MONUMENTAL: IN SEARCH OF AMERICA’S NATIONAL TREASURE
Important truths about America’s Christian roots, presented for all ages.
Should You Watch It?
MONUMENTAL asks why America is falling apart and what made it a great country in the first place. Kirk Cameron’s search is personal: he has young children and wants them to have a better future. The documentary offers important information about the Pilgrims, representative government, and the Christian roots of the American experiment.
The film is especially valuable for the historical information it communicates. Interviews with historians and experts, including Marshall Foster and David Barton, help present what the review describes as truths about America’s past and correct misinformation in popular culture.
The filmmaking is less effective than the material. Some shots are too distant, the presentation can feel overly earnest, and the audience is not drawn deeply into the story. Still, because the content is excellent and very clean, MONUMENTAL is worth watching with your family or friends.
The Story
NO SPOILERS — WE KEEP THE SURPRISESActor Kirk Cameron sets out to understand why America is falling apart and what made it great. His search takes him to England as he investigates the Pilgrims and their role in the beginnings of representative government in Plymouth, Massachusetts.
Through conversations with historians and experts such as Marshall Foster and David Barton, Cameron explores the Christian roots of the American experiment and the values he believes helped shape the nation.
Is It Any Good?
Three stars means MONUMENTAL communicates excellent, important information but does not realize that material as effectively as it could.
Marshall Foster does a wonderful job telling historical stories, and David Barton does a great job exposing what the review calls the lies of the left. The documentary’s weaknesses are mostly in presentation: some shots are too distant, everyone looks too earnest, and there is very little effort to involve the audience in the story.
The result is a highly commended documentary whose information is stronger than its filmmaking.
The Worldview
MONUMENTAL presents a strongly Christian, pro-American, and patriotic moral worldview. It searches for the values that made America great and emphasizes the Christian roots of the American experiment. The documentary also aims to set the record straight about what the review describes as misinformation and disinformation in popular culture.
The film’s central concern is both national and personal. Cameron wants to understand America’s past because he has young children and hopes they will have a better future. In that way, the documentary connects historical understanding with responsibility for the next generation.
The review praises the movie’s information and its presentation of America’s Christian roots. Its focus is the search for the values that shaped the nation, rather than a critique of those values. The documentary’s call to remember and communicate what is true aligns with Scripture’s concern that one generation tell the next about God’s works: “We will not hide them from their children, but tell to the coming generation the glorious deeds of the LORD” (Psalm 78:4).
The Content Guide
The specifics — spoilers included by nature — so you can judge for your own family.
Content Summary
Very strong Christian, Pro-American and patriotic, moral worldview about the search for the values that made America great; no foul language; no violence; no sex; no nudity; no alcohol; no smoking or drugs; and, nothing else objectionable.
Talk About It
Questions for the drive home, the dinner table, or the youth group.
What values does the documentary say helped make America great, and how should we test those values against Scripture?
Micah 6:8 · Philippians 4:8Kirk Cameron is concerned about the future his children will inherit. What truths and lessons should one generation faithfully pass to the next?
Psalm 78:4–7 · Deuteronomy 6:6–7Why is it important to distinguish truth from misinformation? How can Christians seek truth with humility and courage?
John 8:31–32 · Ephesians 4:25What responsibilities do we have toward our communities and our country while remembering that our ultimate citizenship is in heaven?
Jeremiah 29:7 · Philippians 3:20The Final Word
MONUMENTAL is an important, clean documentary with excellent information about America’s past and Christian roots. Its storytelling could be more engaging, but the material makes it worth sharing with family and friends. WORTH THE TRIP.
