Bewitched

What I wouldn’t give to be able to click my fingers and make it all better. Or to be able to rewind the bits I don’t like—usually when I do something stupid—and get a second chance to get it right. If you’ve ever caught a re-run episode of Bewitched on the telly, you’ll recognise this as the kind of fairytale fantasy “magical powers” that Samantha has.
Coming in on the tide of recent old-TV-series-turned-into-movies, Bewitched stars Will Farrell and our own favourite daughter Nicole Kidman. The new movie works on a clever premise with the story unfolding “behind the scenes” during the production of a new TV series of Bewitched. Jack (Farrel) is an actor with an unsuccessful movie career who is having to take whatever work he can get, while trying to convince himself and everyone else that he’s star material.
Isobel (Kidman) is a “witch” attempting to make a fresh start for herself as a “normal” girl. Her father thinks its crazy that she wouldn’t want it all her own way and is constantly trying to get her to use her powers for her own benefit. She’s easily convinced, and is constantly telling herself that “this is the last time . . .”
Through a strange twist of fate Isobel is “discovered” by Jack who’s looking for the perfect “Samantha” for the new series. She ends up playing the very person she’s trying not to be . . . or is it the person she is really wanting to be! (It’s really not that confusing, I promise!)
Along the way she learns the lesson—finally, really—that getting everything your own way is not realistic or truly satisfying. She comes to understand that failures, disappointments and broken hearts are how we grow and mature, and how we learn to enjoy the good bits when they happen.
She also manages to help Jack—the big-ego/no-idea movie star—realise the same thing. And of course they fall in love and live happily ever after, which kind of actually goes against the lesson we’ve just watched them learn. Oh well!
Just like Isobel, Jesus was a being with “magical powers” living on earth as a “normal” person. He could have quite easily had it all His own way. The scenes in Bewitched where Isobel’s father is tempting her to use her powers are surprisingly reminiscent of Jesus’ time in the wilderness where the devil is tempting Him. Later on the religious leaders of the day tempted Jesus in the same way—wanting Him to use His powers so He could prove Himself and be accepted by them.
And when the final test came there were many there urging Jesus to have it His own way. “Come down from the cross if you’re the Son of God.” “He saved others but he can’t save himself . . . let him come down from the cross and we will believe in him.” “Save yourself and us!”
There’s never been a more critical moment than this for a person to decide that they wouldn’t have it all their own way. But the example is there for us to follow in our own “normal” lives.
Some people may be concerned that Bewitched is a movie about witchcraft and is a trivialisation of the forces of evil. But wanting it all our own way—selfishness, self-centredness—is just as great an evil as these. And it takes on many forms that we accept much easier than witchcraft!