Reflecting on Frank vs. God

CEBU, Philippines – “Frank vs. God” – one of the featured films in the recently concluded Cebu International Documentary Film Festival – is about a man who has lost basically everything that makes him happy. In a moment of anger and realization, he comes to the conclusion that God should be the one to blame. So he does what any lawyer would probably do. He decides to sue God.

I agree on the argument Frank provided in court that if God is indeed omnipresent and omnipotent, then why does he let people suffer? Why do good things happen to bad people and vice versa? I agree with this because I can sympathize with Frank. I have had many unfair and unjustifiable circumstances occur in my life and there has been no one else to blame. If God truly did exist, then I just have to ask, why?

I do not entirely agree that God has planned for everything that will happen, since that way of thinking means everything is already pre-determined and therefore, no one is really bad or evil. They are just that way because God has made it so. And in that logic, it means that God is either very cruel, or has a sick sense of humor.

What I learned is that doing nothing when something bad happens means you will never truly find happiness. Life is an endless fluctuation of good and bad. Feeling something bad means that you are still alive and moving forward is the only way you will ever find happiness. If you enjoy the good fluctuations enough, then it will outweigh the bad ones.

I think this can affect the way of thinking for many people, both atheists and theists. It raises many questions, but may not truly give a definite answer to the question everyone would probably be asking. Is God real or not? But of course, no one can truly say he is, or isn’t, and it would be too much to ask of a movie to prove he exists or otherwise. It does, however, make you re-evaluate the circumstances you’re in and how you deal with it. It also makes you realize that you should appreciate what you have, or for whatever great thing happens in your life.

Written and directed by Stewart Schill, David Frank was played byHenry Ian Cusick, while Rachel Levin was portrayed by Ever Carradine.