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The Pursuit of Happiness: All’s Well That Ends Well

The Pursuit of Happiness: All’s Well That Ends Well

Last updated on: August 27, 2026 at 8:19 am by David Weiss

The Pursuit of Happiness: All’s Well That Ends Well 2026-08-27T08:19:42-04:00 David Weiss

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50s Drive In Movie Photo from Wikimedia Commons manipulated in Google Gemini

I have an opinion that I know will be controversial, at least in the arts community, but I’m going to share it anyway. I love stories that have a happy ending. You might say, well that’s not reality, to which I would say, “I know. Your point?” Seriously in a world that is far too full of negativity, I want my entertainment to leave me feeling uplifted and, dare I say, happy?

Artistic Value

Please hear me, I’m not denigrating the artistic value of things that end in dark places. I have seen some brilliant pieces like that. When I see them I know I am seeing great art, but a lot of it leaves me in really dark places, I don’t need my entertainment to do that for me. I’m a Psalm 23:4 kind of guy when it comes to entertainment. You know, “Even though I walk through the darkest valley, (the valley of the shadow of death) I will fear no evil, for you are with me;” The operative word in that statement, other than the fact that the Lord is with me, is the word, “through.” As in we’re not supposed to stay there. We’re not pitching a tent or building a house. We’re just passing through, and the Lord is leading to the other side.

The Elements of Story

Every great story has a couple elements. These are practically essential.

Conflict

Every great story has conflict. I’m not asking for a story to be peaceful from one end to the other. There needs to be tension, and even discomfort. Without conflict, without something to be overcome, you really don’t have a story. Good conflict makes a good story, but again, we’re not taking up residence in the conflict, we’re passing through. The conflict is supposed to be overcome.

The Villain

If every great story has conflict, it also needs someone to bring that conflict. Every great story needs a villain, and often those villain’s are complex. They’re not always pure evil. Some are conflicted and a few are even trying to do the right thing. what matters is that they bring conflict and need to be, in some way, overcome.

The Damsel

I’m never quite sure what to call this character, perhaps the protagonist to the villain’s antagonism. This is the person who needs to be rescued, the prototypical damsel in distress, though the person is definitely not always a damsel. Sometimes they even rescue themselves. Every great story needs someone who needs help receiving help.

The Hero

The hero brings the help often at great personal sacrifice, sometimes paying the ultimate price. Maybe that’s what it is. At the end of the story someone has to win. And I realize once again, this doesn’t always happen in reality, but if I am going to seek out entertainment, I’m seeking a diversion from this world’s cold reality. I want the bad guys to lose and the good guys to win.

Antiheroes

I hate antiheroes. There I said it. I will never watch a horror movie. I’m not condemning them, nor am I condemning you for watching them, but I never will. The reason is simple. What I let into my head tends to stay in my head and I don’t want that in my head, but there is something more. Horror, at least in some places, creates antiheroes. People end up rooting for Jason, Freddy, et al rather than hoping for the rescue of the people, (usually teenagers) they are trying to kill. That just seems twisted, probably because it is. If you are watching something that has you rooting for a serial killer, are you really being entertained, and is that healthy?

There’s Room for Complexity Here

Just like in real life, no one (but Jesus) is perfect. And most characters are three dimensional. Damsels are rarely completely innocent, villains are rarely pure evil, and some antiheroes really blur the lines. Complex people often make good stories, they introduce subplots, and make us ask questions, sometimes good questions. Life is, after all, complicated. Maybe that’s what some of this is for me. Life is complicated, but I’m okay if the movie I just watched is neatly wrapped at the end. Mainly I just want a positive resolution. Is it okay that I want to feel good at the end of my entertainment?

Jaded Much?

If you’ve come to this point in the article, and you want to scream, “but happy endings just are not reality!” I have to counter with a challenge. Are you jaded? Maybe better stated, Are you so jaded that you’ve lost hope? Do you see the possibility of a happy ending for yourself? Because I do.

The Greatest Story

You see we are living in the greatest story. More than that, you are the protagonist (the damsel?) of the story of your life. That story is a story that began long before you. We are all the product of a long line of heroes and villains and ultimately we can all trace that line, back to the very beginning. All the way back then, the ultimate villain, the one all villains are ultimately patterned after, struck a blow against us, that left us walking through the valley of deep shadows. That blow made us all antiheroes, and that valley leads to death. The conflict was set in place at that moment. That conflict is what we might call reality.

Enter the Hero

When that initial blow was dealt, and even before, the Author of this story set a plan in motion. He would send the Hero. Someone who was unaffected by that blow against humanity, thrust Himself into the story, to stand before us all, to absorb the fatal blow for us all and in the process He paid the ultimate price. End the story there and it is a tragedy of epic proportions, but the Author didn’t end the story there. In the process He changed reality.

A New Reality

Our Hero rescued us, by laying down His life, and paying our price, freeing us from this reality. He made the way through the valley of dark shadows, and He will lead us into the light of life, the ultimate happy resolution. So no, darkness and death, are not the ultimate reality, at least for those who place their faith in Christ, our Hero. So if I want to be entertained between here and there, I want to be entertained by stuff that points to redemption and happiness and hope. Because I believe in Jesus, so while I live in a world that is littered by sin, that is not my ultimate reality. I believe all great heroes are patterned after Jesus, and His story is a great (and true) story, and as Christians blessed with a creative gift, that is the story we need to tell.

What We Let In Matters

As I thought on this topic, there was a verse that kept reverberating in my mind. Philippians 4:8 Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things. As we seek things by which to be entertained, this verse is a great filter. Think about your earliest memories and you will see something very clearly, What retake into our head, tends to stay there, so what we let in matters. I want to take things in that fit into the list above, because they will put my heart and mind in a better place.

As I write this, I am preparing to preach a funeral service for my father. I thank God that near the end of his life, he finally saw the light, and today he is living in a new and better reality. Trust Jesus. He has a better reality in store for you.

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About Dave Weiss

Dave Weiss, SDG is a pastor and a traveling speaker. He has written and/or illustrated many self-published books and has his MDIV and DMIN, both with a concentration in Creative Arts Ministry. His latest creation is The Imaginative Church YouTub Channel, that features AI generated songs, The Simple Truth inspirational devotional videos and more. He is married to his wife Dawn and has two adult sons and a grandson named David. You can read more about the author here. You can read more about the author here.

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