If you haven’t heard, the King of King’s Movie is now available to stream on Fandango and Angel Studios.
I’ll be honest, this is one movie that did not initially catch my eye. Being a product of 90’s Christian culture, I know that just because it’s a ‘Christian’ movie doesn’t mean it’s a good movie. And even if it’s marketed as ‘Christian’ doesn’t mean it will be a good fit for our home.
Though I have liked a couple of shows we’ve sampled from Angel Studios, some other items have not been a great fit. So I was real skeptical. Add-in the trailers of a Victorian-era boy teaming up with Jesus, and I was ready to give this one a hard pass.
Then, Lucy over at The Hope Filled Family clued me into the fact that the movie is based on a book Charles Dickens wrote for his children: ‘The Life of Our Lord.’
I love some classic literature. I also really admire Charles Dickens for his advocacy work and social commentary throughout his books. So I was once again drawn-in. And, of course, we made it a whole family movie night.
‘King of Kings’ Movie
The King of Kings is largely based on the book ‘The Life of Our Lord’ by Charles Dickens. This was a private work Charles wrote to teach his children about Jesus. We could think of it as a storybook Bible. He refused to have it published, and it was only made available for a wider audience after his son, Henry, had passed away.
I have long respected Charles Dickens for his views of social injustice and poverty. His book ‘A Christmas Carol’ was largely a social commentary, criticizing the wealthy for turning a blind eye to those in poverty. The way his faith influenced his world view is reflected in ‘The Life of Our Lord,’ for example:
“And when people speak ill of the poor and miserable, think how Jesus went among them, and thought them worthy of His care.”
This vision is repeated throughout “The Life of Our Lord,” highlighting Charles Dickens’ thoughts on division of wealth and generosity in the Kingdom of God.
Thoughts for Parents:
The King of Kings movie has not gone without critiques. Many movie reviewers have touched on the divinity of Jesus being unclear in this movie. However, those who have read the book probably are not surprised by this. Charles Dickens does appear to have some doubts about the divinity of Jesus. Though every pronoun used to refer to Jesus is capitalized. He frequently refers to Jesus as ‘Our Savior,’ but clarifies we call Jesus such, because ‘He did such good, and taught people how to love God and how to hope to go to Heaven after death.”
Another passage references Jesus’s power to forgive sins, and Dickens explains ‘God had given it to Him.’ This is opposed to Jesus being God, able to forgive sins because he is God.
Though, again, none of this should be surprising, as Charles Dickens was apart of a denomination that rejects the doctrine of the Trinity. So with that context, these statements make sense.
Does the movie stick to the book?
The movie showcases Charles Dickens sharing ‘The Life of Our Lord’ with his young son, Walter. Walter is rambunctious, wild, and obsessed with Kings! The movie divides attention between Charles narrating the story, and animated depictions of the life of Jesus.
The movie, I would say sticks, fairly close to the book. Though there are no direct quotes discrediting the divinity of Jesus, there is no direct claim that Jesus is God. The movie consistently refers to Jesus as ‘The Son of God’ or ‘Son of Man,’ as the gospels do. When you explore the literary context of these phrases, and the way they are used in the Old Testament, we see that they do point to Jesus’ divinity. That can be explored with children in age-appropriate ways. This does not differ from most orthodox children’s resources.
The movie is also clear that Jesus is Our Savior ‘because he saves the world from our sins.’ There is even a depiction of substitutionary atonement where they show Walter drowning in an abyss, and Jesus changes places with the boy. Jesus sinking to the depths of death, allowing the boy to float to life.
There is also an explanation of ‘The Fall’ that shows people are separated from God because of our sin. They show the curtain in the temple being torn at Jesus’ death. This is alluding to humanity’s relationship with God being restored at Jesus’ death. This message probably would not be clear to a child unfamiliar with that context. However, it is important to note these are the claims the movie is making as to why Jesus is Our Savior.
The movie attributes Jesus’ miracles as being examples of the importance of faith. Saying ‘if you have faith I can, I can.’ I felt a little on the fence about this, as I’m at a point in my own faith where I’m not sure that was the whole point of the miracles. However, this does not veer from many orthodox children’s resources.
The book largely explains the miracles as Jesus’ care for the underdog, especially those who are ‘good’ despite unfortunate circumstances. Knowing Charle’s Dicken’s views on social inequalities, I do wonder what he would have thought about the shift of this thought in the movie version.
Do I recommend this movie?
I think this can be a good resource for some families. If you choose to use it, I definitely don’t recommend it as the only way you teach your kids about Jesus.
I personally was a little disappointed in the way they watered-down Jesus’s care for the poor, as Charles Dickens viewed this as central to the Gospel (I also view it as central to the Gospel, though on some theological points Charles and I may disagree). I am also not surprised, as the studio that produced this movie leans politically conservative, as demonstrated by other films they have produced. It does make me wonder how Charles Dickens would have felt about his work being adapted by this company. Someone who is more educated than I could probably give a better opinion.
All in all, this can be a good resource to use with older children. It didn’t capture the attention of my younger kids. They started the movie, and by the time it was half-way over they had moved on to other things. It’s probably for the best, as some of the scenes would have been a little intense for them. My oldest and I watched it all the way through, and were able to discuss our thoughts. She thought it was entertaining, but not something we’re likely to watch again.
We humbly respect if your family is a fan of this one, just wasn’t our cup of tea.
Menu Ideas
As the ‘King of Kings’ is the story of Charles Dickens sharing the life of Jesus with his child, it only seemed right to dine on food the Dicken’s family loved. Catherine Dickens was an author in her own right, and penned her own cookbook under the name Lady Maria Clutterbuck. Exploring some of the recipes her family may have enjoyed was a fun adventure as we planned our movie night.
Roly-Poly Jam Pudding
Roly-Poly Jam Pudding was the treat we paired with our movie night. In her book, Dinner With Dickens, Pen Vogler notes that Catherine Dickens frequently made roly-poly jam pudding for family celebrations. It was also reportedly a life-long favorite of Charles Dickens, as he requested it be served on his last birthday. We tried our hand at the recipe provided in Dinner with Dickens. However, Baking With Granny also has a jam roly-poly recipe available on her website.
Toasted Cheese
Toasted cheese (or grilled cheese in the United States), was apparently Charles Dickens favorite food. In ‘Reminiscences of My Father,’ Charley Dickens shared of his father’s love for toasted cheese:
“…no man could possibly survive the consumption of such frequent toasted cheese.”
This tends to be a childhood favorite for most people, making it a perfect pairing for ‘King of Kings.’ If you need a recipe you can find one here: Toasted Cheese Recipe
Biscuits (Cookies)
Half-way though the movie, Catherine provides cookies for Charles and their son. Whip you family’s favorite cookie recipe.
Eves Pudding
I wish I would have found this recipe before our movie night. This is actually a recipe from Catherine Dicken’s! How magical would that be to watch the movie and literally sample something you know the Dicken’s family ate together.
Eve’s Pudding from the kitchen of Catherine Dickens
Activities and Fun
Family Bible Study: For extra family fun, Angel studios has produced a free family Bible Study, featuring activities and devotions that pair with the movie.
School and Church Activity Packs: King of Kings also has free activity packs on their website for Christian schools and churches. The church activity pack contains free coloring pages that pair with the movie.
Baby Devotions 