This movie is phenomenal, not because of its star-studded cast, but because it is real. With cell phones and fast-food dinners that move us farther and farther from one another, it often seems we’re losing our sense of community. The simple, yet powerful movie slogan, “moving at the speed of life, we are bound to collide with each other,” is quite appropriate. Crash (2005) is remarkable in the way it displays how stereotypes plays into our character assessments of people, how one can never judge a book by its cover. Just when the audience labels a character a “good guy” or “bad guy,” some event occurs that creates a dissonance with our initial impression. This movie has even caused me to reexamine my opinion of people I had already written off as “ghetto” or “racist,” based on a single instance.

Crash (2005) is an emotional roller coaster. During the course of this movie, viewers may sit on the edge of their seat in anticipation, cry, and burst into tears—all in the same scene. As much as I’d love to give specific details, I don’t want to spoil anyone’s cinematic experience.

From a Christian perspective, this movie can be summarized by pointing to Matthew 7:1 (NIV): “Do not judge, or you too will be judged. For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.” In the effort to be Christ-like, we must remember that we are in no position to judge anyone. It is often easy to consider ourselves “better” than someone because we have more money or degrees than they do, and forget the comparative value of family and friends. More importantly, we err in believing that these possessions cannot be taken from us.

If I were to point out any flaw in Crash (2005), I would point to the unlikely nature of the story. I understand the “six degrees of separation” idea, but it is highly doubtful that all of these individuals would encounter each other in thirty-six hours in such a large city as Los Angeles. Also, there is technically no real plot, but then the movie doesn’t need one: a series of dramatic and intense moves everything along.