Quickly descending into an esoteric monologue about the relative value of the King James Bible, given its dense, archaic, and Elizabethan-era language, Authorized fails to engage a broad, curious audience. Hosted by a Dr. Mark Ward, whose lifelong passion for the flowery text of the King James translation is quite evident, the film follows him as he strains to make a case that clarifying the 17th century meaning of certain words ("halt," "want," "commend" among them) increases one's appreciation of Biblical verse. Ward advocates reading more accessible translations of the Old and New Testaments, then turning to King James for a more elevated experience. All well and good, but this video is a deeply academic exercise that forces one to sit through obscure conversations between experts on arcane matters. Despite Ward's efforts to lighten the mood with a game show set-piece and other cute bits, this production is an overwhelming bore. Not recommended. Aud: I, J, H, C, P. (T. Keogh)
Authorized
(2019) 45 min. DVD: $14.99. Vision Video. (avail. from most distributors)
Authorized
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