“Sometimes it stings, like a slap in the face.” That’s how Araminta Tubman – known best as Harriet – describes hearing the voice of God in the new Focus Features’ movie “Harriet.”
The film follows Tubman, the Underground Railroad’s most famous conductor, who, after escaping to freedom herself, returns again and again, in order to bring other slaves to freedom.
This is the latest of the sweeping trend filling theaters with biographies of interesting and important historical figures. Unlike many of the other biopics on offer, this heroine is famous not for pop-star talent or mass appeal, but because of what she did for so many others.
Nor did she succeed by merely “overcoming great odds” or “relying on her own inner strength.” As the film makes quite clear, Tubman’s reliance on God gave her great strength and helped her overcome the greatest of odds.
In a time when far tamer references to faith, prayer or God can be cause for cultural cancellation, I am so thankful that the producers of “Harriet” featured this part of her life story from the beginning of the movie to the very end. But even so, the film does not picture God as some weird crutch or wish-granting genie in Tubman’s life.