MOVIE WITH A MESSAGE

“And Jesus said unto him, Forbid him not: for he that is not against us is for us.” (Luke 9:50)

“Judge not according to the appearance, but judge righteous judgment.” (John 7:24)

Today I thought of a short, independent film I saw on television over ten years ago and I decided to write about it. I don’t remember the title. As I recall, the film was only about fifteen minutes long. I saw it on a Saturday night on Boston’s channel 44 which is a PBS station. The film takes place entirely at a Mobil gas station. A somewhat uneasy woman pulls up to the full service pump and asks the attendant to fill the tank with gasoline. The attendant behaves in a VERY strange manner. He has the ODDEST look on his face. The viewer just wonders WHAT is wrong with this gas station attendant. Is he a serial killer? Is he a rapist? Does he have some kind of antisocial disorder?

This film was made before the “instant pay at the pump” option. After the fill-up the driver hands the attendant her credit card. He stares at the interior of the car, and slowly walks into the station. He’s in there for a long time. Finally, he comes back and says, “Madam, I’m sorry but this credit card was declined. You’ll have to come into the station for a minute.” She is obviously terrified. She protests that the credit card is perfectly good and should not have been declined. The attendant goes back into the station for a long time, and then comes back.

“I think I’m going to have to call the credit card company.” he says, “Won’t you come in with me while I call them?”

Again, she angrily protests and refuses. The attendant goes back into the station. After a couple of minutes, he comes out, saying, “I’ve got the lady from the credit card company on the phone and she wants to talk to you.” She adamantly refuses.
He’s not giving up. He insists she go into the station and talk to the woman from the credit card company. This conversation goes back and forth.

Ultimately, the female driver admits to the attendant that she does not trust him. She says the only way she’ll go into the station and pick up the phone is if he walks to the periphery of the station property, by the sidewalk and street. He is very reluctant. After some discussion, he DOES walk to the periphery of the station property.

The woman nervously exits the car. She starts to walk briskly to the station office, but halfway there, the attendant bolts toward her like a thoroughbred racehorse heading for the finish line. He grabs her and forces her into the station. She is TERRIFIED! The suspense and horror of this scene is acutely felt by the viewer!

Will she be raped? Knifed? Shot? Strangled? All of the above?

Trying to communicate over her screams, the attendant says, “Lady! There’s a guy holding an axe, laying on the back floor of your car!!”

Instantly, the camera allows us to see that “lovely gentleman” with the axe on the floor! And, instantly, we understand why the gas station attendant looked and acted SO STRANGELY! HE was not some psychopath! He was trying to save the female driver from a psychopath!

No, I can’t remember the title, but I never forgot that little independent film.
Have you ever had an experience where someone was trying to tell you something but you “blew it off” and later realized you were very foolish to reject that advice or counsel? Have you ever tried to warn someone of a danger only to be spurned and rejected?

So often we “shoot the messenger”!

For what it’s worth, I just felt like writing about that movie with a message today.