The book entitled The Pilgrim’s Progress from This World to That Which Is to Come is a classic allegory originally published in 1678. I recall that when I was in third grade my Sunday School teacher gave each of us in her class a copy of an abridged version of the book. I read it with interest. The lessons about the Christian life were clear.

Englishman John Bunyan wrote the book while imprisoned for participating in church services other than those of the Church of England. According to Wikipedia, there have been 200 translations, and since it was first printed there has never been a period when it was not being printed. It was a very important contribution to Christian theological literature.

I am here providing information about two movie adaptations of the book. It seems very fitting for New Years Eve, a time to look at the progress we are making in our journey of life.
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​In 2019 an animated, updated adaptation of the book geared to ages 8 to 12 was released. It’s called The Pilgrim’s Progress. The DVD I purchased begins with a quote by C. S. Lewis, then an introduction to The Pilgrim’s Progress and an evaluation of its importance by musician Kristyn Getty, with her strong Gaelic accent. If you acquire a recording of this animation that opens with that segment, you may want to fast forward through that portion, when watching it with young children. You won’t want them to become disinterested while waiting for the animation to begin. The movie lasts 115 minutes.
​One reviewer quoted on the Common Sense Media website said that their 8-year-old rooted for the character named “Christian” during the entire movie, shouting things like “Stay on the straight and narrow, Christian!” or “No! Don’t go that way!” Another reviewer said their 7-year-old was disappointed whenever they paused the movie.

A few scenes may be frightening for more sensitive young children. If you have a young child affected by frightening scenes, you might want to wait until they’re a bit older to have them watch it. A few words in the vocabulary may need explanation. It is good for an adult to watch along with the children to explain anything that may be unclear to them. It would be beneficial to make certain they understand that the beams of light in the shape of the cross that “Christian” encounters represent when Christian realizes that he no longer needs to feel guilty for his sins because Jesus died on the cross to pay for his sins.

Children under the age of 8 may not completely understand this presentation if they have not had the book read to them previously. It would be a good thing if this movie leads to the reading of the book for those who haven’t, since the movie leaves out some good points, in the interest of time. It is worthwhile for the valuable lessons it teaches about the Christian life. Below you will find a sample of the movie and be sure to see the movie review following that.

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In the 2008 dramatization of The Pilgrims Progress book called Pilgrim’s Progress, Journey to Heaven, the main character, “Christian,” lives in a modern home. He and his friends wear modern attire. As with all the adaptations, you should pay close attention to the characters’ names, such as “Obstinate” and “Pliable,” and the names of places. For instance, Pliable is a wishy-washy person who is fickle in regard to his convictions. In this adaptation it is clear that the narrator is having a dream in which he is observing the perils faced by a man who is named “Christian,” to symbolize his Christian faith. I feel that the narration in this version helps to make things quite clear.

I actually became confused about the point of salvation in Pilgrim’s Progress. It seems that when Christian goes through the “Wicket Gate” is when he becomes a Christian. Yet he does not lose his burden of guilt until he approaches the cross later in the journey. After reading some discussions of this puzzlement on some websites, I was able to think through an understanding.

It is said that the book reflects the author’s experience with salvation. Apparently he still suffered from guilt after he became a Christian. When he finally realized that the cross covered his sin, he lost his burden of guilt. In Bunyan’s story, Christian goes to Mt. Sinai before he approaches the cross. Maybe that means that John Bunyan still felt guilt after becoming a Christian because he realized he could not keep all the commandments perfectly. He had to come to a place where he accepted that God’s grace would cover his imperfections through the cross.

In this version we see that some believers must die as martyrs for their faith. This possibility must have seemed especially real to John Bunyan, since he had been imprisoned merely for attending a church other than the Church of England. The part of the story that addresses martyrdom gives a vivid picture of the kinds of people who don’t want to tolerate true Christians.

Toward the end of the journey Christian finds sweet fellowship with “Hopeful.” They must both cross the “river” of death in order to reach “The Celestial City.” “Ignorant,” who had ignored any Biblical instruction for the means of salvation, was sadly turned away at The Celestial City.

It is difficult to watch this movie without being impacted by it. It is a sobering warning to us who are Christians to beware of the many pitfalls as we walk the straight and narrow path toward Heaven. I believe it is a very appropriate way to encourage us to determine to be careful of our walk as we enter a new year. The movie lasts 103 minutes. Below is a preview of the movie.

Videos suggested at the end of this video are not necessarily endorsed by this website.