Production Company: 20th Century Fox
Director: David Cunningham
Cast: Ian McShane, Frances Conroy, Christopher Eccleston, Alexander Ludwig, Jonathan Jackson, Amelia Warner, Gregory Smith, Emma Lockhart, Gary Entin, Edmond Entin, John Benjamin Hickey, Wendy Crewson
Rating: Rated PG for fantasy action and some scary images.

By Gregg Tubbs

(UMC.org)—We all spend a good part of our lives as seekers—looking for employment, searching for love and truth. Any typical 14-year-old is a seeker—seeking acceptance, love and a sense of self. Will Stanton, the young hero of the fantasy thriller The Seeker: The Dark Is Rising, is THE Seeker, tasked with searching for the ancient secret signs that will empower the protectors of the Light and vanquish the forces of the Dark. With only three days to save the world, Will is going to need a lot of courage, a bunch of faith and a little help from some ancient, other-worldly friends.

The Seeker: The Dark Is Rising is the first in what I’m sure the producers hope will be a series of films inspired by Susan Cooper’s acclaimed novel series, “The Dark is Rising Sequence.” Produced under a new collaboration between 20th Century Fox and Walden Media, The Seeker continues Walden’s mission to bring faithful adaptations of award-winning children's and youth literature to the screen. Their track record has been strong, with winning realizations of Because of Winn Dixie, Bridge to Terabithia and the phenomenally successful The Chronicle of Narnia: The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe. While not as charming as Winn Dixie or magical as Narnia, Seeker is still a solidly made, well-acted fantasy that sweeps you up in its imaginary world, sense of urgency and the timeless struggle between good and evil.

Traveling back and forth through time, Will (Alexander Ludwig) must search for six "signs," which hold the secrets to vanquishing the rising power of the Dark.
Copyright © 2007 20^th Century Fox.

While the original books were very British and deeply rooted in Arthurian legend, this film transforms Will Stanton into an American boy whose family has recently moved to their ancestral homeland of England (perhaps a change made to differentiate him from Harry Potter). The Arthurian elements have also been replaced with a more general light-versus-darkness, good-versus-evil struggle. While purists might grumble, the heart of the story remains intact.

Seeker tells the story of Will Stanton (Alexander Ludwig) who learns on his 14^th birthday that he is the last-born of the mystical group of “Old Ones,” a group of warriors dedicated to fighting the forces of the Dark. Traveling back and forth through time, Will must search for six “signs,” which hold the secrets to vanquishing the rising power of the Dark embodied by the menacing Dark Rider, whose appearance coincides with Will's coming of age as the Seeker. As he shuttles through time, Will is aided by the inscrutable and Merlin-like Merriman Lyon (Ian McShane), leader of the Old Ones. Because the Dark’s power will peak to cataclysmic effect in only three days, the fate of the world rests on Will’s slim and reluctant shoulders.

Will has also been granted powers to aid him in his quest—control of fire, the ability to move objects and great strength—and the film deftly deals with the moral consequences of such powers. He must learn to only use his power for good, in defense of the Light and for the benefit of others. When he foolishly exhausts his powers venting his frustration over a girl, he sees the consequences, and how his greater mission has been jeopardized. Will also struggles to accept such a dire, dangerous mission. He feels literally like David being asked to face Goliath, and his poor sling seems inadequate to the task. “I’m no hero!” he protests. “I can barely even talk to a girl!” He fears failure, death and disappointing those whom he loves. We can all relate with such “why me” feelings when asked to risk ourselves for what’s right.

The film explores many other themes, such as issues of free will versus destiny and the concepts of absolute good and absolute evil. Although the battle starkly contrasts good (Light) and evil (Dark)—symbolism used freely in the Bible—situations and choices are often less absolute. Each character has both light and dark within and can freely choose which influence to follow. Ultimately, what matters is the path the character chooses to follow. Seeker is also very much a film about trust, or faith, if you will—learning to trust those sent to help you (like Merriman); trusting yourself and the rightness of your task; having faith that good will prevail; and trusting that, as Merriman says, “Even the smallest light shines in the darkness.” This is great encouragement for us as well, who have been called to be “the light of the world” (Matt. 5:14).

Study Questions

Have you read any of The Dark Is Rising series? What themes stood out in them? Which were the same in the movie? Which were different?
Do you feel this film, steeped in magic, is still compatible with a Christian audience? How would you compare it with The Chronicles of Narnia, which was widely embraced by Christian audiences?
How is Will similar to biblical characters like reluctant Moses and young David? Are there other biblical characters or situations that remind you of Will?
What role does trust play in the film? Is trust the same as faith?
If someone told you that you were responsible for saving the world, how would you react? Have you ever been given a burden that you felt was too great? Did you turn to God for strength? Did you ask “Why me?” like Will?
The images of light and darkness are used frequently used in the Bible as symbols for good and evil, or the godly and ungodly. Can you find some instances? (For instance, see Matthew 5; John 1; John 3:19-21, 8:12, 9:5, 12:35-36.)
What did Merriman mean when he told Will that “even the smallest light shines in the darkness"?
Will seemed happy to know he was special and had a purpose. What does the film have to say about free will and destiny? What is God's purpose for you?
Are you a Seeker? What things do you seek?
What did you think about the location of the sixth sign? How did this speak to you? Are we called by God to be champions of light? How do we as Christians embody and shine forth God's light?