At Play in the Fields of the Lord

The length of this movie is possibly a detriment, however it is worth the time in most respects. One of the main issues explored is age-old in terms of how religion is brought to people that the civilized world sometimes arrogantly considers are "savages." Another issue is the finding of one's own identity. The main characters in the story, mostly missionaries from the United States, seem to each represent various perspectives and viewpoints that people can bring to living in another place and culture, in this story it is the Amazon and the Indians that live there. The acting was good -- not great great -- but good enough that you believed the character's various dilemnas. Adian Quinn did quite well in his role as he struggled with trying to understand the minds of the Indians and their concept of a god and blending this with his own Christian perspective. Tom Berenger's role was more complex and his acting was subdued. The other actors such as Darryl Hannah and John Lithgow had somewhat difficult parts that were handled competently. Kathy Bates, as always, added flavor as did Tom Waits.