THE LAMP
Just Believe
What You Need To Know
THE LAMP is a well-directed DVD movie with a good cast.
It tells the story of Stanley and Lisa Walters, whose life is devastated by the loss of their only son. Stanley feels personally responsible because he was teaching his son to ride a bike. For two years he grieves and alienates everyone around him. Lisa’s best friend tells her she should succumb to the advances of a buff young man in the gym where she’s a physical trainer.
Just when it all seems to have hit bottom, Lisa is given an Aladdin-type antique lamp from her neighbor. Sure enough, she polishes it and reads the words “Just believe.” Suddenly, Louis Gossett, Jr., appears as Charles, who says he’s not a genie but a messenger. Stanley tries to destroy the lamp but is eventually convinced by Charles that he has the ability to grant him three wishes. There are conditions, however. First, the wishes cannot bring back the dead. Second, they cannot give him something he can get for himself. And, three, he has only 30 days to make the wishes.
This glimmer of hope starts to transform Stanley. He teaches the baseball-playing girl next door how to be a better player, he starts to work again on his book and gets a book contract. In fact, he starts to get his family back together without the wishes. The question is, what will happen to the little girl next door.
THE LAMP has a lot going for it, but the script fails the movie. What is the premise? Just believe, and you’ll get what you want? Well, that story ends when the 30 days are up, and Charles tells them they’re getting what they want and they did it all themselves. Is the deeper premise, love overcomes grief? That story is fulfilled in the story of Stanley, Lisa, the littler girl, and her friend. Is the story that Stanley is a better baseball coach?
The lack of a solid premise means that the story has at least two endings. Also, without a focused premise, the jeopardy is not as strong as it could be when some of the story appears to be overly dramatic for drama’s sake. This could have been a great movie. Next time we hope the filmmakers will improve their script.
Theologically, the movie has a problem in that it just commends belief without indicating in who or what exactly we should believe. Are we supposed to believe in the messenger, in God, in our neighbor, or in our sports team? There are also hints of the occult, but these are carefully diminished. There’s much to commend in THE LAMP, but it’s the movie that could have been.
