Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri is by no means a Christian film. In fact, if God or Jesus are mentioned at all, it is probably in the form of an exclamation or curse. Still, a lot of scriptural truth can be gleaned from this Oscar-winning film, especially in the evolving relationships between four characters: Mildred Hayes, Chief Bill Willoughby, Officer Jason Dixon, and Red Welby.

Now, this is the part of the article where I warn you that I will be discussing the film's plot in depth, which is another way of saying there will be spoilers. If you plan on watching this film and desire to go into it a blank slate, you might want to put this article on hold for now. However, if you have seen the movie or couldn't care less about knowing the details, then please read on.

Works of the Flesh

It's been seven months since Mildred Hayes' daughter was raped and murdered. The investigation by the local authorities has stalled and Mildred is rightfully frustrated and angry. In an effort to light a fire under the local police, she rents three billboards from Red Welby, the local advertising agent. After discussing legalities, she has him post the following message across the three boards: "Raped while dying/And still no arrests?/How come, Chief Willoughby?" As can be imagined, this angers many of the town's residents, especially Officer Jason Dixon, a racist cop who is extremely protective of his boss, the targeted Chief Willoughby. Aggravating the situation is the fact that Willoughby is dying from pancreatic cancer and many residents feel the billboards are an added stress he doesn't need.

Officer Dixon responds by bullying Red and Mildred, but neither budge and the billboards remain. Chief Willoughby meets with Mildred to explain that he truly does care about finding the killer, but all the leads have turned cold and legally there is little more that he can do at the moment. Still, he does go back to the station and pulls the file to review it one more time.

Meanwhile, rent is due on the billboards and Mildred is short on cash. However, while she and Red are discussing this, an anonymous envelope arrives at the advertising agency with $5,000 – enough to cover what's owed on the billboards.

Following a day of fishing and fun with his wife and children, Chief Willoughby takes his own life. While his intent was to spare his family the pain of seeing him deteriorate over the next several months from the cancer (revealed in a letter Willoughby leaves for his wife), his suicide intensifies the residents' hatred toward Mildred as they believe the billboards were at least partially responsible for pushing him over the edge. Officer Dixon, in particular, is enraged at the news and immediately crosses the street to Red Welby's office, beats the tar out of him, and tosses him out of a second story window. Red survives but Dixon losses his job.

In addition to the letter left for his wife, Willoughby also wrote letters to Mildred and Officer Dixon (which we'll visit later). In Mildred's letter, he admits that billboards, while probably not the best way to get her message across, at least got people thinking and talking about the murder again. Also in the letter, Willoughby reveals that he was the one who sent the money to pay for the billboards because it amused him to think of Mildred having to deal with the fallout long after he was gone.

At this point in the film, the predominant emotion is clearly anger. In the Bible, James writes that we grow angry and fight because we do not have what we desire (James 4:1-2). This certainly is the case in Three Billboards. Mildred wants her daughter's murderer caught. Officer Dixon wants the billboards taken down. These desires aren't being met and each grows angrier every day. Scripture is also clear that unchecked anger leads to conflicts, evil, folly and a lack of righteousness (Psalm 37:8; Prov. 14:29, 15:1; Ecc. 7:9: James 1: 20). This is certainly played out in the town of Ebbing. Mildred's anger drove her to post defamatory statements and make enemies with a large percent of the town's population. Officer Dixon's anger pushed him to physical violence and nearly murder.

Seeds of Love

In the midst of all this quarreling and hostility, two characters demonstrated a more godly attitude: Red Welby and Chief Willoughby. Red is probably the purest character in the movie. He was hired for a job, he did that job and would not be swayed. Following the principle found in Matthew 5:37, he let his "Yes" be "Yes" ("Yes, I will put up the billboards I was paid to put up.") and his "No" be "No" (No, I will not take them down as long as they are paid for."). Red goes on to display an even more godly character, but we'll get to that later in the film.

While Mildred and Dixon are examples of how not to respond to adversity and opposition, Willoughby is just the opposite. Despite being the target of severe accusation, Willoughby displays extreme self-control. He does not fly off the handle, attack his accuser, or display any temper at all. Instead, he remains calm and patiently attempts to reason with Mildred (Prov. 19:11; Ecc. 7:9; Rom 12:17). In addition to being level-headed, Willoughby also sought out the good in others, in particular, Officer Dixon (1 Pet. 2: 17a). [1] At one point, without excusing Dixon's behavior, the chief does acknowledge there is some good underneath all the brashness and racist tendencies.

Despite this, Willoughby's character is ultimately flawed, as we see in his suicide. While his intent appears to be motivated by love for his family (saving them the pain of seeing him deteriorate), closer analysis shows that Willoughby's action was more selfish, benefitting mainly himself. For starters, he robbed his family of their final months with the husband and father they loved, denying them the opportunity to properly prepare for this death and say good-bye. There is nothing stated in the film about what financial, legal or other types of arrangements the chief made to care for his family after he was gone. However, even if such arrangements were made, the sudden, unexpected death leaves his wife to sort out the pieces and follow through on her own without having time to adequately prepare herself. Finally, despite the letters, Willoughby's suicide left a town wondering how much the billboards were to blame, an uncertainty that triggered anger and violence that nearly resulted in Red’s murder.

It is within this atmosphere of hostility and blame that we pick up with the movie's narrative. While driving home at night, Mildred sees an orange glow in the distance. Driving closer she realizes the light is coming from her billboards which have been set ablaze. The next evening, Dixon goes to the police station after hours to drop off his keys and pick up a letter that was left for him on his desk. It is the one written to him by the late Chief Willoughby. Willoughby writes that he believes Dixon has the skills necessary to reach the rank of detective, something to which the officer aspired. The only thing he lacked was "love."

This is where I believe the theme of the movie is revealed: the redemptive power of love. Up to now, Three Billboards has prepared the viewer for this reveal by detailing the consequences of the absence of love, particularly in Mildred and Dixon. Among other things, 1 Corinthians 13 tells us that love is patient and kind, not arrogant, rude, selfish, irritable or resentful. Clearly, these two characters are lacking in several of these areas. Mildred is impatient and resentful of the local police, and her entire demeanor is rather irritable. Dixon's arrogance is front and center in his racism and the way he speaks with Welby and Mildred. Additionally, he is extremely selfish, wanting people to do what he demands and responding unkindly when he doesn't get his way.

Love, however, has the power to change this, as the rest of the movie shows. For some reason, Willoughby's message of love strikes a chord with Dixon. Perhaps it was his admiration, respect, and possibly even love for his former Chief that made the message hit home. Whatever the reason, Dixon's heart breaks, and actions from this point reveal a changed man.

The Fruits of Love

Mildred, believing Dixon is responsible for burning down the billboards, decides to enact revenge by setting fire to the police station. She launches Molotov cocktails at the station from across the street, presumably unaware that the actual target of her aggression, Dixon, is inside. Realizing he is trapped, Dixon grabs Mildred's daughter's case file and runs out of the station through the flames, catching on fire. A passerby helps put out the flames, but not before Dixon received severe burns on his face and body.

Dixon is taken to the local hospital and is rolled into the same room as Red Welby, who is still recovering from the injuries he sustained from the beating. Since Dixon's face and hands are wrapped up in bandages, Welby is unaware that his new roommate is also his attacker. The outgoing Welby greets the "stranger" and offers him something to drink. Dixon, changed from his experience in the station, offers an emotional apology. Welby recognizes the voice and, for a moment, his face contorts in rage.

Earlier I mentioned that more of Welby’s godly character was going to be displayed. This is that time. In this moment of realization, the wronged Welby can choose either hate or love. The choice he makes is to imitate Christ and follow his teachings. “Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who abuse you” (Luke 6:27-28). Welby walks away from Dixon only to return a few moments later with a cup of juice and a straw. He was rightfully angry, but did not sin (Eph. 4: 26). I believe this gesture of forgiveness reinforced Willoughby’s message of love and continued the changes in Dixon’s heart, changes that would influence his actions for the remainder of the film.

Dixon eventually recovers and is released from the hospital. One night he finds himself in a bar, drinking alone. While there, an out-of-towner comes and sits down one booth over with a friend. The former officer overhears the outsider brag about raping a girl, and the details sound very similar to what happened to Mildred’s daughter. Without revealing his motives, Dixon engages the stranger in conversation and scratches his face. Of course, Dixon is beaten to within an inch of his life for this. Somehow, Dixon makes his way home, takes scrapings from under his nails, and puts them in an evidence bag. The love Dixon has been shown by his boss and Welby is beginning to manifest itself in his willingness to sacrifice himself for the benefit of others (Phil. 2:4; John 15:13).

Another biblical theme explored in Three Billboards is the consequences of hasty action. Proverbs 14:29 warns, “He who has a hasty temper exalts folly.” This is clearly demonstrated in Mildred’s reaction to the billboard burning, which resulted in the mutilation of another human. Even if such extreme action was justified (which it wasn’t), it turns out the "revenge" was misdirected. Sometime after her attack on the police station, Mildred's ex-husband approaches her to apologize. She is confused until he reveals that it was actually he who torched the billboards. The look on Mildred’s face suggests that she is aware of the wrong she did to Dixon. Had she not been so rash, her actions may have been more in line with the first half of the Proverbs verse: "Whoever is slow to anger has great understanding.”

Dixon visits Mildred to let her know about his possible discovery of her daughter's killer. Mildred is hopeful, but that hope is short-lived when it turns out the DNA samples do not match and the suspect, according to military records, was overseas at the time of the murder. Despite this, Dixon is sure the man raped someone (based on the overheard conversation) and he knows where the suspect lives. He and Mildred decide to join forces and hunt the man down to deal with him themselves. Along the way, Dixon reveals that he knew it was Mildred who firebombed the police station and caused his injuries.

The final biblical truth of this movie is displayed in this new alliance. Proverbs 18:19 states, "Do a favor and win a friend forever." Dixon sacrificed himself to do Mildred a favor. In response, Mildred is willing to form an unlikely partnership with her former adversary. Additionally, this scene further demonstrates the work of love in Dixon's heart, in that he did all that he did for Mildred despite the knowledge that she was responsible for the burns that scar his face and hands. Of course, love still has a way to go with these two since their actions, while intended to right a wrong, are still heavily motivated by anger and their plan is to circumvent the law and exact vengeance themselves. However, as the movie ends, there is still some hope that they will choose to do the right thing:

Mildred Hayes: Are you sure about this?
Dixon: 'Bout killing this guy? Not really. You?
Mildred Hayes: Not really. I guess we can decide along the way.

Bonus Lessons

I wasn’t sure what to expect when I sat down to watch Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri. Deb's and my interest was mainly due to the fact that it was nominated for an Oscar. Sometimes the nominees are worth it, like Hidden Figures or The Imitation Game. Sometimes they are duds, like Manchester By The Sea. Whatever I was expecting from Three Billboards, it certainly wasn’t the biblical treatise on the redemptive power of love I detailed above, which leads to the last two biblical truths we can glean from this film.

First, despite being a secular film, the fact that such truths are expressed is an indication that God’s word is truly written on the hearts of man (Rom 2:14-15). C. S. Lewis would argue that this innate knowledge of right and wrong, or conscience, is, at the very least, a suggestion that there is some universal moral code that governs all people and, quite possibly, proof that a good God does indeed exist. [2]

Second, the movie flies in the face of the argument that the Bible has no relevance for the world today. You may have heard people dismiss the Bible as an out-of-date document that doesn’t apply to today’s “advanced” society. While society, government, technology and many other things have changed, relationships haven’t. We still interact with each other in the same way they did in biblical times, whether those interactions are familial, social, romantic, business, judicial, or spiritual. It is these relationships that are the focus of most scriptural teaching.

The people and places written about in the Old and New Testaments may not have had billboards, police cars, DNA testing, or movie screens. But they did have rape, murder, injustice, selfishness, prejudice, and love. The context may have changed, yet God's truths remain the same.

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[1] While some commentaries assert that the referenced verse relates to dealing with others in authority, here I appeal to Matthew Henry's commentary which implores, "due respect is to be given to all men; the poor are not to be despised; the wicked must be honoured [sic], not for their wickedness, but for any other qualities, such as wit, prudence, courage, eminency of employment, or the hoary head." https://www.biblegateway.com/resources/matthew-henry/1Pet.2.13-1Pet.2.25

[2] Lewis, C.S., Mere Christianity, “Book One: Right and Wrong As A Clue To The Meaning Of The Universe”