I’ve just come from seeing Joyful Noise, the Queen Latifah/Dolly Parton movie about a church choir. When I saw the previews, I was curious, but with an expectation of being let down. It’s Hollywood, after all. Even movies that are supposed to be “Christian” usually end up being something more like, “Niceness is good.”

(The exception, of course, are movies like Fireproof and Courageous by that church that makes movies as a ministry. But for mainstream Hollywood, my expectations are low.)

Anyway, Joyful Noise: As a movie, there were definitely some issues. Sometimes major plot stuff just seemed to appear out of thin air with no proper justification. And at first, I thought my worst fears were going to be realized, as the church choir struggles with a desire to sing more “pop” music rather than old fashioned music.

But then I began to notice the filmmakers doing something that was opposite, and appeared to be intentional. Instead of 1) giving us contemporary music to water down the “god” in a movie about a church choir, they 2) started to use the lyrics of popular music to tell us about God.

Maybe I’m amazed at the way you’re with me all the time

Maybe I’m afraid of the way I leave you

Maybe I’m amazed at the way you help me sing my song

You right me when I’m wrong

Maybe I’m amazed at the way I really need you

In the end, the movie was just a story about people for whom God is a central part of their lives. He’s there in fights between mother and daughter, in teenagers learning about love — he’s just there, and all the characters know it and live it.

That makes it a cut above most of what Hollywood produces.