The queen is dying. They’d tried everything, but nothing has worked. In a rare moment of lucidity, the queen summons the one man she can trust to be truly dedicated to the task of curing her…or can he? After the death of his beloved wife, Doctor Dolittle has retreated from nearly all things and in nearly all ways. He has drawn down his world to a very, very select group of animal companions. He has retreated into fear, avoiding all human contact. It will take a miraculous adventure to draw him back out his shell.
Eve Franklin and I seek to translate the animal speak of the 2020 film Dolittle and examine what it says about respect for authority, fear, courage, and belonging. Dolittle stars Robert Downey Jr. as the titular doctor and features the voice talents of Emma Thompson, Rami Malek, John Cena, and Octavia Spencer among many others. The engaging music is by the most prolific composer we rarely encounter, Danny Elfman. He is a truly accomplished composer who does an excellent job delivering a really whimsical feeling to the score.
It is a movie that knows what it is and does not think too highly of itself. Dolittle is a pleasantly uncomplicated movie with childlike plot elements and story progression, and a very pleasant change of pace!
Before we get into our review of Dolittle, though, we’d like to draw a couple of things to your attention:
- Check out the Christian Podcast Communities contest! The Christian Podcast Community is giving away over $1000 worth of theology books. Check it out!
- The Red Sea Miracle, parts I & II are coming to a theater near you as part of Fathom Events. Seating is very limited and each part will only have one show, so check it out as well!
Initial Impressions
Dolittle is a children’s movie, through and through. It has a nice, easy plot with no real complications. The characters are shallow but in a pleasant, expectable way. The easy-going canvas really gives the live-action stars and voice actors a place to shine. While not a “flawless” performance, Robert Downey Jr delivers with a charmingly quirky Doctor Doolittle and demonstrates that he has the talent to back up big paychecks.
Dolittle is definitely family-friendly, barely earning it’s PG rating, trending mostly toward the G-rating fare more reminiscent of Mary Poppins and Bedknobs and Broomsticks. If you’d like the full family breakdown of the movie and it’s contents, please check out Focus on the Family’s Plugged In Online’s review here. Overall, the humor was plentiful and wide-ranging, providing laughs for my wife, my adult daughter and I as well as the children in the audience.
Dolittle came with an honest-to-goodness “moral of the story” moment that, while not necessarily directly from scripture, it wasn’t in opposition to God’s Word, and that was refreshing, as well. So much of what comes out of Hollywood is so humanistic in nature.
While Dolittle was certainly a complete movie, I did get a sense that it had been through some type of major revision. There were hints here and there of a slightly different story. Even still, the story it delivered was enjoyable and better than much of what passes for kid’s movies nowadays.
Downey’s performance really was good. As Eve points out, he was able to bring more of a family-feel to the role, similar to Papa Stark’s scenes with this daughter from Endgame. RDJ has been playing Tony Stark for so long, this role was a nice departure that allowed him to remind us that he isn’t just Tony Stark.
The animals were animated in such a way that they were not perfect replications of the real-life counterparts, and that actually works in the movie’s favor. If they were any more real, they might have triggered the “uncanny valley” effect that unsettles so many people.
Here There Be Spoilers
From this point on, we will be discussing the entirety of the movie, paying little to no heed to surprises or reveals within the story. If you have not yet seen the film yet, and do not want to have any surprises ruined, please stop reading now.
The Nature of Authority
At the beginning of the movie, the good Doctor is summoned by the Queen of England. Lady Rose, a young attendant to the Queen, is sent by her majesty to bring him to the Queen’s aid. Dolittle, despite living on the Queen’s largesse, on land that she has gifted him, snubs the Queen’s summons. He does not do so maliciously. He is still wallowing in the grief of his loss, but while this makes his action understandable, it does not make it right.
We see a clear parallel here. Dolittle’s response to the Queen, and his disregard for her concerns, is very similar to humanity’s response to the call of God. We, too, are living on His mercy, subject to His justice, yet feel as if we can pick and choose the benefits of God’s grace without the consequences of his justice. Like Dolittle, we have collectively lost our AWE for God’s authority.
“Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, let us hold on to grace. By it, we may serve God acceptably, with reverence and awe, for our God is a consuming fire.” (Hebrew 12:28-29) [emphisis ours]
Everything that Dolittle had and was able to accomplish over his career, was because the Queen had provided for him, yet when she called upon him, he chose to embrace his selfish grief. We need to be more like Isaiah when he was called into the presence of God the Almighty:
“Then I said:
Woe is me for I am ruined
because I am a man of unclean lips
and live among a people of unclean lips,
and because my eyes have seen the King,
the Lord of Armies.” (Isaiah 6:5)
Eve mentioned the Theology Throwdown discussion, “Hearing the Voice of the Lord,” that she’s taken part in—an excellent watch/listen. Check it out!
Within the pages of God’s Word, we should find all the awe-inspiring content we should ever need!
“Long ago God spoke to the fathers by the prophets at different times and in different ways. In these last days, he has spoken to us by his Son. God has appointed him heir of all things and made the universe through him. The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact expression of his nature, sustaining all things by his powerful word. After making purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high.” (Hebrews 1:1-3)
Jesus is more than a man that walked the earth 2,000 years ago! He is, “the radiance of God’s glory and the exact expression of his nature, sustaining all things by his powerful word,” and he suffered the humiliation and pain of crucifixion to save ME! To save EVE! To save YOU! How can we not be in awe and brought to tears by that?
Be Strong and Courageous
In the first of the two major “moral of the story” themes of Dolittle, many of the characters struggle to overcome debilitating fear. The 700-pound gorilla, Chee-Chee, is scared of everything, but mostly he is scared of failure. Dolittle is terrified of the pain of loss. Stubbins is afraid of being left behind and missing out on the adventure. Over the course of the movie, each of them comes to a realization—some more significantly than others—that the fear may inform their actions but not prevent them from acting.
“Courage is not the absence of fear but the ability to act in spite of it.” —President Franklin D. Roosevelt
It’s easy to be scared when we are doing God’s bidding in a world that opposes God. Depending on the circumstance, you can feel everything from looking foolish to being harmed or killed. More than one of God’s hand-picked leaders were fearful. When Joshua was chosen to lead the people of Israel after Moses died, he was reassured by God:
“No one will be able to stand against you as long as you live. I will be with you, just as I was with Moses. I will not leave you or abandon you. Be strong and courageous, for you will distribute the land I swore to their fathers to give them as an inheritance. (Joshua 1:5-6)
When we stand on faith, we do not stand alone. No matter the earthly consequences, the command to stand in God is unassailable. The reward will be unimaginable. The battle is already won. We aren’t involved with a war of equal forces of light and dark. God could end the conflict with a whisper or a thought. No one and nothing can stand against God:
“The Lord is my light and my salvation— whom should I fear? The Lord is the stronghold of my life— whom should I dread?” (Psalm 27:1)
“If God is for us, who is against us?” (Romans 8:31b)
The fact that He doesn’t end the spiritual battle, in order that more might be saved and welcomed into the heavenly inheritance, is His wonderful and unfathomable will. In the meantime, that power is for US:
“Do not fear, for I am with you; do not be afraid, for I am your God. I will strengthen you; I will help you; I will hold on to you with my righteous right hand.” (Isaiah 41:13)
There is evidence to suggest that Timothy was scared of some aspect(s) of his job (perhaps due to his youth), as Paul reminds him that God has given them a spirit of power, love, and wisdom:
“For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but one of power, love, and sound judgment.” (2 Timothy 1:7)
We Belong
Dolittle has surrounded himself with a very wide variety of animals: gorilla, polar bear, ostrich, parrot, duck, dragonfly, and squirrel. Despite the mindboggling differences, they frequently come together to accomplish a common goal. They are working with the doctor to locate the Eden fruit and return it to save the Queen. As they do so, they develop bonds of friendship. This is exactly how the body of Christ should interact. We are all different people, from different backgrounds. We have different experiences and talents. But, we all have a common goal – to spread the word of God, lead the unsaved to Christ, and bring glory to God. Despite the differences we bring to the table, we should be developing bonds of friendship with our brothers and sisters.
This is a theme that we’ve touched on many, many times. One of my personal, go-to verses for friendship and family is:
“A friend loves at all times, and a brother is born for a difficult time.” (Proverbs 17:17)
When we are inhabited by the Holy Spirit, we realize the fact that we are chosen:
“But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his possession, so that you may proclaim the praises of the one who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light.” (1 Peter 2:9)
We are assured that we belong, by virtue of knowing The Way:
“Lord,” Thomas said, “we don’t know where you’re going. How can we know the way?” Jesus told him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. If you know me, you will also know my Father. From now on you do know him and have seen him.” (John 14:5-7)
Miscellania
Eden Fruit
We find it interesting how the all-powerful cure to the Queen’s poison is called, “the Eden Fruit.” Despite the fact that we live in an increasingly secular world, nearly everyone who sees the movie will understand the reference to “Eden” as being that of uncorrupted purity. In so doing, they acknowledge a basic understanding of the fall, yet still no understanding of the need for salvation.
“It’s only by helping others that we can truly help ourselves.”
The last line of the movie, and the final “moral of the story” is the line, “It’s only by helping others that we can truly help ourselves.” This is a sentiment that everyone can get behind, and feels safely secular. It isn’t of course. It’s the second commandment:
He said to him, “Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the greatest and most important command. The second is like it: Love your neighbor as yourself. All the Law and the Prophets depend on these two commands.” (Matthew 22:37-40)
Like so many other things, humanity has taken God’s command and appropriated it. They’ve eliminated the first commandment to love God and promoted the commandment to love your neighbor. The problem is that when you take God out of the equation, you can no longer do good. Producing true fruits of the spirit and doing true good depends on the Spirit:
“Let us not get tired of doing good, for we will reap at the proper time if we don’t give up. Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us work for the good of all, especially for those who belong to the household of faith.” (Galatians 6:9-10)
This moral is a selfish one—you help yourself to help others, and you help yourself by helping others. But the help that is really needed is helping people find Christ.
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