we realize that God has told us our treasure doesnt lie in this world, but through Faith and continual belief and action upon faith, when we die and go to be with God, we will no longer be faced with suffering or anything that this world has to offer. Since I havent yet seen the movie, I cant go into detail about it, but it seems like a "Job" life. As a Christian, writing letters and/or praying, God answers what we need, not what we want, but he doesnt exempt us from what is in the world, since all men are created equal.
I hope you read this and maybe it sheds some light into what this movie is hopefully about. It is my hope that you will be open to hear this, if you have any other questions or if other people do, please dont hesitate to ask questions, I would love to show you what accepting God as your Lord and Savior has to offer, and to educate on the Christian Faith.
It is not supposed to be uplifting. It is christian propaganda. They are under the impression that their faith is true and thus they portray this in the movie.
Notice how the family with the cancer sick kid are bouncing off the wall with happiness, even though they have a kid with cancer! Compare this behavior to the mailman who is depressed, sad and hates his life because 'he doesn't believe in god'.
What this movie is trying to portray is the false safety of believing in a god, thinking that if they wish for something hard enough it will come true because 'god will reward them'.
I decided to watch this movie because I believed it was a movie about a very little boy writing letters to god but I found that the boy in the movie is actually old enough to know better and thus it wasn't 'cute' or anything, just sad and depressing.
This is not a good movie, at all. Regardless of the subject of the movie, it's not very well done.
"Notice how the family with the cancer sick kid are bouncing off the wall with happiness, even though they have a kid with cancer! Compare this behavior to the mailman who is depressed, sad and hates his life because 'he doesn't believe in god'. "
Um . . .maybe you just didn't get all this? Or we didn't watch the same movie, dunno...Tyler's family was far from a happy family. Tyler was, yes, but his family were not save for his Grandma who is trying to be the backbone of the family to help out her daughter (I do admit that the reasoning for her being there isn't as clear as it is in the book). His mom was barely hanging in there, evidenced by her break down with her mom and then getting angry at the mailman, her realization of how she is treating her other son.
Tyler's brother feels lost in the reality of having a sick sibling, ignored even. He wants to do stuff that kids his age are excited about (driver's license, etc) but Tyler always seems to take precedence.
Also, it wasn't the mailman's lack of faith that made him so unhappy. It was his drinking problems and how it led to him loosing his son. Most people would be depressed over something of that nature happening.
I enjoyed this movie to be honest, as I have had friends with cancer, including one with the same type of cancer Tyler suffered. Also it was a wonderful way for the father to remember the real Tyler (Letters to God is inspired by a real child)
More directly to your question of whether God's lack of intervention is a plot hole, that's actually the point of the movie -- how to deal with adversity even when everything is going against you. If God prevented evil every time, there would be no free will. God wouldn't allow us to choose to be destructive.
If God always answered our prayers in the affirmative, others would suffer because of our "success". During wars (or sports matches or whatever), both sides pray for God's favor. Sometimes he chooses one, sometimes neither. Sometimes he focuses more on the individuals involved.
If it was easy or clear-cut, everybody would do it.
^^good reply.
"Did you make coffee...? Make it!"--Cheyenne.