As the wife of an Army officer, I have read a lot of articles about the Reverend Fred Phelps and Westboro Baptist Church, an independent Baptist church in Topeka, Kansas. Phelps and his followers have made a nasty habit out of picketing the funerals of American servicemembers who have died in Iraq. Since my husband was deployed to Iraq last year, this was a topic that concerned me greatly. Had my husband died in Iraq, I could have come face to face with Phelps and his hateful followers. Naturally, I was interested when I found out about K. Ryan Jones’s documentary, Fall From Grace (2007), which details Fred Phelps’ beliefs. I found the movie for rent on Netflix.com and, having just viewed it, found it to be excellent.
The film, which is unrated and runs for 77 minutes, presents interviews from people on both sides of the controversy. Fall From Grace was directed by first-time filmmaker, K. Ryan Jones, who was a senior at the University of Kansas when this film was made. It is the first full-length documentary dedicated to Fred Phelps and his group.
Fred Phelps, dressed in a University of Kansas jogging suit, is given a lot of airtime, as are members of Westboro Baptist Church, which seems to consist mostly of members of his family. Phelps is the father of thirteen children, four of whom are no longer affiliated with Phelps or his church. K. Ryan Jones presents viewpoints from the family members who are still involved with the church as well as phone interviews from two of the children who rejected it. While it was interesting to hear from supportive members of Phelps’ family, I was especially intrigued by the phone interviews from two children who bravely and candidly commented about what it was like to grow up with Fred Phelps as their father.
Jones also presents viewpoints from people who oppose Phelps, including Topeka’s mayor, Bill Bunten, and Pedro Irigonegaray, a Topeka based attorney who has done battle with Phelps and his followers and is well known for giving a voice to gays, lesbians, and transgendered individuals. Irigonegaray’s commentary offers a balance to the fire and brimstone preaching from Phelps, who is often shown in the film shouting from his pulpit. As I watched Phelps, I couldn’t help but think that when he was speaking, he reminded me an awful lot like Adolf Hitler, minus some of Hitler’s charisma.
I was very impressed with the way K. Ryan Jones presented all sides of the controversy. I heard from Phelps’ churchgoing family members, who are repeatedly shown desecrating the American and Canadian flags, holding up picket signs with hateful messages on them, and preaching Bible verses. I also heard from Kelly Frantz, a young military wife who lost her husband in Iraq and had to endure Phelps and his followers picketing her husband’s funeral. I was shocked and disheartened to see young children spewing messages of hatred at the camera. I was equally heartened to see a group of bikers gather around Phelps’ group, constantly revving their motorcycle engines to drown out the group’s hateful chants during a military funeral. Jones even mentions how Phelps and his followers are viewed in Europe. He also includes comments from Dr. Warren Carter, a professor at Saint Paul School of Theology, and other Christian pastors.
Fred Phelps and Westboro Baptist Church contend that God has used the Iraq War, 9/11, and natural disasters to punish America for condoning homosexuality. Phelps praises God for every dead servicemember and prays that many more will die in the line of duty. He posts pictures of dead homosexuals on his Web site with a counter for the number of days each person has “been in Hell. He and his followers sing bastardized versions of American patriotic songs that are full of hateful lyrics condemning homosexuality. To be sure, the group comes across as kooky and dangerous. However, as the film makes clear, one of the greatest things about America is that groups like Westboro Baptist Church are allowed to voice their opinions without fear. As distasteful and unpleasant as Phelps and his followers may be, they still have the right to free speech. Likewise, Americans have the right to agree or disagree as they see fit.
Fall From Grace is currently available for rent on Netflix.com. It has also been shown at a couple of private screenings and a film festival. It has also been shown on the Showtime cable network. The film does contain some adult language, mild violence, and adult content. It is definitely not suitable for young children, although older teenagers may be mature enough to watch it. I personally find Fred Phelps and his followers reprehensible, but I did find this documentary fascinating to watch. Moreover, I was extremely moved watching Kelly Frantz, the wife of the late Corporal Lucas Frantz, describing how she handled losing her husband and dealing with Phelps and his group picketing her husband’s funeral. Seeing her strength and grace brought tears to my eyes.
I think Fall From Grace is an important film that should not be missed by anyone who is interested in civil rights. It offers food for thought that can foster intelligent discussion along, but be prepared for strong emotional reactions.
