What Would Jesus Buy?
This film is an examines the commercialization of Christmas by following Reverend Billy and the Church of Stop Shopping on a nationwide tour preaching the gospel of not shopping. The go into big box retailers, malls, even Disneyland and begin and begin to tell the shoppers that consumerism isn’t everything.
I found this film very interesting. A big reason that I wanted to see this film is the fact that I am anti-consumerism/anti-corporation myself. Reverend Billy’s approach to the whole situation was entertaining. It was funny to watch people reaction to him in his white suit being followed by a choir singing songs of popular hymns with new anti-shopping lyrics. At times it felt cartoonishly over the top. Because of this ridiculousness it seems that no one took them seriously, except security. They were kicked out of virtually every place they went.
One scene I found particularly poignant. Rev. Billy is on the main street of a small town and goes into a mom and pop clothing store to buy a sweater. He chats with the store owner for awhile. The store owner tells him that there are now 2 Walmarts within 20 miles from the store and that they are having a significant impact on his business. He said that the business has been in the family for over 100 years. He told his sons that they shouldn’t work there. There won’t be much of a business to run in the future.
Overall Score: 3/5 stars.
