Movie: The Fall Guy

This Review Reveals Minor Details About the Plot.

Coming Back Strong

Plot Overview

Stunt­man Colt Seavers (Ryan Gos­ling) nar­rates the trials and tribu­lations of Holly­wood's unap­preciated stunt­men. He tells a story illustrating the adage, “Pride comes before the fall,” being a rough para­phrase of (Prov. 16:18) “Pride goeth before destruction, and an haughty spirit before a fall.” It's about diva star Tom Ryder (Aaron Taylor-John­son) whom he was doubling for, some evident jealousy over a “flingette” he was having with camera­woman Jody Moreno (Emily Blunt,) a non-accident that sunk him, his new boring job as a parking valet, and his return eighteen months later to work on the set of a science-fiction number Metal­storm under its novice director Jody her­self. Some mischief ensues and Colt is being set up to be the fall guy as he is trying to simul­tan­eously win back Jody and find her missing lead actor to save the picture … and her career. There are lots of bumps along the way. It's reminiscent of the squirrel stuntster in an Edmund Wilson tale:

There was a squirrel cage not far away, and I went over to see what was in it. It was built around the trunk of an oak and had one of those wheels that they turn. When we came up, there was a squirrel inside it, madly making it spin. I have always disliked these wheels, which I always regard as an imposture on the squirrels. “Do you think they like to do that.” I asked. The girl seriously answered. “They don't have to go in there, you know. But I suppose it must be rather discouraging for them when they stop and the wheel begins to carry them back. It always makes them start working again even when they must be tired. They're afraid of going back­wards, I guess. Yes: I don't think that can be at all pleasant.” She gave her bang a twitch. “Some people are sorry they were born, but every­one has a right to his life, don't you think? People just have to go ahead and realize their own possibilities.” (44)

Ideology

Having been pressed into service by producer Gail Meyer (Hannah Waddingham) Colt in hopes of rekindling a flame with Jody, is assigned a cannon roll by stunt coordinator Dan Tucker (Winston Duke.) He emerges from the totalled vehicle a surprise to the director who doesn't want him there. She doesn't want their erst­while relation to jeopardize the picture. She communicates her displeasure in the clear while publicly discussing with him the love story in the plot of her film: A cowboy and a female alien had begun a romance, but he left her suddenly with­out any explanation and now he wants to get back together again. Jody asks him to fill in the hypo­thetical conversation, and Colt says he deeply regrets having bailed on her. The crew sympathizes with the mixed species couple as something that might have happened to any of them (humans.) The character dialogue applies vicariously to these two members on set. This is much as the apostle Paul handled mixed relations between a Christian and a non-.

Conventional wisdom has it that if a body is already married to a non-Christian when the former converts, she is allowed to stay with him and try to save him. He's a nice guy to begin with, other­wise she wouldn't have married him. But a Christian girl should not select a non-Christian for a mate, because he's an ogre. I can't help but think we're not comparing apples with apples here. We can do better.

In answer to the Corinthians' questions regarding the mixed marriages they'd entered into during his preaching, the apostle Paul writes of same as an occasion for Christian influence on the unbelieving spouse, (1Cor. 7:16) “For what knowest thou, O wife, whether thou shalt save thy husband? or how knowest thou, O man, whether thou shalt save thy wife?” Paul was not doing any match­making, but let us try our­selves for an apple-to-apple comparison. A man has two daughters, say, and being just and fair he lines up matches of equal integrity for both of them. Daughter A is to get married in June and daughter B June the following year. This is during the two year stint when Paul is preaching nearby. Before B is wed, though, the sisters attend a meeting and become Christians. A is obligated to try to convert her spouse, and B wanting to follow suit determines to go ahead and marry her guy, too, and try to convert him as well. He isn't any worse to start off with than her sister's husband was for her. They are like two peas in a pod, one sister following in the other's footsteps.

The apostle's authority was already expressed in: (1Cor. 3:21-22) “For all things are yours; Whether … the world, or … things present, or things to come; all are your's.” Sister A's husband of the world is hers to keep (“things present”) and so is sister B's husband “to come,” as long as they are willing as we suppose they are. By apostolic decree, then, a Christian is allowed to enter a mixed marriage if that's what they want. Like­wise, in the sci-fi genre the sky is the limit. Christianity has now permeated our culture since Paul's day and most Christians naturally want to marry each other, but we do find the occasional cowboy.

A widow is enjoined to (1Cor. 7:39) marry “only in the Lord” if at all, meaning she is to in the process (1Cor. 7:34) “be holy both in body and in spirit.” In the sci-fi movie, that would work out to keeping one's speech and actions commensurate with the PG–13 rating of the film. Congregations are addressed specifically with a plural ‘ye’ to (2Cor. 6:14) “Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: ...” We can't mix heathen practices into our church services, although individually mixed couples are permitted to wed. In the sci-fi realm the two species are at war with each other, but a couple of them are lovers.

Jody was about to get ripped off when her leading man disappeared holding up production. Like­wise, weddings set up in advance would have been disrupted if Paul suddenly forbade marriages to his new converts, but that didn't happen. Says Paul, (2Cor. 7:2) “we have wronged no man, we have corrupted no man, we have defrauded no man.”

Production Values

“” (2024) was directed by David Leitch. It was written by Glen A. Larson and Drew Pearce. It stars Ryan Gosling, Emily Blunt and Aaron Taylor-Johnson. Cast also includes Winston Duke and Hannah Wad­ding­ham. Gosling and Blunt have a relaxed chemistry wih each other in a frenetic film.

MPA rated it PG–13 for action and violence, drug content and some strong [g.d.] language. It was filmed on location in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. Run­time is 2 hours 6 minutes. During the closing credits a split screen show­cases stunts done for the movie. And then an additional scene includes cameos from “The Fall Guy” a cheesy 1980s television show.

Review Conclusion w/a Christian's Recommendation

This was a heartstopper for its intensity. The star had a good work ethic and the starlet managed to avoid any sex scenes. Other­wise, it's standard Hollywood fare but with more action than usual. Good for action fans.

Movie Ratings

Action factor: Edge of your seat action-packed fun. Suitability for Children: Suitable for children 13+ years with guidance. Special effects: Absolutely amazing special effects. Video Occasion: Good Date Movie. Suspense: Keeps you on the edge of your seat. Overall movie rating: Four stars out of five.

Works Cited

Scripture is quoted from the King James Version. Pub. 1611, rev. 1769. Software.

Lions den picture is copyright © Sweet Publishing. Licensed by FreeBibleimages. This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported License.

Wilson, Edmund. "Ellen Terhune" published in Memoirs of Hectate County. Copyright © 1942, 1943, 1946, 1959 by Edmund Wilson. New York: L.C. Page & Company, 1959. Print. First appeared in Partisan Review.