Who is Bobby Wyler? That’s the question posed by “Bringing Up Bobby”. He’s a goth teenager who is constantly reinventing himself depending on who he is with. He does not know what he believes about God because he’s always taking his cues from someone else. But when his brother James challenges him to discover what he believes, he starts getting nervous. Then… there’s that girl he likes.
Bobby feels “uncomfortable in his own skin”. He’s always trying out the newest, best thing. The problem is that he’s so busy adapting who he is to fit other people’s desires that he does not know where he stands. The purpose of Bobby’s character is to push the audience to question where they are with God. Bobby realizes that he has to truly commit to Jesus instead of just pretending to be a follower. That means praying, committing to Jesus and honestly following Him.
It’s true that nobody can buy their way into heaven and that grace is a free gift from God. The only way that a person can be forgiven of their sins is by trusting in the sacrifice of Jesus. Once we do, though, it is important to live our lives in a way that is pleasing to God. This is not us earning heaven, it’s a way of owning it. It means demonstrating to God that we have accepted His gift.
Think of it like this: if you give someone a gift and they say that they like it, but then throw it right into the trash, how would you feel? Probably pretty terrible! When we give people gifts, we like to see that they are going to use them. It is similar with God. He sent His Son Jesus to die on a cross for our sins. It only makes sense that we would demonstrate our thanks by living our lives in such a way as to say we’re thankful for that gift. Again, there is nothing that a person can do to earn God’s grace. It is by trusting in Jesus that we get to Heaven. But once we’ve accepted Him, it is important to live our lives for Him. That, ultimately, is the message of the movie.
Alex Hinsky (Bobby) is a talented young man who has appeared in numerous theater productions in Indiana. This is his first feature length film. He enjoys theater, singing, and getting to know people.
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