Character Arc: Elmer Gantry

Before I saw the film, I'd always assumed that Elmer Gantry* followed the predictable stereotype of the religious huckster who demonstrated the ignorance of rural American Christianity (and, by association, all Christianity). In fact, most critics of Christian faith point to the character of Elmer Gantry when attempting to illustrate the hypocritical gap between faith and practice.

But that doesn't explain one of the most surprising and unapologetic character developments in film history, when Gantry, the womanizing huckster, the poser pastor, sets foot in a congregation that he has no intention of steering wrong, or steering at all.



This isn't a turning point for Gantry, but a character development that allows for a fully-realized, complex and, yes, sympathetic character to supercede any 2-dimensional stereotype that might be more comfortable to mock.

So, the next time you hear of a preacher being compared to Elmer Gantry, its probably a good idea to ask, "In what way?"

See also The Apostle with Robert Duvall.

*Note that I'm not talking about the book Elmer Gantry, by Sinclair Lewis. That one lives up to its anti-religious reputation with flying colors.** But, in this case, the film is a much more satisfying experience, even at the secular level.

**Often at the expense of the quality of the story. Lewis' internal tangents commit a sin far, far worse than violating religious decorum, they tell without showing, they tip his hand, and they take huge emotional shortcuts.