Michael
Michael is a 1996 fantasy comedy-drama starring John Travolta as an unconventional Archangel Michael who is discovered living with an elderly woman in Iowa. A group of tabloid reporters, including Frank Quinlan and Dorothy Winters, are dispatched to investigate this extraordinary claim. Expecting a celestial being, they instead find a beer-drinking, chain-smoking, womanizing angel with a fondness for sugar and disco dancing. The film follows their road trip to Chicago, during which Michael performs small miracles and subtly orchestrates romantic connections among the humans, ultimately influencing their lives before his time on Earth concludes. This movie is a whimsical tale that explores themes of love, faith, and redemption through an irreverent lens, targeting an adult audience with its mature themes and lighthearted, yet unorthodox, spiritual portrayal.
Concerns
Romance and Sexual Content
HighThe movie features significant implied sexual activity, suggestive dancing, and mentions of a main character being a 'womanizer.' The angel Michael himself engages in implied fornication.
Michael, the archangel, 'flirts with women and has sex with one of them' and takes a female patron into his room for 'implied sex' after sensual dancing at a pie restaurant. Additionally, there is 'implied fornication' between reporters Frank Quinlan and Dorothy Winters, and an off-screen 'hanky-panky' scene involving Michael and Judge Newberg.
Substance Use
HighSubstance use, specifically alcohol consumption and smoking, is frequently depicted and is central to the unconventional portrayal of the main character, Michael.
The archangel Michael is consistently portrayed as a 'beer-drinking, chain-smoking' individual throughout the film. Movieguide specifically lists 'alcohol use' and 'smoking' as content concerns.
Anti-Christian Themes
HighThe movie presents an unconventional and highly secularized portrayal of an archangel, which departs significantly from traditional Christian theology. While containing some positive mentions of God and fighting Satan, the film's depiction of Michael as a hedonistic, fornicating, and worldly figure is seen by Christian reviewers as undermining biblical concepts of angels and faith.
Michael, despite being an archangel, is portrayed as 'fornicating, cigarette-smoking, beer-drinking bum,' which is contrary to biblical descriptions of angels. The film also minimizes core Christian doctrines, with Michael quoting The Beatles' 'Love is all you need' rather than biblical scripture, thereby 'avoid[ing] the topic of sin, repentance or salvation as given by our Creator'.
Violence
MediumThe film contains mild instances of violence, primarily a barroom brawl and a distressing scene involving an animal. The MPAA rated the film PG partly for a mild barroom brawl.
Michael initiates and participates in a 'mild barroom brawl' during the road trip to Chicago. The dog, Sparky, is hit by a truck and killed, which could be upsetting, though Michael later resurrects him.
Profanity
MediumThe film includes some instances of profanity. The MPAA rating specifically notes 'some language' as a descriptor.
The MPAA rating for "Michael" includes 'some language'. Movieguide's review identifies '2 obscenities & 1 vulgarity' and mentions 'Swear words' as areas of concern in the film.
Witchcraft & Occult
MediumThe film centers on the supernatural premise of an archangel existing on Earth and performing miracles. While this involves supernatural abilities, it is presented within a narrative drawing from Christian mythology rather than traditional witchcraft or occult practices.
Michael is an archangel who claims to have triumphed over Lucifer in the War in Heaven. He performs miracles, notably bringing the dog Sparky back to life after it is killed by a truck.
Scary & Intense Content
MediumThe film is generally a comedy-drama, but it includes one significant intense scene involving animal death, which could be frightening or distressing, particularly for younger audiences.
The most intense scene involves the dog Sparky being hit by a truck and dying, which is a vivid and potentially upsetting moment before his resurrection. There is also a 'mild barroom brawl' which contributes to minor intensity.
Disrespect & Rebellion
MediumThe central character, Michael, exhibits significant disrespect and rebellious behavior against conventional expectations of an angel, acting boorish and irreverent. Other characters also display defiance.
Michael is depicted as an 'irreverent' and 'boorish' archangel who defies traditional angelic traits by drinking, smoking, and womanizing. Reporter Huey Driscoll was 'fired for socking the managing editor,' demonstrating rebellious behavior against authority.
LGBTQ & Gender Identity
LowComprehensive searches for LGBTQ+ content, characters, and themes within the 1996 movie "Michael" yielded no specific results indicating explicit or implied LGBTQ+ representation. While broader articles about LGBTQ+ films exist, none were related to this particular movie.
No specific LGBTQ+ characters, relationships, or discussions on gender identity were identified in the available content reviews or plot summaries for the 1996 film "Michael".
Other Notes
Target Demographic
Aged 15+ due to mature themes including implied sexual content, alcohol and tobacco use, irreverent portrayal of a biblical figure, mild violence, and some profanity. The film's nuanced and unorthodox spiritual themes may be confusing or objectionable for younger viewers, particularly within a Christian framework.
Additional Notes
The film's tone is largely comedic and whimsical, which may soften the impact of some of the more mature themes for some viewers. However, the juxtaposition of a sacred figure with very human vices can be a significant point of concern for Christian parents seeking biblically aligned media.
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